A PMO e-mail claims that Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff flubbed it in a recent interview when asked why he wants to be Prime Minister. The PMO e-mail says “It was a lob question. Emmanuelle Latraverse (a Radio-Canada television journalist) asked Michael Ignatieff why he wants to be Prime Minister. An easy question for a man who wants the job so badly he tried to force an election in the middle of a recession – someone who returned from Harvard just so he could become Prime Minister.”

The PMO e-mail goes on to claim that Mr. Ignatieff couldn’t give a straight answer and that he stumbled and rambled. “He talked about everything and anything, except why he wants to become PM.” Which is true – he could not come up with anything but platitudes and rambling thoughts.

The Liberals have attacked the Conservatives for using government e-mail for such a partisan message. Which is a good point. But not the one that really matters to voters. The Conservatives are right. This should have been a gift question for a political leader of substance. Ignatieff should have been able with ease to respond with what he wants and hopes for Canada different from that offered by the Conservatives. That he could not do. The problem is that he comes to politics with one purpose only – to be Prime Minister. He has no compelling vision that drives him.

To make matters worse, in substance, he sees the world in almost exactly the same way that Harper does. He is unable to define an alternate direction for the country. Given that why should Canadians chose him?

This gets to the heart of the problem the Liberal face. There are a large number of Canadians who want the country to go in a different direction. Ignatieff neither understand nor embraces that view. People see that and are not impressed.

He has only one thing driving him – to be Prime Minister. That is not good enough. It undermines any argument for a change in leadership of the nation. Harper is doing quite a good job as a pro-business conservative. If Ignatieff offers no alternative to that, there is really no compelling reason to support him. Given the choice, most if not all of us will take the one who staked out that ground himself on his own. Harper actually has conviction driving him in that direction.

The Conservatives have hit upon the Liberals real achilles heel. As long as most people believe that Ignatieff has no other purpose then to occupy the office of Prime Minister, there is little reason for middle voters to support him. And he offers nothing to the progressive voters who will otherwise vote NDP.