Yup. I've been thinking about this quite a bit and I'll put it right here for the first time ever. I see Obama as the Canadianization of America. He's America's answer to our Trudeau. Trudeau-mania in the sixties was a phenomenon in Canada very similar to Obama-mania today. Let me articulate the similarities. (Trudeau is dead, but I'll match the tenses for ease of reading.)
Trudeau and Obama both have great charisma, oratory skills and strong personalities.
Trudeau and Obama are both the most left-wing people in their respective political parties.
Trudeau and Obama can both get elected on the strength of their personality alone without ever having to say how they will guide the nation.
Trudeau and Obama both had plans to greatly increase the state's social programs and entitlements.
Trudeau and Obama both believe strongly in taxing the wealthy and redistributing wealth.
Trudeau and Obama both built a "cult of personality" that transcends any political message and affords them the privilege of evading tough questions.
Trudeau and Obama both have the full and unwavering support of the media, which will do nothing to harm their campaigns but will editorialize harshly on their opponents.
I don't think the US has seen a candidate quite like Obama. Sadly, the nature of Obama's campaign is all too familiar to me. I've seen it far too often over here. Trudeau was Prime Minister of Canada for nearly my entire childhood and teenage years. He is still considered by most to be the greatest Canadian ever. But in reality, he transformed our economy into a socialist dependency with social programs, entitlements and crippling taxes that stifled our economic growth and standard of living ever since. So many of our elections have been won by Liberals based on their leader's charisma and without policy discussion that the style of Obama's campaign is all too clear to me and so too the result. All I can say for an Obama victory is "Welcome to the United States of Canada, Boys."
