On October 19, 2015, as 43-year-old Justin Trudeau swept to power with a historic win, which many saw as the dawn of a progressive era in Canadian politics, I took to Facebook somewhat skeptical, sharing an iconic image of him taken during a charity boxing match against Conservative Senator Patrick Brazeau on March 31, 2012.
Fit, shirtless, and tattooed, Trudeau was in a boxing ring, fists raised as he stared intently at the camera. I captioned it, “Canada’s new Prime Minister. Good luck, Canada!”
On Twitter, back when we had a 140-character limit and grammar often went out the window, I wrote: “Scary what @JustinTrudeau promises to do if he’s PM. Canadians benefited from @pmharper wise stewardship of economy.”
The comments on my post lit up with remarks on his good looks. My response? “Let’s hope he’s easier on the pocketbook and carries his weight in international relations.”
To me the message of Trudeau’s win was clear: Canada was about to double down on socialism and a progressive agenda led by a charismatic and young leader whose main selling point was his photogenic appeal rather than his political substance. At the time, skepticism about Trudeau was rare, almost taboo. Any criticism was drowned out by a wave of euphoria bordering on adulation.
