Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau presents a dashing figure. A tall handsome 44-year-old, Trudeau did what lots of young people do during those yawning post-college years. He tried on various jobs including snowboard instructor, nightclub bouncer, and whitewater river guide — honorable professions all, but in Trudeau’s case more part of an upper-crust experiment in finding himself. Well, it worked — young Justin found himself and got in touch with his ambition.
Trudeau’s path to power brings to mind a self-deprecating joke former U.S. Vice President Al Gore reportedly once told. Addressing a group of young kids, Gore had the good sense to deliver a dose of realism with his encouragement. Gore told the kids to think positive and good things will happen: look at him for example, Gore said, he was living proof that you could grow up to be vice president no matter how small a state your daddy was senator from. Trudeau’s father, of course, was the Prime Minister of Canada from 1968-79 and again from 1980-84. Trudeau talks to 60 Minutes about Canada and the world on Sunday, March 6, at 7pm on CBS.
