Word: trudeaumania
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Dates: during 1970-1979
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...eleven years, governing his nation longer than any other contemporary leader in the West. He had become a symbol of Canadian federalism who fought hard against the separatist yearnings of his fellow French Canadians in his native province of Quebec (see box). Swept to power on a wave of "Trudeaumania," he had once seemed the very model of a philosopher-statesman, blessed with an impressive intellect and an acerbic wit-not to mention a sensuous young wife. But last week Pierre Elliott Trudeau, 59, who had served three times as Canada's chief executive, was narrowly defeated...
...Trudeau convincingly won the Liberal Party leadership and proceeded to sweep the country in dynamic fashion. The Canadian media coined the phrase "Trudeaumania" to describe the prevalent attitude at the polls. Four years later, Trudeau's charisma failed to affect as many voters; seemingly unconvinced by the party's slogan, "The land is strong," the electorate gave Trudeau a tenuous minority government after the majority mandate of '68. Predictably, the weakened government fell in 1974, and things looked grim for the Liberals heading into the July election...
...election marks the first time since Canadians were caught up in the tides of Trudeaumania a decade ago that the Liberals have entered a race running behind. Along with his eloquence and intellect, Trudeau is carrying into the campaign the weight of considerable baggage-notably an economic record that has managed to combine sluggish growth with 9.2% inflation, an unemployment rate of 7.9% and a $12 billion government deficit...
Outside his homeland, Pierre Elliott Trudeau is still regarded by some people as a debonair political-intellectual with a certain Kennedy-like flair. But Trudeaumania has long since faded away in Canada. After eight years in office, the Prime Minister is increasingly seen by Canadians as an impetuous "philosopher king," contemptuous of both voters and Parliament. His economic policies are under savage attack, and his Liberal government (which has an 18-seat majority in the House of Commons) has become embroiled in scandal. His popularity and prestige have slipped so low, in fact, that some believe that Canada...
Perhaps the biggest factor in Trudeau's decline has been his own political performance. Since he was first elected in 1968, the Prime Minister has managed to dissipate much of the popular enthusiasm-"Trudeaumania"-that for a time made him seem like a Canadian Kennedy. His coolness under pressure helped quench the fires of Quebec separatism that threatened Canadian unity at one time. But his unswerving determination to make Canada truly bilingual, his trendy ways and his flights of arrogance annoyed many English-speaking traditionalists. His seeming indifference to the problems of the Western provinces made him appear...