Canadians got a glimpse Wednesday of Justin Trudeau's star power - the most compelling argument his strategists can make for why they believe the telegenic 40-year-old Montreal MP should be the next leader of the Liberal party.
A spasm of media attention - a rarity in Liberal circles since the party's devastating defeat in the 2011 election - followed Trudeau all day in hopes he might confirm that yes, indeed, he intends to seek the job his famous father once held.
Some of his critics question whether Trudeau has the gravitas or depth to be prime minister. That's not the job description, his supporters maintain.
They say what's at stake is the survival of the Liberal party - a job that calls for a leader who can prevent the party from sinking into oblivion, who can capture the public's imagination, attract new blood and rebuild from the ground up.
Trudeau undeniably has attention-grabbing talent in spades. He has been the party's top fundraising draw for years and attracts fawning fans wherever he goes. A charity boxing match last winter, in which Trudeau bested Conservative Sen. Patrick Brazeau, received wall-to-wall coverage.
Since the 2011 election, the tiny Liberal caucus has met weekly in an out-of-theway room in the basement of Parliament's Centre Block, attracting few if any reporters.
On Wednesday, a phalanx of television cameras and outstretched microphones besieged Liberals outside their caucus meeting amid reports that Trudeau will announce his candidacy Tuesday in his Montreal riding of Papineau.
"Thank you very much for your interest," a smiling Trudeau said on his way out of the meeting.
"I'm pleased to hear all the buzz and all the interest in the Liberal party's fortunes. But I have nothing further today ... I promise I will let you know when I have something to announce."
Trudeau's crowd-pleasing charisma has already made him the prohibitive favourite in the leadership race, which doesn't officially begin until November and won't wrap up until April 14.
However, some Liberals are waiting to see if there's more to Trudeau than a pretty face with boyish charm, an engaging manner and a famous last name.
They want to see if he can demonstrate the depth, vision and strategic smarts to bring the once-mighty Liberal party back from the brink of extinction and, eventually, back into power.
While his undisputed crowd-pleasing talent is touted as the most important qualification for a party struggling for its very survival, those close to Trudeau are well aware that he must also disprove critics who maintain he's an intellectual lightweight coasting on the coattails of his late father, former prime minister Pierre Trudeau.
His strategists argue Trudeau's intellect is underestimated, noting that he has obtained two university degrees: a bachelor of arts and a bachelor of education.
And they maintain he's already demonstrated strategic smarts by insisting on climbing the political ladder the hard way, from the bottom up. He turned down an opportunity to run in a safe Liberal riding in 2007, choosing instead to run in a contested nomination in Papineau.
