Conventional wisdom seems to be that any specifics released about policy too far before elections lead to theft and misrepresentation of those ideas by the Libs.
I agree with you that Poilievre needs to shelve that caution and give voters, especially women, reasons to vote FOR him, because the Liberals are going to misrepresent and define him unfavourably, anyway.
My very engaged, teenage son insists that this next election will be a Conservative landslide. I will believe that only the day after said landslide actually occurs. I have seen this movie too many times.
Toronto and Vancouver, with their huge house wealth effects, are infinitely complacent and there's an ingrained, default Liberal voting habit there. Montreal has similar habits and le Bloc siphoning off votes.
Female voters want to like Trudeau. Many have clung to him despite everything he has ruined.
To scare women, the Liberals pretend that abortion is in play in every election. Despite Conservative policy refuting this claim, fear mongering works almost every time, because many voters are lazy and gullible.
Especially so, when the Conservative leader isn't considered cuddly or handsome. Women didn't like Harper and Kenney and they don't like Poilievre.
With Trudeau eventually leaving, I agree that many urban votes will undeservedly go Liberal again.
This election is anything but a foregone conclusion for the Conservatives.
Excellent commentary, Fred and agree with it all including the necessity of communicating his vision to the female audience - his riskiest and powerful constituency.
At this point, I think the Conservatives are more at risk of losing on "style" than on "policy", even though policy (or vision) will still be a tough sell. I'm not sure if it's still the case, but Jenni Byrne was one of his key advisors in the past and is known for her aggressive approach. It's worked well to this point but needn't continue, but rather make the turn to focus on vision - and he's got a great one.
Fantastic! You’ve captured my sentiments totally. I couldn’t agree more that Pollievre needs to pivot from attack to clarity of focus and detail of vision … he actually tuned me out the last while. The one thing I also believe, is that we “meaning all Canadians” need to become more active and be part of the solution and not just be bystanders. I thought Pollievre’s interview with Jordan Peterson was great and his comment “he got to party while I get the hangover” was spot on …. Unfortunately for yours truly and many others, we didn’t benefit from the party but will surely suffer from the hangover.
Thanks for the comment, Michael. I'm going to give Poilievre a bunch of of leeway as he tries to thread the needle between holding the government to account, ensuring voters don't forget in the ensuing months, and presenting a different vision for our country that's become entrenched in ten years of damaging progressive rule. But I agree he needs to make the stylistic turn to help expose more Canadians to his vision not only for the vote, but to enable making change once in office.
Well said. This election is PPs to lose. He’s got all that’s required to take it home but it’s time to tone down the attacks and show Canadians how priminesterial he can be. Strong, firm, fair, compassionate. Time to turn it on.
IMO, it’s always been the CPC’s biggest failure point. too much attack, often mean spirited and not enough substance or at least not soon enough. Over and over again they take this approach. Pisses me off to no end.
Excellent piece. I too am worried, as the media- apart from the National Post- has already started their chorus of praise for whichever newly lipsticked pig the LPC will be selling in the next election, even as they raise the volume on their ‘Poilievre is a scary hard-right MAGA racist’ gaslighting.
They know where their subsidies come from, which, oddly enough, is why they get subsidized in the first place. One hand washing the other in the time- honoured LPC way of buying, er, building a consensus.
I trust polls as far as I could spit. I have seen conservatives get elected , Joe Clark, and get booted out of office. I saw us get literally destroyed in ninety three. Jean Charest helped rebuild us.
Then in 2015 we lost to a party that was polling in third place, by a drama teacher, with good looks, and as we all now know, No Substance. oh he is so hansdsome, oh etait beau...
My other worry and have mentioned this to my wife, Poilievre does not look well some of the time. I hope he is ok.
Now if you really want to know what the biggest challenge that the conservatives are facing. After winning the election they will be saddled with an enormous debt load that will hogtie any attempts at reform, or of managing Canada. We are in for at least a decade of hurt and pain. It will be a struggle for the conservatives to say they least.
Agreed it's darn hard to see how this will all play out Mark, both leading up to the election, and then afterward. I just hope, for Canada's sake, that whatever happens we start moving back to center and sanity and believe at this time and place we need this Conservative vision and leader to help get us there.
Canada has been doomed by the communists long march through the institutions, especially education. I have my doubts that Californias will actually stop voting blue even though their major cities are burning. Will we suffer the same? Watch for the “it’s TRUMPS fault” as Canada collapses around us in 2025. At some point nobody will lend the feds any more money. It’s very feasible for a 100-150billion deficit if big orange does what he’s proposing to do.
Media's bashing of Trump and Musk while comparing Poilevre with the MAGA group continues ad nauseum. Also maintaining the Climate Crisis Hoax will be the playbook. I've registered my dog as a Liberal so she has a say in the new leadership. If Christy Clark can vote for Charest over Pierre, my dog can have her vote. Their rules not mine.
Conventional wisdom seems to be that any specifics released about policy too far before elections lead to theft and misrepresentation of those ideas by the Libs.
I agree with you that Poilievre needs to shelve that caution and give voters, especially women, reasons to vote FOR him, because the Liberals are going to misrepresent and define him unfavourably, anyway.
My very engaged, teenage son insists that this next election will be a Conservative landslide. I will believe that only the day after said landslide actually occurs. I have seen this movie too many times.
