Justin Trudeau – Canada’s Obama?

Both potential leaders stepped onto the political stage when conditions were perfect for change, and the public hungry for action. The hungriest among them were immigrants, women, minorities, and millennials.

Both left-of-center politicians created an unprecedented growth in youth political involvement. Time Magazine called 2008 “The Year of The Youth Vote”, as 50 per cent of Americans age 18 to 29 turned out to vote. These voters favoured Obama over Republican Mitt Romney 60 per cent to 37 per cent, and were vital to the Democrat victory.

Image courtesy of cbc.ca

Trudeau has dedicated much of his life to working with youth, and considers them to be his political raison d’être.

“No group is more important to me than young people, not just because it’s an under-addressed group, but because the challenges we’re facing as a planet, as a civilization, are going to require a fresh way of thinking,” Trudeau said in a speech to grade 11 students in Pointe Claire, Montreal.

It is exactly this fresh thinking that Trudeau uses to connect with young voters. He has expressed his support for the decriminalization of marijuana as well a strong environmental policy, and is not in favour of the proposed Keystone Pipeline.

Social media has been monumental in both campaigns to mobilize this valuable demographic of young voters. Obama used social media sites like Facebook and Twitter to galvanize a legion of cyber supporters. This innovative strategy garnered tens of millions of dollars in campaign donations and over 700 volunteers. The viral circulation of information and photos painted Obama in a relatable and progressive way.

Likewise, in a conversation with Facebook Canada’s Managing Director Jordan Banks, Trudeau embraced social media saying it “helps to get to know the real people you’re voting for”. He currently touts over 193,000 Twitter followers. (His latest Tweet at the time of writing this article was a response to a fan who was cynical he composed his own Tweets: “How do I prove that…I know: tell your friend that they’re full of s***.” The Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada spelled out the whole word, however.)

In Obama’s 2008 campaign, there was a happy ending. Though his circumstances are rife with similarities, there is no telling if Trudeau will be welcomed with cheers and tears as the new leader of the nation. The next Canadian Federal Election is scheduled for Oct. 19, 2015. There will be much name calling and offensive strikes for Trudeau to combat in the long road ahead.

“The Contender’s” charming and youthful influence is casting a glow of idealism in a country that has long been more involved in American politics than its own. But there are still many questions. Will his popularity carry him to victory on Election Day, as it did with Obama? Or will we watch him be deflated by aggressive Tory attacks and a flimsy policy platform? Will he continue his family legacy? Will his many new young supporters take their interest beyond their computer screens, and vote?

Is Justin Trudeau “the change” that he says he is, and does Canada want to be a part of it?

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Imogen is a journalist, writer, and film maker living in Toronto. Her work explores cross-cultural stories of immigration and gender. She writes copy for the creative design studios Half Hunter. She is the writer of the short film “The Haircut”, which will debut at ReelWorld Film Festival this spring.