Pierre Ducasse had good ideas (some of which were subsequently implemented; e.g. the Sherbrooke Declaration) and he was the only fluently bilingual candidate in the race. He articulated a vision of social democracy that was detailed and philosophical. He called on the party to take big risks and invest in areas where it had never done well before (i.e. Québec). Where are Ashton's big ideas? We've all heard her big slogans.
Actually, it wasn't his "good ideas" we loved. We fell in love with Ducasse over two lines:
- "In order to achive what you have never achieved, you must d what you have never done."
- His self-description as a "pragmatic radical." (Or was it "radical pragmatist? - I'm getting old.)
We didn't start to hear much substance from Ducasse until well into the campaign.
But then, I suppose a young female candidate faces a different standard than a young male candidate.