A Now, for Canada

Judging from the recent polls, Canadians opted for Barrack Obama in the presidential race and last night, amidst great exuberance, they got their wish. Politics hasn't been this interesting in Canada for years.So, the Americans got their transformational figure and the world holds its breath in anticipation. Many have asked me why Canada can't produce such a clear leader, to which I have responded that we haven't really required one. Obama is a transformational character for three key reasons.  First, his own life story. He has been on a spiritual journey for his entire life - you can't be on such a quest without becoming sensitive to the human condition, especially for those in suffering. He earned his stripes as a dedicated community worker and is a fervent lover of his wife and daughters. He acts as though he actually believes that non-partisanship has a place in political halls and appears determined to capture it in the American way of life. And then there's that powerful gift of rhetoric.  Who can doubt it? He can take what people feel and deliver it right back to them as though he understands and that they are instructing his own spirit - a rare and humble gift in someone so young and talented.Second, he is following George W. Bush. That period of darkness - especially economically - casts Obama in bold relief, providing him with a break-out opportunity that he was quick to capitalize upon. His use of words like hope, forgiveness, understanding, destiny and working together don't necessarily capture Americans where they are, but it does point them to where they want to be. And if Americans love anything it is the belief in a pioneer spirit that seeks a more promising land.Finally, there is the issue of race and the great American inability of achieving true equality despite two centuries of unbeatable rhetoric and deep scarring of failed attempts. These final two characteristics are not pivotal in Canada at present. Many will disagree, stating that we seem to have entered a period of hyper-partisanship that is effectively breaking our political system.  Perhaps true, but there is no great Bush-like character creating such a barren wasteland.  Others will say that our failure to reconcile with our aboriginal peoples or the presence of systemic poverty rivals the issue of race south of the border. An interesting point, but the issue of race is so imbedded in the American psyche that it affects every aspect of its life and culture. The sadness of our failure to deal effectively with our native brothers and sisters is one of neglect, to be sure, but hasn't led the splintering of our society.It's my belief that we don't require a transformation figure, much as we'd like to have one. But what we do require is a kind of inclusive individual whose very words and thoughts transcend our present regionalism, or crippling moral failure towards the less-fortunate, and who can reconcile us with the planet. We are presently on a course that pits one voter group against another and plays regions of the country against one another, and we are the poorer for it.  We require some who, like the new president-elect, can call on the best that is non-partisan in each of us and can summon us to a greater national identity through the massive challenges we face at present and the remarkable resources that have assisted us in overcoming great difficulties in our history. We need someone who will make Parliament work, will look at the opposition parties and say "You've got a point and you hold it dearly.  In fact, so do we as a party. But we've so much argued ourselves to the ground that we have precious little energy left to give to those people that actually elected us in the first place. Let's make their needs our primary goal. Let's find what we share in common and at least give them that. And then perhaps we can find compromise on the rest. This is the kind of leader Canada requires right now but he or she hasn't arrived yet. When that person does appear, this country won't be so much transformed as reconciled and functioning like an advanced citizenry. I have full belief that the great wells of institutional depth and intelligence in Canada will bring just such an individual to light. We don't need transformation, just a inspired view of values once shared but now forgotten as we head of in all directions. That time couldn't come too soon.