In Canada, Trudeau's campaign echoes father, but with selfies

By Randall Palmer
LAVAL, Quebec, Oct 15 (Reuters) - Danielle Sarkisian jumped
up and down on the chair she was standing on at the Village Grec
restaurant as if she were 13, not 63, and squeaked: "I don't
want to wash my hand."
In a crush of supporters and media, she had just shaken
hands with Liberal leader Justin Trudeau, the front-runner in
next Monday's Canadian election, and had goosebumps.
Her reaction had echoes of the Trudeaumania that swept
Pierre Trudeau to the prime minister's office in 1968, with
father and son possessing an appeal more common in movie stars
than statesmen.
Pierre once jumped from a trampoline into the crowd. Justin
thrusts himself into throngs and puts his hand to his heart when
listening to someone.
Sarkisian, who had also met Pierre Trudeau, said Justin was
more accessible, and observers have said the son is better in
crowds than his father, who could be aloof but had a flair for
showmanship.
Selfie requests are so common the 43-year-old happily takes
the camera and snaps the photo himself, often cheek to cheek.
He started the Liberal campaign in third place, behind the
governing Conservatives of 56-year-old Prime Minister Stephen
Harper, and the New Democrats of 60-year-old Thomas Mulcair.
Fewer people stop his grey-haired rivals to take pictures
together. For Harper, it always seems he would rather be
studying a policy file than going through a throng.
Growing up in the spotlight may have made Justin Trudeau
comfortable in a crowd. He was born on Christmas Day, 1971, the
first of three sons to live at the prime minister's house in
Ottawa.
He is often called upon to sign posters or mementoes of his
father during campaign stops.
Gerry Phillips, 75, organized political rallies for Pierre
Trudeau and was at a stop outside a campaign office in Ajax,
Ontario, on Wednesday to see Justin.
"Pierre was always slightly more reserved than Justin but
had a similar optimistic view of the country," he recalled.
At a stop in Montreal on Thursday, Jade Sambrook, a
37-year-old political science student, said it was good to have
a leader from his generation.
"I don't want to say it's the Canadian version of Barack
Obama, but Justin Trudeau is invigorating, is inspiring, he's
positive," Sambrook said.