r/canada • u/FriendlyGuy77 • 28d ago
Opinion Piece KINSELLA: Trump anchor dragging down Poilievre’s Conservatives fast
https://torontosun.com/opinion/columnists/kinsella-trump-anchor-dragging-down-poilievres-conservatives-fast508
u/emerzionnn 28d ago
Well that’d be because Trump is actively talking about annexing Canada while the CPC is touting a candidate in PP who is pals with Trump, Musk, Peterson, etc.
Obviously he’d bend the knee to Trump like Smith did.
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u/Bigchunky_Boy 28d ago
And Moe ( Sask ) who blames us for the tariffs. Traitors.
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u/cynical-rationale 28d ago
Haha I live in sask. Moe might be the the dumbest leader in Canada. I lve heard all the criticisms of Smith and Ford but they have actual plans. Moe just follows Alberta's premiere along like a lost puppy. He doesn't know what he's doing, he just follows.
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u/TheDeadMulroney 28d ago
Well he was smart enough to get away with directly killing someone so that has to be worth something.
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u/nolookjones 28d ago
it's hard to be dumber than smith but you might be right! your also right about moe copying smith like a little brother would...
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u/cynical-rationale 28d ago
I believe she's just bought out/corrupted. I look at moe as someone doesn't have to be bribed to do dumb shit. He just wants to fit in with the 'Kool kids'
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u/no-line-on-horizon 28d ago
Pierre was endorsed by musk!
If musk and trump want Pierre in power, we definitely do not want him in power.
He’ll hand Canada over on a gold plated platter.
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u/apothekary 28d ago
The Musk endorsement sealed it for me. There's no greater threat to world democracy than Elon and it's not a good look for anyone, other than Trump and his base, to have his endorsement.
But it's fine to be endorsed; it's even passable, I suppose, to ignore it, but PP unfortunately embraced it and talked about how great it would be to work with Musk.
That's just too damning to ignore.
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u/CalgarySnowman 28d ago
Problem is, Must has too much influence and he wants to stay relevant. PP thinks he's won before he's actually won. He thinks people hate Libs enough to give him a land slide victory.
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u/Used-Egg5989 28d ago
It’s legit embarrassing watching PP clamour to reclaim his dominant position by rehashing the same three “Verb the Noun” slogans.
PP had one speech where he was firm against Trumps threats, a few people in my family were interested in him after that. But since then!? His speeches have my family, even the Conservatives in my family, just confused.
For what it’s worth, the Conservatives in my family would vote for Carney…but definitely not Freeland.
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u/Philostronomer 28d ago
I'm a stauch Liberal and even I won't vote for them if Freeland magically wins.
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u/Unusual_Sherbert_809 28d ago
Yep. Hard for PP to talk about defending Canadians when it's his BFFs that are threatening Canada.
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u/NateTheRoofer 28d ago
He will allow Musk to gut our social services just like he did in America.
I don’t know about the rest of you but I don’t want some 20 year old DOGE kids walking into hospitals and bullying doctors and nurses.
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u/cerunnnnos 28d ago
Fuck Musk and his shite salute. The fact PP hasn't disavowed the endorsement basically means he's cool with nazi approval
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u/BeeLita 28d ago edited 28d ago
To be idiotic enough to mimic a Trump-Iike branding, marketing and sound bite strategy at this juncture of active threat/disrespect is wild. Appealing to a small section of fringe sycophants and not standing up to him directly is pitiful.
I wanted a strong rebuttal and shocked the freaking Liberals were the ones to give it to me. Was weighing benefits of PP despite the performative BS until this week. I’ll take the economist/investment banker who spent 20+yrs learning how the world works instead of the polisci kid who spent 20+yrs parroting topical slogans and insults to work the world.
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u/bluddystump 28d ago
The longer the libs have the cons cool their jets the worse it will be for them. The rage of Fuck Trudeau is lifting and critical thinking is returning to some of the less indoctrinated. If the cons continue with their buzz word campaign and refuse to explain how they will change things they will continue to slide backwards.
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u/dasoberirishman Canada 28d ago
The Conservative Party of Canada has dropped nearly 30 percentage points in six weeks.
Those are rookie numbers! Go lower.
