It’s reasonable for the NDP to wonder whether it isn’t time to refresh its brand name. Yet most political parties enjoy such a high level of brand recognition, it might seem foolish to tinker with such an iconic trademark.

A company might re-brand if it finds itself slipping in public recognition or up against a bigger, savvier field of competitors; re-branding becomes a technique to nudge consumers (“Hey, remember us? We’re still here!”). Or, a product may undergo re-branding if it is overhauled enough that it’s actually changed (remember the ‘New’ Coke?).

Clementâe(TM)s eagle eye was apparently better focused on the Listeriosis crisis than Obamafest. Maybe. But the more interesting question is why would any Canadian politician âe" especially a Conservative, especially at the cusp of our own federal election âe" want to schmooze with unity-seeking and Obama-loving Democrats?

In a recent New York Times op-ed, Frank Rich adeptly outlines the flaws that have plagued Hillary Clinton's run from "day one," then suggests:

"Clinton fans don't see their standard-bearer's troubles this way. In their view, their highly substantive candidate was unfairly undone by a lightweight showboat who got a free ride from an often misogynist press and from naïve young people who lap up messianic language as if it were Jim Jones's Kool-Aid."