Trudeau played Trump card, too

The never-ending U.S. election campaign is heating up, and the resemblance to Canada's federal election is striking. Bear with me here. 

Sure, Donald Trump is a much older, grumpier Justin Trudeau. He campaigns on fear, Trudeau on hope. He threatens to build walls; Trudeau invites more refugees. He's a wealthy businessman, Trudeau a former drama teacher. But once you get past these differences, you see that the two are almost one in the same. 

Both are so-called political outsiders. Both are famous in some respect. Both of them have thick, beautiful hair.  

Both are kind of maybe not so smart in the traditional IQ sense of the term. As a result, both are quote-worthy. 

Both carry the star power that garners endless media attention. From the moment Trudeau became an MP, he was asked when he would run for prime minister. From the moment Trump announced his candidacy, his brash voice has filled the airwaves. Whether it's their gaffes or their hair, the media gives them oodles of free advertising. 

Both of them caught a wave of voter angst against the current administration. They've harnessed both hope and fear. The Canadian election was determined by millions who didn't vote in the previous one, most of whom voted for Trudeau. Thousands of Republican voters who've never voted in the primaries are voting for Trump.  

Both have remarkably simple messages. "I will run a deficit," promised Trudeau. "I will build a wall, and Mexico will pay for it!" says Trump.  

Strangely, both of them appeal to the everyday Joe. They make mistakes; they act human, and ordinary people can relate. Those who never read the newspaper or faintly understand how government works are enthralled by their character. Yes, Trump loves the uneducated. 

Then there's Hillary Clinton. And Thomas Mulcair. Both are policy wonks. Both are very intelligent. And yes, both have a full head of hair.  

Clinton is struggling to win a nomination that should have been hers from the start. She's having the race of her life against a a seventy-four-year-old American "socialist" senator (such an oxymoron).  

Mulcair entered the federal race with a commanding lead over Trudeau. He was measuring the drapes in the Prime Minister's Office when, if you recall, Trudeau was taking selfies with topless women in Vancouver's Pride Parade. 

Both Clinton and Mulcair attract audiences who may not really want to hear their entire speech. They have trouble relating to the average Joe. 

Now some humble advice for Clinton, who could possibly be the only one capable of stopping Trump from occupying the White House. If you pay attention to Canadian politics at all, learn from Mulcair. Stop with the policy talk. Don't utter one more word about foreign policy and what you know about Libya. The average voter knows you know, and may even resent you for being in the know.   

 Go out and make it look like people could enjoy a drink with you. Actually have a drink. Dance on some tables. Say something dumb. 

It's a tough thing to do for someone who's been in politics all her life. But as Trudeau has shown, a little human folly can go a long way. In the case of Trump, it's more than a little. And we all fear how far he could go.