Who is this Michael Ignatieff guy?

[Rerun]

From Wikipedia...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Ignatieff

61 years old
Born in Canada

Went to Upper Canada College as a youngster (very exclusive, expensive, and private grade school)
Graduated from University of Toronto
Graduated from University of Oxford (England)
Graduated from Harvard University (Phd)
Basically was in school til he was 29 (till 1976)

Taught at University of BC from 1976 to 1978

In 1978, Moved to England and taught at University of Oxford and Cambridge

Moved to USA in 2000 where he accepted a position at Harvard University.

Basically has lived outside of Canada for most of his adult life.

Wrote a number of books and magazine/newspaper articles. ... a respected author.

Moved back to Canada in 2005, after he was recruited by some of the heavy hitter Liberal back room boys, to run for the Liberal leadership after Paul Martin stepped down.

Became a Liberal member of parliament in 2006

[Ironhorse]

Sounds like he's never worked an honest day's work in his life though.

[CaptainCrunch]

I'm actually looking forward to a brawl between Stephen Harper who is a political animal and a bit on the mean and nasty side vs Ignatieff the college professor.

[FanIn80]

Innervesting.

My impression? He's had quite the life handed to him... and now he's going to have an entire country given to him as well.

I just hope he isn't as corrupt as the rest of his party.

Edit: This is all just a preliminary reaction, of course. I have no clue what the guy's like, so nothing is in concrete.

[flylock shox]

His background is somewhat unusual for a politician in that it is theory-intensive.

I suppose the obvious questions are whether he can be as effective with practicalities as he has proven to be with theory, and whether his lack of experience living in Canada will affect his ability to understand and relate to Canadians.

The fact he supported the Iraq war causes me considerable concern about his judgment, particularly given his academic background. I'd be interested to know more about why he chose to support that war.

[octothorp]

Yup, I said before, he's got a lot of ammo that can be used against him, particularly in regards to his patriotism, and this was one of the two things (combined with lack of experience) that held him back in the last leadership convention.

Most liberals (and Liberals) I've talked to have absolutely no idea about his policies, either, and the far left is going to shred him on some of that, as well: in particular, his foreign policy that favours a proactive, interventionist approach to international conflicts, and the fact that he supported the war in Iraq, and that he's an advocate for a lesser-evil approach that allows indefinite detention and coercive interrogation.

[mykalberta]

Originally Posted by Ironhorse

Sounds like he's never worked an honest day's work in his life though.

Not many born rich have.

Its too bad the Cons heavy hitters never got to him before the liberals did.

[Locke]

Thats an impressive resume.

I dont see the part that says "Elected Prime Minister of Canada," though...

[FanIn80]

Originally Posted by octothorp

Most liberals (and Liberals) I've talked to have absolutely no idea about his policies, either, and the far left is going to shred him on some of that, as well: in particular, his foreign policy that favours a proactive, interventionist approach to international conflicts, and the fact that he supported the war in Iraq, and that he's an advocate for a lesser-evil approach that allows indefinite detention and coercive interrogation.

So, what you're saying is all those Liberal campaign ads scaring people into not voting for Harper, were really all about Ignatieff?

[guzzy]

isn't he one of the chumps that already lost a liberal leader vote to the mighty and powerful Stephane Dion?

How do you lose to Dion in a leadership race?

he must be a great successor

[Russic]

Originally Posted by octothorp

Yup, I said before, he's got a lot of ammo that can be used against him, particularly in regards to his patriotism, and this was one of the two things (combined with lack of experience) that held him back in the last leadership convention.

Most liberals (and Liberals) I've talked to have absolutely no idea about his policies, either, and the far left is going to shred him on some of that, as well: in particular, his foreign policy that favours a proactive, interventionist approach to international conflicts, and the fact that he supported the war in Iraq, and that he's an advocate for a lesser-evil approach that allows indefinite detention and coercive interrogation.

I didn't know any of that. Interesting. Those are odd opinions of a Liberal leader.

[Dan02]

I could actually see him and harper working reasonably well together.

[Bobblehead]

Originally Posted by Ironhorse

Sounds like he's never worked an honest day's work in his life though.

