Wednesday, February 15, 2006

Ignatieff and the Next Face Manifesto.

Amazing really. Less than 24 hours after posting our Manifesto, Michael Ignatieff refers to the Liberal party as, "deeply factionalized and divided."

He goes on to say, "...We've got to stop this trite and shallow anti-Americanism" and avoid negative campaigning...Our campaign ads were a disgrace, an insult to the intelligence of the Canadian voter. We went negative and we had no business doing that. We can't do that again."

Ignatieff delivered the strong message to 25 members of the Western Liberals, a student political group at the University of Western where he seems to be collecting ideas on how to renew and improve the party. Has Michael Ignatieff read the Next Face Manifesto? Has he taken up its challenge?. It is indeed time for profound introspection. Introspection and inquisition.

"We should appeal to the best in Canadians and not the worst" , he goes on to say. We could not agree with him any more. It seems like Ignatieff and Next Face are on the same wavelength.

Read the story at
  • Ifpress.ca/newsstand


  • We like what we hear.

    Michael Ignatieff's odds rise sharply this morning from 7:1, to 4:1, making him the new Next Face odds on favorite.

    14 comments:

    Anonymous said...

    Igantieff is the manifesto. The manifesto is Ignatieff.

    Anonymous said...

    He could be the one. He is already starting to say the right things and is taking a 10,000 foot view of things by suggeting what we should not be doing as well as what we should be doi9ng. I like the way he is not afraid to speak his mind on issues and does not shy away from saying what is wrong with the campaign and the party like the manifesto. that is why he gets my vote at this stage. he shoud be 2:1 since there is nobody else at this point.

    Anonymous said...

    I think Ignatieff is a breath of fresh air, much like Trudeau, just what we need to help the Liberal party to go back to its roots, and to defeat the Conservatives

    Central Content Publisher said...

    He's right about the anti-Americanism. We should stick to the deep and meaningful anti-Americanism.

    Anonymous said...

    Beware the messiah.

    This comment is not intended to be an endorsement of any one of the potential leadership candidates. I just want everybody to take a deep breath and think.

    Recent Canadian political history is littered with new leaders who were going to rejuvenate and save their party from political oblivion. These new leaders were destined to win big and leave the other party leaders in their dust. Amazing how things did not turn out that way. I present to the faithful readers of Next Face the holy quad of electoral disasters.

    Exhibit # 1 – John Napier Turner. In 1984 he returned to lead the Liberal Party of Canada after years on Bay Street. He was going to save the party and show the good ol’ Trudeau Liberals how to govern. Turner was new. He was not part of the Trudeau crowd who Canadians came to dislike. Turner was a breath of fresh air and he had new ideas. Of course we were told he was head and shoulders above this guy named Jean Chretien who had been around forever. He spoke so much better then the little guy from Shawinigan. We were asked if we really wanted the magnificent Liberal Party to be led by some guy who told us how much he loved Canada and loved hoofing it to separatists. Turner was different. He was going to be nice and gentle to Quebec’s separatists and he was going to show this new kid named Brian Mulroney just how you go about winning gigantic majorities. Election night 1984: PC 211, Lib 40, NDP 30, Other 1.

    Exhibit # 2 – Avril Phaedra Douglas “Kim” Campbell. In 1993 there was a new fresh face on the political landscape. Campbell was going to lead the Progressive Conservative Party and take over from where Brian Mulroney left off. She was going to win big majorities and make Canadians love themselves again. She was going to do politics differently. Oh yeah, one more thing, she was going to wipe the floor with some guy named Jean Chretien. Apparently this guy didn’t have the greatest command of English the way she did. He was too old and a has-been. He liked the rough and tumble too much and loved sticking it to separatists. He also loved sticking it to any premier who got in the way of his love for one Canada. He liked to play rough and she like to play nice. Result: Lib 177, BQ 54, Ref 52, NDP 9, PC 2, Ind. 1.

    Exhibit # 3 – Stockwell Burt Day. Jr. In 2000 we were told that his “Quebec roots” and his “fluency” in French were just what the new Canadian Alliance party needed to break through into Ontario and Quebec. We were told that he was a fresh face with new ideas. Apparently he too was going to wipe the floor with Jean Chretien. It seems this Chretien guy Chretien was this ol’ geezer type who wasn’t hip and happening and his only shtick was telling us about how much he loved Canada and the Rocky Mountains. Oh yeah he loved to kick the stuffing out of Quebec separatist leaders. Well Stockwell was all about getting along and he was going to do things differently and everybody would see that this country needed was to kick out this crazy ol’man Chretien and let young people with new ideas, like Stockwell Day, have a crack at governing. Result: Lib 172, Alliance 66, BQ 38, NDP 13, PC 12

