Cheer Up Grits!

So says Lawrence Martin in his Globe column this morning (behind silly G&M fire-wall: google Lawrence, turkey, grits, globe). He tells a nice story about how lifeless the first CPC Leadership Convention seemed at the time, and how hapless its emergent leader, our current PM Stephen Harper. Here's the money quote:

The Liberals should be excited, flying high. After their other long runs in power, they were slaughtered in the elections of 1958 and 1984. This time, they have 100-plus seats and, while leaderless, are holding up in the polls. They face a governing party that is to the right of Canadians, that is on wrong side of the big issues of the day and that is falling in Quebec. Following their leadership convention send-off in December, the Grits could conceivably be poised to regain office as early as next spring.

But you'd never know it to hear them. They are their own worst enemy these days. They are drooped in despondency, reading too many of their own reviews, divided under their interim leadership. They can't sell anything. Not even the fact that, in comparison with their own engaging leadership fight, the Tory tussle was a turkey.

Of course I have expressed similar sentiments on many occasions, and can only endorse these whole-heartedly. I have also expressed my suspicions as to which leadership candidate benefits from the self-doubt and despondency, but frankly, after the way its gone for him the past month, criticizing Iggy's campaign right now is like being a heckler at the Special Olympics.