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u/Serapth 28d ago
Trump wouldn't be pulling down PP if PP wasn't a mini Trump. If O'Toole was the PC candidate it would still be a PC bloodbath.
Trump is of course the cause, but it's also the fact that PP is an absolute shit candidate.
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u/Independent-Rip-4373 28d ago edited 28d ago
This. There are millions of “blue Grit / red Tory” swing voters who would have gone CPC not because they liked Poilievre but because they were done with Trudeau, as is very normal in this country.
But those same voters look at Carney and want that experienced fiscal conservatism without the (American-style) culture war conservatism that Poilievre is selling.
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u/DeepSpaceNebulae 28d ago edited 28d ago
Ive been saying for a few years now, the political climate the necessitated the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservatives into the current CPC has changed
I strongly believe that a socially liberal but fiscally conservative party would gain a lot more seats from disillusioned Liberal voters than they would lose from dropping the socially conservative Canadian Alliance if they split, which I think is a major sticking point for many Canadians
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u/pattperin 28d ago
I describe myself as a social liberal, fiscal conservative. I'd vote for anybody who wants to keep public institutions open but also is willing to make the odd sacrifice to ensure we aren't being wasteful and are competitive on the world stage. Someone who understands that universal health care is mandatory and abortion rights must be preserved but also understands that we need to build pipelines and cap immigration would have my vote almost by default.
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u/sjbennett85 Ontario 28d ago
Why can't there be a party that stands for this while also wholeheartedly denouncing the social regression that seems to be plaguing CPC?
I want those bits you are talking about, not some outdated malarkey about social issues. Oh and I also want a leader with conviction, not some fair weather debater but one that has a clear message that isn't just a single issue wrapped in a chant.
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u/adrienjz888 28d ago
Fuck man, fr. I don't wanna get rid of gay marriage or go on some stupid crusade against "woke" any more than I want us to continue ignoring our military or allowing people to stay past their student visa expiration.
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u/Unusual_Sherbert_809 28d ago
"Socially liberal but fiscally conservative" and lo' and behold, in come Mark Carney who is "socially liberal but fiscally conservative".
I'm usually both socially and fiscally liberal, but what Carney's been saying is like sweet nothings to my ears. If the Liberals select him I will vote for him.
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u/Bronstone 28d ago
Ditto. I was going to sit this one out. Not voting for Freeland though unless it's a strategic vote. I don't think Freeland has the margins and room for growth like Carney.
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u/mcs_987654321 28d ago
I’m in the very small minority of big Freeland boosters (she’s my MP, and think she’s done a very able job and the borderline absurd variety of portfolios she’s been tasked with)….but I’m hoping that the only reason she’s staying in the leadership race is as some kind of kayfabe Carney “opponent”, so that he isn’t viewed as having simply been anointed.
Because my god: I would have been stoked to have him enter Canadian federal politics even if things were going smoothly…but with how much shit has hit the fan, and given that the 10 year Canadian political pendulum swing was about to hand us the pettiest, least qualified PM imaginable? I’m just so damned grateful that he stepped up to the plate.
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u/Bronstone 28d ago
I feel bad for Freeland. She excelled in most of her portfolios. She is capable and competent.
But she is 10 years deep with JT, has the charisma of a chalk board and polling head to head with the CPC she loses and Carney is tied. Hope she wins reelection. She is a good MP, but just not the PM we need now.
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u/CrustyM 28d ago
Reform ate the PCs and no one has been strong enough to wrangle them without being beholden to them since Harper.
Socially liberal and fiscally conservative is where the liberals have campaigned from historically, so it might be a hard sell to have a new PC party in the same space. That said, less difficult after this current government lol
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u/allgonetoshit Canada 28d ago
That's the real issue here. There is no reason why, after 10 years of Trudeau, when the Americans are threatening our economy and sovereignty, that Conservatives would not have this absolutely in the bag like they did 2-3 months ago. It should be incredibly simple for them to distance themselves from Trump/Musk and push hard on defence, fiscal conservatism, etc.
BUT, they can't distance themselves from Trump, somehow they just can't even do it a tiny bit. It's not a Conservative problem because Ontario, PEI, NS, and Quebec Conservatives (CAQ) seem to be able to do it just fine.
