No Canadian politician hopeful of leading a federal party can get away without at least showing willing in the other official language. It's a measure of Stephen Harper's determination that, over some 10 years in federal politics, he has learned to speak serviceable French despite his deep disapproval of the outsize importance of language in our domestic power struggles.

This sideswipe at Mr Romney is rooted in grassroots suspicion of politicians who are a little too obvious in their sophistication and worldliness. Who knows what elitist nonsense a candidate who speaks French is capable of?