Toronto and Vancouver, with their huge house wealth effects, are infinitely complacent and there's an ingrained, default Liberal voting habit there. Montreal has similar habits and le Bloc siphoning off votes.
Female voters want to like Trudeau. Many have clung to him despite everything he has ruined.
To scare women, the Liberals pretend that abortion is in play in every election. Despite Conservative policy refuting this claim, fear mongering works almost every time, because many voters are lazy and gullible.
Especially so, when the Conservative leader isn't considered cuddly or handsome. Women didn't like Harper and Kenney and they don't like Poilievre.
With Trudeau eventually leaving, I agree that many urban votes will undeservedly go Liberal again.
This election is anything but a foregone conclusion for the Conservatives.
Excellent commentary, Fred and agree with it all including the necessity of communicating his vision to the female audience - his riskiest and powerful constituency.
At this point, I think the Conservatives are more at risk of losing on "style" than on "policy", even though policy (or vision) will still be a tough sell. I'm not sure if it's still the case, but Jenni Byrne was one of his key advisors in the past and is known for her aggressive approach. It's worked well to this point but needn't continue, but rather make the turn to focus on vision - and he's got a great one.
I totally agree. In any case, a vision is not something that the liberals can just steal and copy (policies are), so there is not much risk.
Fantastic! You’ve captured my sentiments totally. I couldn’t agree more that Pollievre needs to pivot from attack to clarity of focus and detail of vision … he actually tuned me out the last while. The one thing I also believe, is that we “meaning all Canadians” need to become more active and be part of the solution and not just be bystanders. I thought Pollievre’s interview with Jordan Peterson was great and his comment “he got to party while I get the hangover” was spot on …. Unfortunately for yours truly and many others, we didn’t benefit from the party but will surely suffer from the hangover.
Thanks for the comment, Michael. I'm going to give Poilievre a bunch of of leeway as he tries to thread the needle between holding the government to account, ensuring voters don't forget in the ensuing months, and presenting a different vision for our country that's become entrenched in ten years of damaging progressive rule. But I agree he needs to make the stylistic turn to help expose more Canadians to his vision not only for the vote, but to enable making change once in office.
Well said. This election is PPs to lose. He’s got all that’s required to take it home but it’s time to tone down the attacks and show Canadians how priminesterial he can be. Strong, firm, fair, compassionate. Time to turn it on.
Exactly, Rob. I hope someone is able to get the message through to him and his advisors that a change of approach is needed at this point.
IMO, it’s always been the CPC’s biggest failure point. too much attack, often mean spirited and not enough substance or at least not soon enough. Over and over again they take this approach. Pisses me off to no end.
Excellent piece. I too am worried, as the media- apart from the National Post- has already started their chorus of praise for whichever newly lipsticked pig the LPC will be selling in the next election, even as they raise the volume on their ‘Poilievre is a scary hard-right MAGA racist’ gaslighting.
Entirely agree, Harry. The media turn from Trudeau pile-on to unrequited Liberal love-in seems a very short trip.
They know where their subsidies come from, which, oddly enough, is why they get subsidized in the first place. One hand washing the other in the time- honoured LPC way of buying, er, building a consensus.
Great article. I guess I am one of the 30% of the female population who appreciates Poilievre’s steel trap mind and steel backbone.
If only they were all like you, Janet. All the best.
Don't Rest Easy!
I trust polls as far as I could spit. I have seen conservatives get elected , Joe Clark, and get booted out of office. I saw us get literally destroyed in ninety three. Jean Charest helped rebuild us.
Then in 2015 we lost to a party that was polling in third place, by a drama teacher, with good looks, and as we all now know, No Substance. oh he is so hansdsome, oh etait beau...
My other worry and have mentioned this to my wife, Poilievre does not look well some of the time. I hope he is ok.
Now if you really want to know what the biggest challenge that the conservatives are facing. After winning the election they will be saddled with an enormous debt load that will hogtie any attempts at reform, or of managing Canada. We are in for at least a decade of hurt and pain. It will be a struggle for the conservatives to say they least.
Agreed it's darn hard to see how this will all play out Mark, both leading up to the election, and then afterward. I just hope, for Canada's sake, that whatever happens we start moving back to center and sanity and believe at this time and place we need this Conservative vision and leader to help get us there.
Total Agreement with you.
Canada has been doomed by the communists long march through the institutions, especially education. I have my doubts that Californias will actually stop voting blue even though their major cities are burning. Will we suffer the same? Watch for the “it’s TRUMPS fault” as Canada collapses around us in 2025. At some point nobody will lend the feds any more money. It’s very feasible for a 100-150billion deficit if big orange does what he’s proposing to do.
If Canada collapses it will because we’re under the tracks of American tanks.
You won’t see Pierre standing on the front lines. He’ll be in the fetal position under his bed.
We have been through worse. We always come back. With a steady hand on the finances it will take about two terms.
We do vote for Nazis in Canada.
Maybe you should go and give trump a big hug.
Do not vote for Nazis
Media's bashing of Trump and Musk while comparing Poilevre with the MAGA group continues ad nauseum. Also maintaining the Climate Crisis Hoax will be the playbook. I've registered my dog as a Liberal so she has a say in the new leadership. If Christy Clark can vote for Charest over Pierre, my dog can have her vote. Their rules not mine.