Cherniak on Dion

A two-line dismissal of any leadership run by him this time out:

He should not, however, lead the Liberal Party at this time. We need a leader who is emotive.

Jason elaborates in a comment to his original post:

By "emotive" I do not necessarily mean charismatic. I mean a person who makes people feel like he/she cares what they have to say. Martin used to have the ability and it is why he used to be popular. Once he lost it, he didn't have anything on Harper other than experience. Essentially, we need a person who will listen to problems, think about them and then answer. Dion is too certain that he is right - it is the Chretien style and I do not think it is what we need at this point in time.

The "Chretien-style". There you have one element of the internal party opposition to Dion exposed early, that he is too much of Chretien. [put aside that Martin was the one who picked Lapierre over him, of course. Lapierre was such a winning replacement. -ed.] Any Dion candidacy is certain to face heavy opposition from the Martin wing, right from the outset.

My real issue with his "analysis", however, is that it is far too simplified as to be meaningless. Is Dion certain he is right on issues of, say, taxation? healthcare? Canada-U.S. relations? If so, I would be interested in the comprehensive airing of his opinions on the policy nuances. As Minister of the Environment, he just chaired a UN conference on Kyoto to great acclaim, and it seems to me that if you are "too certain you are right", it is difficult to do that effectively. Even on federalism, as Cosh notes today, Dion is still in the process of formulating his approach going forward given the new climate.

But, more than too many who aspire to the leadership of the Liberals, at least he exhibits signs of a willingness to think. Cherniak may want someone who "listens, thinks, and answers". Fair enough. Personally, I am more swayed by the candidates I feel may have the right answers and comes to the right decisions in the end, as opposed to the pandering listeners lacking in substance.

Perhaps the real complaint here is that Dion will be too quick to draw principled lines in the sand: "This is my position. If you disagree? Fine, you disagree." Cherniak seems to prefer the Martin approach of openness on all things to all comers.

Well, we saw how well that worked out. Let the Liberal leadership race be a race of ideas as much as of personalities, an argument over the directions the country might take. That party will be far better for it.