Mr. Trudeau Goes to Washington

 

"For me to criticize my Prime Minister while I'm on a foreign visit is just not the way I was raised," said Mr. Trudeau, who is a staunch supporter of the pipeline that would funnel Alberta oil-sands crude to the global markets offered by Texas and Louisiana refineries.

 

Trudeau as been criticized for his name; to his opponents, it's a way to portray him as elitist, as riding on his father's coattails.  It's a relatively simple task to turn a foe's perceived weaknesses to your advantage - it's a tougher act to turn your own perceived disadvantages into a strength.

 

Which is what Trudeau managed to do in this already oft-quoted line. 

 

Trudeau is more than just a name - it's a set of values, a reflection on a core set of beliefs that revolve around respect.  It makes me think of this:

 

"We can be in total disagreement with someone without denigrating them as a consequence."

 

Not only has Trudeau taken the high road - he even refers to Harper as his Prime Minister.  This sets him on a different track from the hyper partisan focus of the Harper Tories that view the leadership of Canada as synonymous with their Party and imply that other Parties are un-Canadian.  It also associates his name with Canada as much as it does with the Liberal Party.

 

Trudeau the younger clearly has some of his father in him, but I don't think it's fair to weigh Justin Trudeau against the legacy of his father.  Doing so just underestimates what he might accomplish in his own right.