Leaders

 

Michael Chong

I have a strong feeling that none of the current party leaders in Canada, with the exception of Maxime Bernier, have gravitas. None are actually leaders. Justin Trudeau looks like an amateur actor poorly playing a role. Jagmeet Singh looks and sounds like a candidate for student council president. Erin O’Toole is a suit and a smile. Annamie Paul cannot seem to inspire allegiance in a three-person caucus.

I wondered if this might be an old man problem—that at my age, everyone is starting to look wet behind the ears. But I do think I can come up with a respectable list of living Canadian politicians who really do seem to me to have the royal air:

Maxime Bernier

Michael Chong

Tom Mulcair

John Tory

Dominic LeBlanc

Jean Charest

The strange thing is that most of them have been rejected for leadership by their own party.

The same thing seems to happen in the States. Andrew Yang and Tulsi Gabbard were the two natural leaders in the latest Democratic primaries. Both frozen out by the party.

I suspect that leaders only get elected when they are badly needed, during times of trouble. Most times, people prefer a nice safe Neville Chamberlain over a Winston Churchill, who might trouble them to do something unpleasant.

Besides, real leaders are so unpredictable. They won't do what you tell them.