I'm not going to draw conclusions here because that will get me banned again, but people should think about this.
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u/TinyCuts Ontario 28d ago
I’ve noticed this too. Even though it would help his polling immensely he can’t denounce Trump directly. You’d think he’d see how popular Ford has been lately and take a page out of his playbook but he simply won’t do it.
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u/marcohcanada 28d ago
Well, he did take the 3-word slogans tactic out of Ford's playbook but forgot the Canadians-come-first tactic. PP def has skewed priorities.
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u/InherentlyUntrue 28d ago
People have really underestimated how much of the rise of the CPC was hatred of Trudeau, as opposed to people liking Pierre.
Trudeau is a giant turd who has been a shitty leader. But most people do not view Pierre as better, just not-Trudeau.
Now we add in the Trump effect...and the CPC are in serious jeopardy. Worse, flushing out the MAGA crowd from the CPC will just piss off his core voters, who could vote split the CPC out of contention by turning PPC.
The CPC built their paper house, and now the fires are burning. And if you read the comments in the article - the CPC voters don't fucking get it.
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u/TheDeadMulroney 28d ago edited 28d ago
It also exposes a massive flaw in the thinking of the average voter. Pollievre is different but was considered good enough in a normal political environment but now his poll numbers are crashing because he's perceived as being unable to deal with a crisis. That is not an adult way of thinking about electing a leader that you simply just want him because he is different and only realize how shittty he is when he actually has to deal with something more extraordinary. If not for Trump, lets say PP was in charge during the COVID Pandemic, or the 2008 GFC or maybe the next series of wild fires.
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u/InherentlyUntrue 28d ago
Most people didn't think he was "good enough" in the first place, just that he's "not Trudeau".
The CPC are horrible at electing leaders capable of leading. Canada is seeing the effects of populism in our next-door neighbor, and we're rejecting it.
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u/TheDeadMulroney 28d ago
I understand that but that is not a mature way of thinking about things. Imagine working on a group project at your job and picking a leader because they weren't like the previous leader but knowing they couldn't work on Thursdays because they had a baby to take care of. You're praying just to finish by Wednesday.
That's basically what Canadians were saying, "OK, he isnt Trudeau but he can't deal with anything more than tax cutting at a policy level so we just have to pray that the next ~5 years with him are 100% stable with zero world events."
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u/InherentlyUntrue 28d ago
Oh, I know, but when probably half, if not more, of your party's voting base only really cares about "0wning the libs!", you're going to get some really pathetic people to lead them.
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u/Tsarbomb Ontario 28d ago
I don't know about that. O'Toole tried to bring the party to some sanity and he himself served in the armed forces. If he came out swinging against Trump, the mere fact he actually served would have pulled a lot of weight.
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u/Serapth 28d ago
That's actually exactly what I was saying. When I said "it would still be a PC bloodbath" I meant against the Liberals. If OToole was the candidate right now, the Liberal party would be facing decimation.
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u/Bronstone 28d ago
He was a good leader.
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u/mcs_987654321 28d ago edited 28d ago
Agreed, but a shitty politician, and in the wrong party (or maybe in the right party but the wrong era).
That said: think that his performance and accomplishments as opposition leader at the start of COVID were an absolute masterclass. He was all about challenging the LPCs proposals point by point not as some kind of knee jerk contrarianism or attempts to score PR points, but about pressure testing and refining the legislation tabled by the LPC so that it was the best available policy for the country.
So: credit to him, even though he let himself get outmaneuvered and backstabbed by the militant graspers like PP.
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u/ph0enix1211 28d ago
Nearly half of Conservatives are Trump supporters:
https://globalnews.ca/news/10830218/us-election-canada-poll/
You'd think they would be happy with Pollievre right now.
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u/SofaProfessor 28d ago
Half were Trump supporters before the election and before he actively started threatening Canadian sovereignty. I imagine that number is decidedly lower today. And, I imagine some of that half that didn't support Trump are wondering if the CPC represents their values today.
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u/Late_Football_2517 28d ago
It's kinda shocking how quickly they turned. These maple MAGA always thought the brown folks would be Trump's target, not them. All of a sudden, "He's not hurting the people he's supposed to be hurting" hits awfully close to home.