    Exhibit # 4 – Paul Edgar Phillipe Martin. In 2004 Paul Martin became Liberal leader and Prime Minister and he was going to do things differently. He was a fresh face the real brains behind the Chretien government. Finally the crazy old man Jean Chretien left and just in time, no doubt, because Paul Martin had to save and rebuild the Liberal Party so it could win the largest electoral victory in Canadian history. Paul Martin was going to win seats everywhere. He was going to be nice to everybody. He was smart too and could speak well – not like that Chretien guy who could only tell us one thing: he loved Canada and the Rockies and that he didn’t like separatists and loved to take ‘em out whenever he could. The ol’ man was not about cuddly and soft and he kept on telling us that if you wanted to be Prime Minister of this country you had to have elephant sized cojones. Oh yeah, he also told us that no premier is your friend and that they were in the business of fucking over Canadian prime ministers as if it were a bodily function for them. Pshaw we were told. Paul Martin was a nice guy and everybody loved him. Besides after his “mad as hell tour”, fixing health care for a generation and putting in place a solid record of achievement the crazy-ass-big majorities would keep rolling in. Result: Inherited a majority, won a minority and finally lost power altogether. Not bad for two years worth of work.

    Anonymous said...

    Yeah, nice for him to attack the party as "deeply divided." That's a great way to unite everyone.

    He doesn't even know the Liberal Party. Last time he knew the Liberal Party was 30 years ago.

    He should find better ways to make Liberals feel good rather than say all kinds of negative things about the party he wants to lead.

    Anonymous said...

    anon,

    His "attacks" are necessary.
    Read our manifesto. A good leader needs to look long and hard at the party and identify its shortcommings before it can move forward and improve itself. It is a painful step towards rebuilding.

    We don't like hearing it either. But it is necessary.

    Anonymous said...

    What is this, “He should find better ways to make Liberals feel good rather than say all kinds of negative things about the party he wants to lead.” Who is anonymous looking for a “feel good artist” or a leader? We can’t be afraid to hurt our own feelings as we look long and hard to what this party has become. If anyone thinks the Liberal Party is going to form government again by electing a leader who has his head up his ass and just wants us all to feel good about ourselves, than I hope that person enjoys life in opposition. This is serious business people. Don’t for one minute think that clever slogans and focus group tested drivel about feelings will propel this party to anywhere but electoral oblivion.

    James Curran said...

    I like it. Great Manifesto. Feel free to post it on my blog any time. I think I know who could spread some of these ideas to fellow Liberals.

    The What Do I Know Grit.
    thewhatdoiknowgrit.blogspot.com

    Andy said...

    The political vagrants are not the orphan kids of Toronto's Bay Street; these vagrants are creators of the misery and pverty in Canada.

    The energy econmoy needs philosophers, lawyers, professors, singers, politicians, MPs, ministers, bloggers, writers and journalists.

    Because of the energy econmoy and the huge wealth beyond the political shenanigan, some professors like Mr. Michael Ignaitieff, who strongly supported the war in Iraq, insulted the people of Ukrain, and ignored the voices of people, travelled together with the former premier of Ontario, Bob Rae to Baghdad in Iraq and lived in a trailer in Baghdad's heavily fortified Grenzone.

    Mr. Michael Ignatieff loves wars and ignoring of people.

    Mr. Michael Ignatieff sacrifieces the teaching to students for the wealth beyond of the energy econmoy.

    The energy econmoy will make him rich as Power Corporation made Paul Edgar Philiipe Martin rich.

    Paul Martin in his school promised he will go to the third world for working for the poor people; but the energy econmoy of Power Corporation taught him how to forget people and their rights for the wealth and power.

    Mr. Michael Ignatieff is behaving in the smae manner! He says that he is a professor for the Human Rights, but he loves killing and soul-destroying policies.


    He travels to Baghdad and Iraq, together with Bob Rae, whose brother is in Power Corporation; a big man for the energy econmoy.

    The Power Corporations means TotalFina Elf company and huge contracts for oil in Africa and Middle East.

    Mr. Bob Rae is the brother of John Rae in Power Corporation in Montreal.

    Mr.Michael Ignatieff is working for those big corporations in the field of the energy econmoy; he wants to be a rich man; very soon.

    He will not be arich man at Harvard University.

    He wants to use the Lw market in Canada for his benefits in the energy econmoy.

    Look at the behaviours of Paul Martin in CSL and Flags of Conveninence in the tax havens such as Barbados and Liberia!

    MIchael Ignatieff and Bob Rae are the men for the petrodollars and the energy econmoy; they are the servicemen of Toronto's Bat Street.

    They cannot be honest for people of canada.

    The Liberal party will sink more and more in corrutions and mismanagements.

    Anonymous said...

