Conservative Party of Canada Leadership Race Megathread-May 27th 2017

[DC Al Fine]

His image as being able to attract immigrants to the CPC also took a bad hit when the Tories lost literally every single seat they had in immigrant rich areas in this election.

Richmond Centre and Markham-Unionville aren't immigrant rich? As has been discussed before on this thread. The Tories bombed with many Indo-Canadians, but held up surprisingly well among Sino-Canadians.

Canadians have to become aware of that in the first place.

Two points re: Kenney

a) The MSM seems to have a very 1950's view of socons, particularly Evangelicals. I have read concern trolling articles that we wouldn't support Santorum because Catholic, Romney because Mormon, or Brown because unmarried. Unless, his sex life resembles John Baird's I doubt socons will care. Plus, how exactly do you cover Kenney's probable homosexuality as a progressive leaning journalist without coming off as a biased hack?

b) There have been rumours that he doesn't want the top job and would rather play kingmaker/top cabinet minister. Are there any backups to be the socon and/or Blues's standard bearer if he bows out?

[Hatman 🍁]

I don't think Kenney is gay, is he? He's just an asexual.

[adma]

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-debate/why-michael-chong-would-be-a-good-fit-as-tory-leader/article27306077/

Who knows; Chong could make McKay redundant, albeit as a bit of a "Corbyn of the Conservatives" leftish outsider or something...

[DL]

Canadians have to become aware of that in the first place.

If Kenney ran for the CPC leadership you can be sure that the media will write about his weird public statements about being a virgin and his ties to Opus Dei. The Liberals will also make sure no one is ignorant of those facts either. I hope the CPC does pick Kenney as their next leader as I think he would be totally unelectable in a general election.

[RogueBeaver]

Looks like the vote will be delayed till 2017.

[RogueBeaver]

No vote for at least 18 months.

[Njall]

No vote for at least 18 months.

Maybe holding out hope that Brad Wall will enter once the Saskatchewan election is done with?

[DL]

No vote for at least 18 months.

Maybe holding out hope that Brad Wall will enter once the Saskatchewan election is done with?

Forget it - Wall speaks no French - GONG!!!

[RogueBeaver]

As DL said, leadership polls are crap, but here's another one showing MacKay with a big lead.

[136or142]

As DL said, leadership polls are crap, but here's another one showing MacKay with a big lead.

As their press release said Jean Charest is the least likely to run, but for some reason they didn't poll on Tony Clement, Pierre Polievre and even Michelle Rempel may still run.

So, if the likely Conservative candidates were compared to the Republican Presidential candidates, who would you say is most closely alligned.  In no order, for me:

1.Lisa Raitt: John Kasich
2.Doug Ford: Donald Trump
3.Peter MacKay: Jeb Bush (or Marco Rubio?)  (Alleged moderates but actually far right conservatives)
4.Jason Kenney: Ted Cruz?
5.Brad Wall: ?
6.Michelle Rempel: Carly Fiorina
7.Michael Chong: Rand Paul
8.Tony Clement: Jeb Bush?
9.Kellie Leitch:  ? (I don't really know anything about her)
10.Pierre Polievre: Bobby Jindal
10.Maxime Bernier: Rand Paul?

[DL]

I would see Brad Wall as the canadian version of Scott Walker

[136or142]

I would see Brad Wall as the canadian version of Scott Walker

I thought of that as well, but Brad Wall would likely run strictly on the economy while Walker's campaign was scattershot. Sometimes focusing on economic issues and sometimes trying to appeal to religious conservatives.

[DL]

There is also a regional dimension in canada that you don't see so much in the US. Brad Wall is very much a Reform party style "western chauvinist" who has created a profile for himself bashing eastern Canada and Ottawa - In the US - apart from neo-confederates who are into states rights  - you don't see that west vs. east dynamic

[Vega]

3.Peter MacKay: Jeb Bush (or Marco Rubio?)  (Alleged moderates but actually far right conservatives)

More Jon Huntsman than anything. Charismatic younger politico who won't win in practice, but will get a lot of media hype.

[Hatman 🍁]

Tony Clement is a low energy loser, so the Jeb Bush comparison is accurate.

[RogueBeaver]

Clement is organizing a bid, assuming that Kenney won't run and may return to Alberta to lead the smoking hulk.

[136or142]

Clement is organizing a bid, assuming that Kenney won't run and may return to Alberta to lead the smoking hulk.

From the article: Brad Wall
The populist Saskatchewan premier, 50, has been in power since 2007 and is up for re-election in April. Many federal Conservatives want him to come to Ottawa and lead them back to power. He’s taking French lessons.

[DL]

Being leader of a major political party in Canada requires totally FLUENCY in English AND French - taking a few Berlitz courses and knowing how to order dinner in a restaurant will not cut it for Wall.

[DC Al Fine]

Clement is organizing a bid, assuming that Kenney won't run and may return to Alberta to lead the smoking hulk.

I was freaking out until you noted that he would be leading a unite the right campaign

[RogueBeaver]

For the hilarity: Caroline Mulroney floated again.

[136or142]

Being leader of a major political party in Canada requires totally FLUENCY in English AND French - taking a few Berlitz courses and knowing how to order dinner in a restaurant will not cut it for Wall.

Why do you insist on doubling down on this?  Exactly how do you know that all Wall is doing is taking a few Berlitz courses?

I can't see how you could actually know that.  You're determined that Brad Wall won't run for the Conservative Party leadership.

I don't know if he'll ultimately get in or not, but the most likeliest explanation for his intervention against the Liberal government was not for any defence of Saskatchewan but for testing out themes for a run and seeing how they would go over with Conservatives throughout Canada.  And now we have this news that he is taking French lessons.

So...

[DL]

There have been stories about Wall taking French lessons for years, this is nothing new...no one ever seems to have actually heard him utter a single word in French so Perhaps the lessons aren't going very well.

[Hatman 🍁]

For the hilarity: Caroline Mulroney floated again.

So dynasty politics is a thing now in Canada?

[DL]

It's quite amusing, a whole puff piece in Caroline Mulroney that doesn't say a single solitary word about what her views are on anything. Let's just remind ourselves that the next CPC leader will be elected by rank and file CPC members...and who are they? Largely evangelical Christians, redneck gun nuts and a lot of grumpy old men who with no post secondary education. The idea that they would want a leader who is jet setting glamour girl married to the son of the editor of an ultra liberal magazine who likely has very small l liberal views on social issues...is absurd. Everything about her screams elite, elite, elite...and on top of that while Pierre Trudeau is fondly remembered as having been a great PM (people forget how hated he was most of the tie he was in office), Mulroney is a different story. He is widely viewed as one of Canada's worst PMs and as having been a crook to boot. In fact the whole raisin d etre of the Reform Party was that so many conservatives grew to personally hate Brian Mulroney.

My main reaction to that column by Christina blizzard is "isn't it a bit early for April fools day jokes"?

[DC Al Fine]

For the hilarity: Caroline Mulroney floated again.

So dynasty politics is a thing now in Canada?

My main reaction to that column by Christina blizzard is "isn't it a bit early for April fools day jokes"?

Occam's razor guys. It's been a slow news week and she needed material for her column.