Ottawa Citizen

Canada could use a Trump character

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Re: Keep our politics dull, Aug. 20. Critics believe that Canadians don’t need United States-style wacky politician­s.

That’s exactly what traditiona­l politics needs. Canada has had wacky/quirky/fringe politician­s before, but never a Donald Trump-like character.

Trump is not beholden to anyone with money influence (he’s filthy rich).

He’s not politicall­y correct, so he can say what he thinks. I wouldn’t take all Trump’s ideas to the bank, but he has an uncanny knack of saying what the average voter wants to hear.

He is a breath of fresh air, a welcome change to the polarized, self-serving and stagnant political landscape. Free and unfettered individual­ity is an American trait. If some Canadians fear the Trump factor here, they’ve nothing to worry about. Canadians and Americans are different.

Our so-called “reserve” wouldn’t let us wholeheart­edly embrace a Trump character. The closest we’ve come is Pierre Trudeau, who had money and intelligen­ce but was more polished and diplomatic and much less of a loose cannon.

If Trump is victorious, then the best they can hope for is that he’ll mellow with age, becoming comfortabl­e in the office.

What Trump does is he gets people’s attention and starts them talking and thinking. The U.S. is (or is supposed to be) “by the people and for the people” — not saying one thing and doing another.

Someone who calls it as he sees it can’t really be all that bad. In the end, though, the people will speak, and the people will decide. Douglas Cornish, Ottawa SHARE YOUR VIEWS:

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