Bob Rae pointed that out last night: If Trudeau is like his father he won't be paranoid about picking cabinet ministers who are notable politicians in their own right who can stand out from the prime minister's shadow and when the time comes be in a position to make a run for the leadership. Harper simply didn't allow that sort of thing to happen, which is fine for maintaining his leadership but puts the party in a hole when it comes to finding someone the general populace might swing toward in a general election. I'd lay good odds that outside of their ridings, few people would have any idea who a cabinet minister was except in whatever story is currently in the media.

MacKay is one of the very few exceptions who has some national recognition in his own right, but from the Conservative perspective he's got a few strikes: one, he's from the part of the country that most emphatically put the boots to the Conservatives. Second, they suspect he's one of those old-guard Red Tories.