On Justin Trudeau, we all just need to get a grip

Haven't we been down this road before?

The front of pages of most of the major newspapers this weekend have a picture of Justin Trudeau's mug.

The polls tell us that a Justin Trudeau-led Liberal party can win a majority government in 2015.

Barring a major surprise on Sunday evening, Trudeau will win his party's leadership in convincing fashion. But before we just hand the keys to 24 Sussex to Trudeau, maybe we all just need to get a grip.

Many in the media are fond of saying that Trudeau follows in the footsteps of his father. True, but he could also follow in the footsteps of a cadre of leaders who were going to save the Liberal party.

In the words of Yogi Berra, 'it's déjà vu all over again.'

[ Related: What's in a name: Justin Trudeau has the political dynasty advantage ]

In the early 1980s, the Liberals elected an attractive Bay Street golden boy by the name of John Turner as their leader. He was young, he had cabinet experience and he was smart — he was a Rhodes Scholar.

Going into the 1984 election, pollsters told us he was a shoe-in, with his party leading the polls with 48 per cent of the popular vote.

But during the 1984 general election campaign, Turner didn't perform well and was out-shined by rookie Progressive Conservative leader Brian Mulroney; Turner's stay in-office only lasted 79 days.

Then, in the 90's came Paul Martin. Martin was described as a great orator, a "captain of industry," a "slayer of the deficit" and a leader Canadians would welcome with open arms. According to a recent iPolitics article, one poll in 2002 suggested that a Paul Martin-led Liberal party would garner over 60 per cent of the popular vote in a general election.

And talk about a fundraising machine. The newspapers were all abuzz with Trudeau raising $1.3 million for his leadership campaign — Martin raised a reported $10 to $12 million for his, albeit under laxer fundraising rules.

The Paul Martin Liberals won a minority government in 2004 and then lost power to the Conservatives in the 2006 election.

And, then of course there was Michael Ignatieff. Ignatieff was an intellect, eloquent and charismatic and — early on — drew big crowds across the country. Upon winning the party leadership in May 2009, the pollsters pegged the Grits at about 36 per cent -- the exact same number the Liberals are at now with Trudeau poised to take the leadership.

After a series Conservative Party attack ads leveled against him, however, he led the party to new lows winning only 34 seats and 19 per cent of the popular vote in the 2011 election.

[ Related: Mulroney, Day and the business community: Justin Trudeau earns praise from unlikely sources ]

These three men were supposed to be the great prime ministers of our era — or so we were told.

Can Trudeau — a man with a comparatively inferior resume — avoid the same fate as these learned gentlemen?

It is possible.

Unlike Turner and Martin, Trudeau doesn't have any political baggage. In that sense his inexperience is a positive.

He's also shown an ability to withstand attacks. The 'outcry' over the video of him slagging politicians from Alberta and the hullabaloo about the speaking fee 'scandal' were short lived. He also handled the attacks from his leadership contest opponents — Marc Garneau and Martha Hall Findlay — very well.

He does have a lot going for him, but if history is any indication, he shouldn't start measuring the drapes at 24 Sussex just yet. Neither should the public and neither should the media.

A lot can happen between now and 2015.

(Photo courtesy of Reuters)

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