First off, it's gratifying to see a politician even consider asking his or her constituents for their opinion. Secondly, we tend to actually believe that NDP MP Peter Julian is sincere in wanting to hear from local citizens what they think of the possibility of his running for the leadership of the B.C. NDP party.
And, finally, we're hoping that constituents don't just think it's a 'look-good' gesture and take Julian up on his request. We certainly are.
In our opinion, Julian would be a great leader for the B.C. NDP. He is known as a hard worker, solid on policy, and not prone to shoot from the hip or act on impulse. He is known as a 'thinker' and 'doer.' He doesn't spend a lot of time pandering and prefers to analyze facts rather than push hot buttons.
The mere fact that he is considering a political move that is akin to giving up a safe seat with more benefits for a job that will offer fewer benefits speaks to his principles.
However - and we say this with respect - hard work, principles and intelligence do not guarantee success in politics. In fact, those qualities often seem to hobble political careers. Charisma, a killer instinct, and the ability to parlay your opponent's failures into your successes seem to carry much more weight in the political arena.
We've seen NDP leaders full of virtue, and light on bombast, get crushed by their opponents time and time again - and those are just by the opponents in their own party. Yes, Julian would make a fine provincial leader - but he, we fear, would be mincemeat before he unpacked his Ottawa boxes.
