Polls show Justin Trudeau is twice as popular as his nearest leadership rival. And he has yet to even announce his candidacy.
The Montreal-Papineau MP and eldest son of the late Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau is currently as popular as his father was at the same stage in his career. Hmmm?
The latest Harris-Decima survey has 33 percent of respondents saying they would vote Liberal if Trudeau was leader. That's twice as much as the Liberals have right now.
In second place is the very serious former astronaut Marc Garneau. In third is the usually less serious Denis Coderre, who might instead still run for the mayoralty of Montreal.
But surprise! We learn that Deborah Coyne, intimate friend of Papa Trudeau back in the 80s, after he had broken with Margaret, wants to run for the Liberal leadership.
Which means that Justin could face a woman who might have been his mother by second marriage.
Politics does take weird turns sometimes.
"Our families have always been very distinct and I have not spoken to Justin Trudeau," said Coyne.
Which means that because she and Pierre never married, Justin will never have to say, "Can I have your vote in the second round, Mom? »
Coyne said: "If two of us manage to be in the same leadership race, I do not see anything weird. I think it's wonderful."
It was during the constitutional wars of the 1980s that the relationship between Deborah Coyne and Pierre Trudeau flowered. Coyne, a constitutional specialist, was an influential figure who helped sink both the Meech and Charlottetown agreements, much to Pierre's approval.
Their friendship led in 1991 to the birth of a daughter, Sarah, who Papa Pierre eventually ended up accepting as his own. Today Sarah is at an American university, and fortunately, it seems she has no intention of running for the Liberal leadership.
Now that would be "a bit too much! »
