Modeling Journey

Heads up to Far and Wide for zeroing in on this solid bit of advice from James Travers:

"[Liberals] have yet to provide compelling reasons for a return to government, seem content defining themselves as Conservative-lite and are following a leader growing awkwardly into his political skin.

Failings can be fixed. Conservatives did it in 2006 with easily grasped promises, a sharply defined position on the political spectrum and the clear understanding that their prime-minister-in-waiting made many voters queasy.

Even if there are political accidents, political success is rarely accidental. While Harper and those around him still repeat mistakes – their capacity to snatch minorities from majorities is remarkable and arguably a revealing character flaw – they learned, and now retain, what winners need to know.

Liberals remain at the back of that class. As much as Ignatieff brought greater stature, superior staff and firmer discipline to an office short of all three, readying for the coming confrontation is still a work in progress. Liberals can't count on Conservatives to defeat themselves and have plenty to do before fall when some of the country's attention will drift from the picnic table back to Ottawa.

Between then and now, Liberals need to build a platform strong enough to carry the party though a campaign, one with planks that prove their standard-bearing public intellectual is also smart enough to have good, practical ideas. No less significantly, Ignatieff needs what Jean Chrétien and Brian Mulroney had in Jean Pelletier and Derek Burney: A tough, confident, savvy field marshal able to focus the leader, refine and concentrate the message and, most of all, explain why some rules shouldn't be broken."

The Cat fully agrees with Travers.
Time to get real, Michael. Dabbling with the real thing just won't cut it.