CalgaryLiberal

The Liberal Party of Canada being elitist is a myth. Period. Let me tell you why.

First of all we need a definition of elitism. For the purpose of this myth-busting we ‘elitism’ is a word that describes a person or organization trying to be elite. Elite, on the other hand, is a word to describe a person or organization that is either (a) better than a majority, (b) separated in a hierarchy from the majority, and/or (c) possesses a level of skill above average.

Elitism is generally frowned upon because, for all intents and purposes, it is a trait that is linked to hubris, superiority complexes, and a separation from fellow human beings. However, being elite–as in, elite troops, an elite-leveled lawyer, or an elite athlete, is something to be proud of being. Note the difference here: it’s better to actually be something and have a high level of skill than to try to simply appear amongst the elite.

Of course the division being elite politicians and elitist politicians is quite powerful. An elitist politician tries to hobnob with the wealthy and influential, while an elite politician is perceived to be hard at work, has decades of experience, and is a skillful gentleman-diplomat-statesmen. Think house speaker and all ’round good guy Ralph Goodale (elite politician) versus 2004 democratic presidential hopeful John Kerry (elitist politician). Obviously we want elite politicians. Obviously we don’t want elitist politicians.

Now that we’ve separated these two words we can get straight down the business: is the Liberal Party of Canada a group of navel-gazing, hobnobbing with the rich, and influence seeking elitists?

I would say no–the Liberal party, if it even was elitist, is no longer elitist. Let me tell you why: Ignatieff has thrusted the Liberal party deep into the grassroots, opened the party up, and declared that everyone is welcome into the “big red tent at the center of Canadian life.” He has talked the talk, and has walked the walk–Here’s my evidence:

• Leadership Conventions: Since 2008 leaders in the Liberal Party of Canada are elected by One Member One Vote (OMOV) from across the entirety of Canada in electoral district associations. This system has a voting booth in each riding that regular members can go to, plop in their vote into a box, and bam have an influence on who will be the next leader of the Liberal party. There are no longer leadership conventions, with delegates and high fees, and every member is brought into the discussion on the leadership of the Liberals.
• Open Access: Over the last few months the Canada at 150 has brought in more than 50,000 people into debates about policy, ideas, and the future of Canada. At the policy convention in Montreal in May more than 35,000 people watched the debates, gave their input on the debates, and influenced the numerous panels with their inquisitive questions online.
• Person-to-Person Access: Ignatieff, over the last year and also in the next few months, is traveling the country without a barred off area, without influence from large beefy men with permanently entrenched scowls, and without barriers to media access. At the Stampede breakfast last week I watched this in action: he was surrounded by reporters, not a security person in sight, and in deep discussions with the reporters having an actual conversation with them! The same openness is held for regular members, too: people just walked up to the guy as we walked around the stampede grounds on Saturday, with zero separation from the public, shook hands and talked to people.
• Policy Process: The policy process of the Liberal Party before 2006 had never been written down or explained fully to either the members or general public. It had been always policy conventions making the grassroots policy, with regularly attending policy wonks, with these policies floating up to… somewhere.  Now there is a clear, focused, and mostly simple process of bringing the voice of the members to the national level. Link [PDF] and on www.liberal.ca. There are now more than eight ways to get one’s influence felt, policy-wise, if you’re a regular member of the Liberal Party of Canada–EIGHT! You can attend you local riding association and push through policy there; a Provincial Territorial association meeting and push policy there; the national meetings; on en famille, the national Liberal members-only webforum; at policy events like Canada at 150; communicating directly with Liberals in Ottawa; pushing policy with an MP in charge of that policy area; and, finally, submitting it online at through, again, enfamille through the debates therein. Also, there’s a ninth way, but it’s one of the old fashion ways: running yourself. Being a candidate actually allows for you to have quite a sizable bit of leeway with policy, at least if it doesn’t contradict the national platform.
• Accountability Officer: In addition to this, there’s also the accountability officer (created in 2006) on the national board of directors for the Liberal party that is completely and entirely dedicated to keeping the grassroots involved policy-wise and politically.
• A Different Campaigning Style: The Liberals in Ottawa have invested in new tools and technologies that allows for grassroots to develop connections in addition to organizing themselves for an election. This is a fundamental shift from the top-down, follow the leader type of campaigning and politics: this is neighbors working with neighbors to get candidates elected. This is a gargantuan shift–and one that will be shown in the next election. While it is a tool/technical shift, it is also showing of an overt shift in the way of thinking about the membership, about politics, and campaigning. The shift in basic political thinking is that tools and techniques are to be provided from above but it comes down not to highly paid professionals or expensive phone banks but the basis for any campaign is the regular, local voter with her landline calling out to the multitude of people around her neighborhood. It’s a reliance on the grassroots and the inclusion of them.
• People in the media even agree with me.

The regular party membership is included in policy matters. The general public has been included in policy matters. Ignatieff is accessible and available to both people and the media. He is tied to the grassroots. Campaigning is overwhelmingly tied to the grassroots of a riding, with tools and expertise flowing from above but utilized by the people on the ground.

The Liberal Party is a party of inclusion and a party that relies on its grassroots more than ever.

This is the very opposite of an elitist attitude.

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