Odd how those who seize on the idealism - or what they see as naivety - of Trudeau were so blind to the cynical,  almost Machiavellian nature of the prime minister he replaced. Pushing the boundaries of mainstream Canadian values, it seems, is acceptable as long as it's in one direction only. The pendulum swing evidenced in some of Trudeau's more controversial moves (e.g. Khadr) was an inevitable response to the polar opposite to which Harper had brazenly pushed the country. When people are repulsed by one extreme, they sometimes embrace another. 

If there's an upside to Trump, it might be that his departure will herald an era of political reform and social progress in the U.S. that might not otherwise have been possible. An America that passed over a sensible if staid Clinton for the bright shiny object that was Trump would today happily trade either for Sanders. Recent polls show clearly that Bernie is now, by far, the most popular politician in that country.