Has Harper? According to his wiki article, it seems like he has been a career politician, even back to high school when he was a member of the Young Liberals.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Harper

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by Dan02

I could actually see him and harper working reasonably well together.

Michael Ignatieff: [after killing Stephane Dion and in disarray] What have I done?
Darth Harper: You are fulfilling your destiny, Michael. Become my apprentice. Learn to use the dark side of the Force. There's no turning back now.
Micheal Ignatieff: I will do whatever you ask. Just help me save the Liberal Party. I can't live without it. If it dies, I don't know what I will do.
Darth Harper: To cheat death is a power only one has achieved though centuries of the study of the Force. But if we work together, I know we can discover the secret to saving the Liberals
Michael Ignatieff: I pledge myself to your teachings. To the ways of the Sith.
Darth Harper: Good. Good! The Force is strong with you, Micheal Ignatieff. A powerful Sith you will become. Henceforth, you shall be known as Darth... Iggy.
Darth Iggy: Thank you... my Master.
Darth Harper: Lord Iggy... rise.

[The Goon]

Originally Posted by guzzy

isn't he one of the chumps that already lost a liberal leader vote to the mighty and powerful Stephane Dion?

How do you lose to Dion in a leadership race?

he must be a great successor

That was just the split vote between Iggy and Rae allowing the third-place candidate to come up the middle. I think it's pretty much the same mechanism that allowed Stelmach to take control of the Alberta PC party.

I think Ignatieff will be either really successful or will get blown out of the water. He's obviously very smart, but doesn't have a strong political background, and inexperience in that sense can show itself - foot in mouth, misquotes, etc.

On the flip side, that lack of politicking could be an asset if he handles it right - people might like that he's not putting forth the same tired cliches.

[Canada 02]

Its going to be so easy to pick him apart, especially in Quebec.

Michael Ignatieff gaffes:

"Quebeckers walk around with this fantasy of how different they are, but they are just North Americans who speak French...They take the minor difference and magnify it."

"....a simple majority of 50 per cent plus one would not give "legitimacy," in Ignatieff's own choice of words, for the founding of a new country.
"There have to be rules in this business," Ignatieff said. "We have to have clarity. Why? Because we want to avoid civil war, and I'm very confident we will avoid it."

Ignatieff, the former head of the Carr Centre for Human Rights at Harvard's Kennedy School, said he wasn't "losing sleep" over civilian casualties in Lebanon in the war between Israel and Hezbollah.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNew...830?hub=Canada

http://www.canada.com/montrealgazett...b5f8300b41&p=1

http://thescottross.blogspot.com/200...-are-just.html

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servl.../politics/home

[habernac]

Originally Posted by guzzy

isn't he one of the chumps that already lost a liberal leader vote to the mighty and powerful Stephane Dion?

How do you lose to Dion in a leadership race?

he must be a great successor

it's called Rae and Ignatieff splitting the vote

[MaxPower]

Originally Posted by Bobblehead

Has Harper? According to his wiki article, it seems like he has been a career politician, even back to high school when he was a member of the Young Liberals.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Harper

Come on, if you're gonna quote Wikipedia, then don't omit the next sentence after the Young Liberals part, where it says he changed his political allegiance because he disagreed with the NEP.

Maybe he is pretty much a career politician, but if I'm going to compare the two, I'll take Harper's education in Economics (may be useful sometime, who knows?).

[Hack&Lube]

Originally Posted by Bobblehead

Has Harper? According to his wiki article, it seems like he has been a career politician, even back to high school when he was a member of the Young Liberals.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Harper

Harper's only "real" job if you really must put things into catagories like that was working in an oil company mail room. Otherwise, he's pretty much been a career politician.

[nik-]

Originally Posted by octothorp

his foreign policy that favours a proactive, interventionist approach to international conflicts, and the fact that he supported the war in Iraq, and that he's an advocate for a lesser-evil approach that allows indefinite detention and coercive interrogation.

That's hilarious.

All these Coalition supporters trying to toss the "Neo-Con" label at Stephen Harper and tie him to Bush and their newly appointed savior basically holds the pure Neo-Con opinion on foreign policy.

I love it.