What America Can Teach Us About Good Government

Stephen Harper is George W. Bush, Michael Ignatieff is Barack Obama, and a house divided amongst itself can get things done.

If electoral predictions are to be believed (and as the projected “dead heat” in Toronto’s mayoral race proved, they shouldn’t always be), the Republicans are about to wrench control of Congress from the Democrats in next week’s midterm elections in the U.S. But if history is any guide, writes the Globe and Mail’s Tom Flanagan, the Democrats’ defeat could be the start of Barack Obama’s finest hour, not his demise. Past presidents faced with opposition control of Congress have been forced to adopt bipartisan measures that end up defining their legacy. “Facing a Congress controlled by Democrats did not prevent Ronald Reagan from leading a Republican revolution. Facing a Congress controlled by Republicans did not prevent Mr. Clinton from presiding over several years of peace, prosperity and balanced budgets,” writes Flanagan. In this sense Canadians can learn from the U.S. Three successive elections have given us minority governments, and as the next election isn’t likely to change things our leaders “can take the constructive route of co-operation and compromise to pass necessary legislation, or they can take the obstructive route of blocking initiatives and throwing the blame on the other side.”

The Conservative party has favoured the latter strategy of late, writes the Globe’s Lawrence Martin. “The Conservative government’s wedge politics seeks to divide Canadians, running against the very nature of our multicultural achievement – collaboration and co-operation. The country is an orchestra. The government is a one-man band.” Also, Harper’s a little bit country, Ignatieff’s a little bit rock ‘n roll. Inspired by a new book by Liberal MP Ken Dryden that says the time is ripe for a new narrative to unify Canadians, Martin writes, “What the Liberals have to realize … is that, if George W. Bush made Barack Obama possible, Stephen Harper is now making a great Canadian liberal possible.” The question is, is Ignatieff that great liberal. Canadians aren't chanting "Yes Iggy Can!" quite yet.