Stephen Pate, NJN Network, Charlottetown, PEI, Canada, Feb. 3 2009
The US election of Barak Obama has created a new Gold Standard for western democratic leaders.
Blackness is not Obama’s primary characteristic. It’s honesty, integrity, respect for all mankind no matter what their race, national origin, religion, sex, physical or mental state, disabled or not.
He is a left of centre progressive who believes in the US Constitution as evolved with the Civil Rights Act and Americans with Disabilities Act. He doesn’t want to be run by lobbyists.
Canadians have been pretending we had that for the past thirty years. We’re going to start giving our own feckless leaders the close scrutiny. None so far can even come close.
NDP Jack Layton comes closest in ideology but no one thinks he is sincere like Ed Broadbent or Tommy Douglas.
Sincerity is also part of the package.
Our Charter of Rights has been watered down by a conservative Supreme Court, just like the US Supreme Court rulings on the Americans with Disabilities Act.
At least same sex couples have rights in Canada.
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