Hovering

For a time, Michael Ignatieff received favourable reviews for one specific reason: he was new. The rancorous parliament we've known for the last three years hasn't endeared itself to the Canadian public in general.  It has been highly partisan and not without its systemic dysfunction.  Gilles Duceppe, Jack Layton and Stephen Harper have been the "constant" and their presence as leaders has now forced the link between Canadians and their low view of government at the moment.Michael Ignatieff isn't really partnered to any of this. Staying quietly to himself, he observed from a distance as the three opposition leaders angered Canadians with their plans for coalition, and Stephen Harper in response alienated Quebec voters. Tired of watching these leaders squabble for years, the precarious prorogation of last winter virtually exhausted any sense of curiosity citizens might have had with political leadership.  Then, suddenly, there was Ignatieff - new leader of the Liberals as a result of a benign ascension to the top.For some in the media this was bothersome, for others interesting, but the point was that this enigmatic figure was a breath of fresh air compared to the last batch. And then there were those polls.  Ignatieff's favourability ratings continued to climb even when most respondents admitted they didn't really know him. But that was exactly the point - they knew the others and had grown tired, but Ignatieff was interesting ... and novel.It can't always remain this way. Now officially proclaimed leader, he is being pressured heavily to say what he believes and what policies he would put in the window. His broad visionary statements have frustrated the media and they call on him to deliver, even though they know the Harper team would be vicious in their response.In truth, Michael Ignatieff is hovering. Like Lester Pearson or Pierre Trudeau, his vision of Canada contains huge portions of how the world sees us as a nation. Some claim he hasn't been in Canada enough, but others sense that this is, in fact, his genius and strength. The media claims he waits because he's tentative; others say he does so because he refuses to play with the regular toys with which political leaders entertain themselves. Lost in our domestic troubles, many wait for him to prescribe his cure for their ills. But with Stephen Harper this would be suicide - his attack machine is at the ready. Instead, Ignatieff holds out his lofty vision in hopes that Canadians themselves will rise above the political foolishness of the moment. We are part of a bigger world; our strengths are ignored by Ottawa at present; the only way we can overcome this national struggle is "together" - a nation unified. More than the other leaders, Ignatieff is an intuitive leader - not for what is politically astute but for what is nationally possible. In dire economic times, Canadians find something hopeful and comforting in this.And so he waits, summoning Canadians to a broader vision that he claims will make them true citizens of the world. The media is correct in stating he'll have to lay out his platform. But why now? And why at the media's bidding? He remains elevated in the polls at the moment because people sense something "more" in him. Soon he will have to come down and engage this partisan world of Canadian politics. Until then, he will continue to hover, and instead of descending in some kind of political swoop with the partisan wars that will surely ensue, he bides his time summoning us to a higher vision of our possibilities. We instinctively sense the pull of our greatness, what we had and what we've lost. He does too, and so he waits ...