    I am incredibly impressed with the way Ignatieff has presented himself thus far. I will admit that I was a little worried about him when he first started campaigning in Etobicoke. I knew he was brilliant as I have read many of his books and knew that he could bring something to the Liberal party that has been lacking for sometime, but I was slightly concerned about his political charisma and ability to capture the imagination of Canadians. Since then, he has polished that up too and has given me new hope in the direction of this party... Whether he decides to run or not (right now I am hoping he does) he is a huge asset to the party and I couldn't be more pleased to have him there. Who knows...next election I may even vote Liberal because I believe in them, rather than my standard reason which was that they weren't Conservative (or Canadian Alliance).

    Andy said...

    Oh Yeah! Oh Yeah ! Mr. Michael Ignatieff is and must be a huge asset! But he is a huge asset for those big corporatios and oil companies in Toronto's Bay Street and other najor cities in Canada, who have encouraged him to be the Captain of the Liberal Party in Canada; and to be the Prime Minister in Ottawa; a Prime Minister can give contracts (billions of dollars) to these big and friendly corporations.

    If the politicians are closing their eyes and are talking like Paul Martin too much! then we are not surprising when we have scandals after scandals.

    The leader of the Liberal party must not be a parrot for the big corporations and oil companies, but also he must be able to open his eyes without speaking too much for the benefits of the big corporations without bringing any advatages to people of Canada.

    Anonymous said...

    Andy, you have a lot of anger. I am not quite sure what you are trying to say.

    Lawyers on Bay Street are not the little scary men and women under your stairs. They are people. They are people who work hard at ensuring all sides have a fair case. Perhaps you didn't know this, but those same corporate loving lawyers you are talking about also do a great deal of pro-bono and other volunteer work in their community helping those same people you purport they are eating off the backs of.

    Their support for Ignatieff is not some conspiracy. They aren't trying to get some corporate loving egghead into politics. They actually have minds beyond their clients (who are also probably not as evil as you make them out to be).

    Why did they bring Ignatieff back into Canadian politics??? Well from what I understand, they did so because they want somebody who isn't some corporate lapdog. They want somebody who doesn't need the money or the prestige...Instead, they want somebody who is willing to fight for the little guy. They want somebody to champion the charter of rights and freedoms. They want somebody who will work tirelessly to keep Canada together. They want somebody who will work with the US, but who will also understand that we are a separate nation. Most importantly perhaps, they want somebody who has a vision that not only captures Canadian ideals, but will help push them to our potential. They believe that Ignatieff is the person to do that.

    I am sure you have a great job and you agree with everything those who employ you do. I am sure that if you are a server, shoe salesperson or even a banker every client that comes into your place of business will only be served if they have the same values as you. However, lawyers on Bay Street are not like you and they actually believe everyone has a chance to be heard before the law, whether they agree with their corporate or individual stance or not. Perhaps you don’t see the disconnect between those who brought in Ignatieff and big business, but thankfully, most Canadians do.

    Perhaps you can just explain to me why you think this is some corporate conspiracy?

    Andy said...

    Will
    Nobody said that the lawyers on Toronto's Bay Street are the little and women under my stairs; I said Mr. Bob Rae, who has a law office in Bay Street, travelled with Mr. Michael Ignatieff to Baghdad/Iraq for supporting of "BOMBS" instead of "HOMES" for people.

    The mother of all laws is the right to life; when these gentlemenMr. Bob Rae and Michael Igantieff are lovers of wars and bombs, then how can you calim, they ARE NOT scary men?

    Why Mr. Ignatgieff ignores the letter and emails of people?

    Why Mr. Ignatieff insults the people of Ukraine?

    Why Mr. Ignatieff propagates the policies for wars?

    I know many lawyers, who are rejecting BOMBS & Wars are people who work hard at ensuring all sides have a fair case; but not those lawyers and professors, who are well connected to giant oil corporations.

    To OIL contaminated politicans in Canada are those persons, who are lacking any visions for the politics of truth.

    Please read the report of Canadian Commission in January 2000 for involvment of these oil contaminated politicians in wars and killing of people in Sudan and in Africa.

    The field of politics is not the scene of slogans and political sheanigan; people want facts.

    I respect all lawyers who are honest and working hard for people and their rights, but the poverty of Canadians need to be condemned when some lawyers are closing their eyes for vicious policies.

    We know, those people who are suffering from leprocy, gradually are losing their senses and their nervous system will be damaged.

    The leprocy-like politics of the oil contaminated lawyers and politicians means the loss of senses and consquently blindness and damage of nerveous syetem.

    If lawyers on Bay Street are not like me and they believe everyone has a chance to be heard before the law, whether they agree with their corporate or individual stance or not, then why Mr. Bob Rae and Mr. Igantieff are supporting BOMBS instead of HOMES?