In Canada certain surnames afford political advantage, but they only go so far. Two prime ministers have stood out in Canada in the past three decades: Pierre Trudeau and Brian Mulroney. The former is revered by progressives and reviled by conservatives to this day, and the latter enjoys the reverse.

But it's interesting to see how their offspring have gone different ways. Mulroney's son, Ben, is a smarmy celeb-TV host whose occasional political writings for a tabloid newspaper are a source of much mirth and who is mocked by much of the population. Trudeau's son, Justin, conversely, is entering politics and has much support. Some felt he could have won the leadership nomination for the Liberal Party (which his father led for many years) at the convention a year ago -- but he did not run.