The quintessential Justin Trudeau moment

Justin Trudeau’s closing statement at today’s Liberal leadership debate was a fairly remarkable minute and a half. It probably represents both everything his detractors detest and everything his supporters adore: from the drama of the opening line (“You can feel it”) and the feel-this-word pronunciation to the pretty much perfect final 20 seconds. He baits the audience with a humble brag—and that somebody claps makes it all the better—then pivots to turn into a rallying cry for everyone in the room and all his supporters watching. The crowd, so complimented, loves it and Mr. Trudeau gets to finish over the resulting applause.

Note also how he goes from talking about how well the party is doing to how he is being attacked: it’s a bit of an awkward transition, but it also makes it sound like he’s already the leader.