Consevative Party leadership contest

Corduroy

Senate Member
Feb 9, 2011
6,670
2
36
Vancouver, BC
I caught the end of the Conservative debate yesterday. Now I'm obviously not a Conservative so I can't say what appeals to them, but it seemed to me like there were three kinds: your traditional garden variety conservatives, 'tonight's entertainment (Kevin O'Leary) and bonkers church lady (Kellie Leitch).

Kevin O'Leary has the charisma but I don't think he has the policies to interest people. If he's the Canadian Trump, he's not going to excite people by saying he'll renegotiate trade deals and shut down immigration. He seems pro free trade and pro-immigration. So what does he have going for him except the media associating him with Trump?

Kellie Leitch for all her spit and bile has no charisma. You can't just be a nutcase and expect the nutcases to support you. Nutcases are picky. She's not commanding in the way a wannabe populist needs to be.

So among the garden variety, most of them are just there for the open bar. A bunch of bland, low-energy stock photo business wonks with slightly better haircuts than Stephen Harper. Policy-wise they're all the same, so it doesn't matter. Lisa Raitt was their best candidate. She's an effective speaker with some charisma. Her closing speech skewered Trudeau and that's the sort of thing they'll need to take him down. Maxime Bernier and Michael Chong also appeared to have leadership ability and most importantly didn't always make me want to fall asleep.

So if I was a Con, and since Michelle Rempel isn't running, I'd vote Lisa Raitt for fuhrer.


See? Conservative can have a sense humour.
 

JLM

Hall of Fame Member
Nov 27, 2008
75,301
548
113
Vernon, B.C.
I would guess it's a toss up between Kellie Leitch and Lisa Raitt. I think I prefer each of them equally. Kellie isn't interested in popularity which probably makes her a star candidate. Lisa has a variety of experience and seems quite personable. I don't think Kevin would be a particularly good candidate. There's more to it than financial concerns.
 

tay

Hall of Fame Member
May 20, 2012
11,548
1
36
I caught the end of the Conservative debate yesterday. Now I'm obviously not a Conservative so I can't say what appeals to them, but it seemed to me like there were three kinds: your traditional garden variety conservatives, 'tonight's entertainment (Kevin O'Leary) and bonkers church lady (Kellie Leitch).

Kevin O'Leary has the charisma but I don't think he has the policies to interest people. If he's the Canadian Trump, he's not going to excite people by saying he'll renegotiate trade deals and shut down immigration. He seems pro free trade and pro-immigration. So what does he have going for him except the media associating him with Trump?

Kellie Leitch for all her spit and bile has no charisma. You can't just be a nutcase and expect the nutcases to support you. Nutcases are picky. She's not commanding in the way a wannabe populist needs to be.

So if I was a Con, and since Michelle Rempel isn't running, I'd vote Lisa Raitt for fuhrer.
.


O'Leary is pro immigration because his mother was from Lebanon and his father from Ireland. I heard him on the radio lately and he spoke glowingly of his deceased mother and her Lebanese decent but said nothing of his deceased father and his Irish decent, for whatever reason...

Conservative leadership hopeful Kellie Leitch has shot back at Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, after he warned that “fringe voices” like Leitch could gain traction under a new voting system.

Leitch also added some confusion as to why her controversial former campaign manager Nick Kouvalis resigned, saying he quit over “health reasons” rather than Kouvalis’ explanation that he was attracting too much attention from her campaign.

Speaking to CTV’s Power Play on Friday, Leitch said she was “quite surprised” by the prime minister’s recent comments.

“Justin Trudeau and his elite friends, they are the fringe,” Leitch said.

On Thursday, a live microphone caught a one-on-one conversation between Trudeau and a woman in Iqaluit as the pair discussed proportional representation, an electoral system that some advocates say would be a more accurate reflection of the wide range of Canadian voters.

“Do you think that Kellie Leitch should have her own party?” Trudeau asked.

When the woman insisted that Leitch’s policies -- which include the controversial proposal to screen immigrants for so-called “Canadian values” -- are part of a different conversation, Trudeau argued they are not.

Because if you have a party that represents the fringe voices … or the periphery of our perspectives, and they hold 10, 15, 20 seats in the House, they end up holding the balance of power.”

Leitch did not directly respond to a question asking whether she’d consider helming her own political party if she doesn’t become Conservative party leader and insisted her sole focus is winning the vote in May.

“And I’m looking forward to having these discussions with Justin Trudeau, because I know the average Canadian out there is with me.

They are not the fringe. And newsflash for Justin Trudeau: they aren’t the fringe. He is.”

Leitch rebuffs Trudeau's shot by calling prime minister 'fringe' | CTV News
 

petros

The Central Scrutinizer
Nov 21, 2008
117,239
14,256
113
Low Earth Orbit
Scheer has the endorsements of the upper echelon and is going to be the leader. Not O'Leary not Leitch but enjoy the show anyway.
 

Durry

House Member
May 18, 2010
4,709
286
83
Canada
I think the only candidate that could stand up to Trudeau in a debate is O Leary.

Scheer would only whimper in a debate, you need a loud strong mean voice in these debates against Trudeau, and O Leary is the only one who could deliver
 

darkbeaver

the universe is electric
Jan 26, 2006
41,035
201
63
RR1 Distopia 666 Discordia
Scheer has the endorsements of the upper echelon and is going to be the leader. Not O'Leary not Leitch but enjoy the show anyway.

Thanks, I've been looking for a way into this contest, O'leary immeadiately makes me reach for my club, keep postinf about this, I can't mfigure it out without help.
 

Machjo

Hall of Fame Member
Oct 19, 2004
17,878
61
48
Ottawa, ON
Ummmmmmmmmm, Nah, Kellie Leitch! :)

I could just see the "Canadian-values" interview between the CBSA officer and the traveler now:

Do you believe in female circumcision?

No I don't. Do you?

Hey, I'm the one answering the questions here.

Sorry.

Okay. Do you believe in honour killings?

No. You're not some fanatic of some kind trying to recruit me are you?

Hey what did I say?

Oh. Right. Sorry.

Do you believe that homosexuals should be allowed to get married?

Morally, no, but I also believe in respecting the law of the land.

Are you sure you want to go with that answer?

Yes, why?

Well, I can't let you into the country with that answer.

Oh, okay. Then I believe homosexuals should be allowed to get married.

Okay, do you believe that a woman should be allowed to get an abortion?

Morally, no, but... why are you looking at me like that... Ah, I get it. Sure a woman should be allowed to get an abortion.

Good answer. Do you support official bilingualism?

Yes.

The separate school system?

Yes.

Freedom of opinion?

Ah... hmmm... what's the correct answer?
 

Durry

House Member
May 18, 2010
4,709
286
83
Canada
Question of the Day.

Who said Budgets balance themselves??

It's a toughphie for the Libs!!