Why do I support Michael Ignatieff?

I had some good friends over for dinner a couple of weeks ago and the topic of politics came up. I was asked why I like Michael Ignatieff and I thought that is a great question.

I don’t believe many people ask themselves why they support their political leaders enough. In fact I think most people just follow the pack without really even understanding who they support. How else can one explain Rob Anders, a virtual buffoon of a man who is the MP for Calgary West?

Even in his own party he is an embarrassment and yet the sheep of Calgary West continue to elect him just because he is part of the Conservative Party. It is the scariest most mindless and uneducated way of exercising one’s vote. If you don’t believe me, I dare you to look up his record on the internet and you will be astonished that a person like that can lead. Anyway, I apologize for getting off topic, but the stupidity of mechanical Conservative support provokes that in me. The main reason for this is so that I can express why I support Michael Ignatieff and I’m proud to do that very thing.

To me, I believe Mr. Ignatieff is a good person, who is well educated and represents the ideals of the Liberal Party. He is a man that has been engaged in the world and in my opinion truly understands the complex world of international relations. This is clearly demonstrated by his involvement in the world we live. Whether it is teaching at one of Canada’s top schools or at Oxford or Harvard, he is engaged in the bigger picture and is able to promote Canadian ideals around the globe.

After all, Oxford and Harvard are two establishments are two of the most respected educational institutions in the world and have educated some of the great leaders from every corner of the globe. They picked Mr. Ignatieff to contribute to that and understand the great amount of insight and knowledge he has to share.

His background includes being Director of the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy at the John F. Kennedy School of Government and the Chancellor Jackman Professor in Human Rights Policy at the University of Toronto. Those two facts alone make him better qualified than Stephan Harper to be leader of Canada, but that alone is not why I think he should lead Canada.
Yes, he is a man that has studied the past, a PH.D in History from Harvard, and in the words of Sir Winston Churchill, “Those who fail to learn from the past are doomed to repeat it” and with his understanding of the past, he is well position to lead in to the future, but there is more to him. I’ve been keeping track of him as he has gone out to visit all parts of Canada, and I truly believe he has a love for this country and its people.

Mr. Ignatieff has everything it takes to be a great leader. Yes, he has made some mistakes, but with his background and commitment, I do believe once elected he will be a great leader of Canada and I will proud to call him Prime Minister.