Why I’m voting for Lisa Raitt
Do you prefer sizzle or steak? Maybe it’s my rural roots showing, but I kinda lean towards steak.
I admire humility and quiet competence. Do it, don’t just talk about it, is a good mantra. Unfortunately, those attributes are not a winning combination in political life.
Leaders need to be able to grab the public’s attention in a cluttered media world. It’s hard to communicate a message if no one is listening.
It would be nice to live in a gentler time when the quiet intelligence and personal courage of federal Conservative leadership candidate Michael Chong, MP for Wellington-Halton Hills, would shine a little brighter. But modesty is an overrated value in politics.
The 14 leadership candidates in the Conservative race all have a compelling backstory and obvious competence, but only a few have broken from the pack. Conservative stalwart Kellie Leitch grabbed attention early with intentionally provocative but easily defended proposals to screen would-be immigrants for anti-Canadian values. Maxime Bernier has proven he’s more than a good haircut with thoughtful and exhaustive policy positions that have great appeal to those of us who are closet libertarians.
Heck, I could probably survive without my tax dollars paying for smug CBC dissertations on the importance of the CBC.
But the early attention earned by Leitch, Bernier and a few other candidates was supposed to wither under the immense shadow of media luminary Kevin O’Leary.
When O’Leary entered the race, many thought he would immediately become the prohibitive favorite.
The media would certainly enjoy an election pitting “Mr. Wonderful”, as he calls himself, against Justin “Sunny Ways” Trudeau.
But O’Leary, while running at the top in most polls, has not been able to distance himself substantially from the large field of candidates. Apparently, many Conservatives still like their sizzle served with a little steak. Selecting a candidate from this field is not a dilemma for this humble scribe. I will be supporting my friend, Lisa Raitt. Raitt is certainly smart enough to lead this country. She has a wealth of private and public leadership experience. But, for me, it’s her ability to connect with people that takes her to the head of this class. Raitt doesn’t talk about Canadian values as much as she exemplifies them.
I believe a lot of Canadians will identify with that kind of leader.
On a different front I was meandering through my local music haunt (Pine Cone Music in Georgetown) a few months ago when Doug Sinclair, a talented young musician, called my attention to a track he was listening to.
It sounded like an old, gravel-voiced rural musician. A few weeks later I was in a guitar shop in Denton, Texas and the local luthier was listening to the same song. Darned if this young Canadian isn’t getting a little famous. Turns out the musician is Colter Wall son of Canada’s most popular premier, Saskatchewan’s Brad Wall. Based on his music, it wouldn’t surprise me if Brad Wall becomes most famous for being Colter’s dad.