ON THE EDGE

On the edge -

The world has begun a love affair with Barack Obama.

Some would argue this love affair is the result of his well-choreographed speeches - another silver-tongued politician saying the right things at the right time? Or perhaps it's the fact this new president has caught the imagination of the masses? Don't forget he is the first African American president in a nation, which still hangs onto old prejudices.

But don't be too quick to discount the meteoric rise of this new president.

This love affair with Obama is not restricted to America's borders. His election was celebrated in countries around the globe including right here in Canada. The popularity of the new president was witnessed last month as Obama made his first official visit to Ottawa. The turnout to see him was comparable to a visit from her Majesty the Queen.

Experts from any number of fields, as well as the regular political pundits, have spent the months since the Obama election trying to figure out why the globe has started this love affair with Barack and how long it will last.

Easily, part of this high level of popularity is the simple fact the planet has just come off of eight years of George W. Bush. Describing the younger Bush as a capable leader is akin to describing a cow patty as a gourmet meal. Diehard Conservatives in the US may have loved him, but he gave new meaning to the terms wag the dog and political spin doctoring. Who can forget those weapons of mass destruction?

In comparison Obama has come as a light at the end of a dark tunnel.

What made this man so desirable following the Bush years is what makes him a symbol of sound leadership around the globe - his hard line stance that he is there to represent the people and his apparent natural ability to inspire.

And the popularity of Obama outside America is likely the result of the leadership void, which exists in so many nations around the globe.

Look at Canada, for example. Is there a single politician in the nation who could stand alongside Obama and be given the title of Leader?

It is a long-standing argument that this nation, for a very long time and on so many levels, has been void of true and sound leadership. Yes, there are those politicians who have done good by their constituents.

Take Danny Williams. There is no arguing he has raised the level of Newfoundland and Labrador's reputation and in some respects has given the people of this province something to be proud of.

But true leadership is being able to stand in the face of criticism and take it. It is being able to be a statesman, willing to compromise when it is required and not relishing in an often ill-advised adversarial approach. It's inspiring people with what you have to say instead of picking a fight with the next guy on the list.

And in the federal ring, this nation has faced a steady diet of the same old, same old.

South of the border Obama has already made it crystal clear things will be different over the next four years.

In an interview late last month the American President clearly put the Washington lobby on notice.

"The system we have now might work for the powerful and well-connected interests that have run Washington for far too long, but I don't. I work for the American people."

Have Canadian leaders stood their ground in the face of opposition? Have they stood firm to do what is right and change the face of politics?

You decide.

You only need to look back to late 2008 when, in the face of a coalition government,

Prime Minister Harper ran to the Governor General to prorogue Parliament.

Was that in the best interest of anyone but Harper and the Conservative Party?

Then there's the issue of the Senate.

Harper was quick to fill empty Senate seats with Conservative faithful - those select and unelected few like Mike Duffy and Fabian Manning who really have no business taking any part in the running of this nation.

Were those decisions in the best interest of the Canadian public or the Conservative Party?

What is needed in this country is a leader who will first of all reform the Senate. Get rid of the overpaid political cronies who are not chosen by the people, but appointed by politicians who often make those decisions with ulterior motives first and foremost in their minds.

And any popular approval the Harper government has right now can be tempered by the fact the Canadian public simply doesn't want another election.

Why? Because far too many Canadians feel disenfranchised and out of touch with Ottawa.

Why? Because there is no leadership either present or in the wings that can inspire Canadians to take part in the political process and exercise their democratic right.

Never discount the power of leadership and inspiration.

In the United States, it was Obama who inspired record numbers of young and old alike to make a difference and make their voices heard at the ballot box.

In comparison the last federal election in Canada saw record low voter turnout. That is no coincidence.

Will Obama be some saviour to America and on some grander scale the world?

That is a question that can only be answered after his first term in office.

But the true impact of his leadership may never be measured because it can only be witnessed in the people he inspires.

Canada could use that same healthy dose of leadership and inspiration.

Inspiration will encourage a new generation of leaders who want to raise the bar, not just continue the never ending line of political status quo - a system of status quo typified by cheap and self-serving political opportunism rather than what is best for the nation and its people.

Kirk Squires is a freelance columnist and political watcher living in Clarenville.