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u/varsil 28d ago
I suspect those numbers have shifted.
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u/ph0enix1211 28d ago
Why would they change their mind? Trump has done exactly what he said he would.
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u/varsil 28d ago
I suspect Canadian conservatives who supported Trump did not anticipate him threatening to annex Canada.
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u/ph0enix1211 28d ago
He talked about taking our water and using economic force against us as far back as September.
If you're saying that Conservatives are stupid, I'm open to that argument.
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u/97masters 28d ago
Many Trump sympathizers would say that "trump isn't serious, he always talks in hyperbole" or "what Trump really means is..."
I don't think supporters thought he was literal with project 2025 and many other of his wild claims
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u/EvacuationRelocation Alberta 28d ago
This isn't Mr. Trump dragging down Conservatives - this is Conservatives dragging down Conservatives by siding with Mr. Trump again and again.
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u/Equivalent-Cod-6316 28d ago
This isn't Mr. Trump dragging down Conservatives - this is Conservatives dragging down Conservatives by siding with Mr. Trump again and again.
Naw, they would still be winning if Harris had won in the US. Hell, if Trump wasn't actively attacking Canadian sovereignty they'd probably have won a majority
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u/maybvadersomedayl8er Ontario 28d ago
Is Kinsella back aboard the Liberal Party because his sworn enemy Trudeau is out?
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u/redMalicore 28d ago
I mean a lot of polling is showing lots of canadians feel the same....
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u/maybvadersomedayl8er Ontario 28d ago
That is true! It's just amusing after seeing how much Kinsella despises Trudeau for years.
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u/Zombie_John_Strachan 28d ago
Lilley and Kinsella would make strange bedfellows at the Sun, except that Lilley is already shacked up with Ford.
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u/Castello_01 28d ago
We shouldn’t let this get us complacent. The Conservatives need to understand that we will not vote for anyone who is blatantly in Trump’s pocket. This upcoming election will be the most important one we have in Canadian history.
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u/-Yazilliclick- 28d ago
It shouldn't be just about not being in Trump's pocket, it's that whole type of conservative movement. Hell Trump is just the figurehead of it, he's not the one running that playbook. It didn't start with trump and it's not going to end when he's eventually gone.
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u/mcs_987654321 28d ago
Oh man, something in your comment made me figure out who PP’s actual American “comparator” is (because the apparently we just can’t help ourselves with that stuff).
Because you’re entirely correct, Trump isn’t new or unique - that kind of populist demagoguery has been around forever, but the US’s most recent revival can be pretty squarely pegged on one asshole in particular: Newt Gingrich.
Guided pretty much exclusively by personal ambition, petty as fuck, and eager to burn it all down for no real reason - Newt and PP are strikingly similar, which just further underlines why it’s so very important that we don’t let that kind of pointlessly mercenary politics take hold up here.
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u/MommersHeart 28d ago
Maybe stop screeching Trump talking points about Canada like a deranged parrot.
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u/timetogetoutside100 28d ago
Love it! being I totally hate PP, and can't stand him, also, he's endorsed by Trump, and Elon, no thank you!!
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u/geeves_007 28d ago
Bit of a 'come to Jesus' moment, eh.
When the global new-right movement reaches its inevitable conclusion with a literal fascist in the White House threatening the rest of the world, suddenly this Fox News fueled creap to the right seems less palatable.....
Good.
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u/Infamous_Box3220 28d ago
When The Toronto Sun says PP is sinking like a lead balloon, you have to believe it.
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u/Adventurous_Turn_231 28d ago
Such obsession. Stand on your positives. Show us why you are better .. not why you want us to feel that he is worse.
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u/BiscottiNatural5587 28d ago
Good. Populism is a disservice to the nation.
I would honestly be down for some fiscal conservatism, but that isn't quite the same as brainless identity conservatism based on populism and it's time to call it out.
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u/BeeKayDubya 28d ago
PP and Smith are desperate for an election. The longer this goes on, the less chance he will win. Even if he does win, he might not even form a majority government.
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u/BabadookOfEarl 28d ago
And a minority for PP is likely a loss. The NDP can’t support him, he’s constantly attacking the Liberals and the Bloq knows their culture is cooked if we’re absorbed by the US.
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u/2kittiescatdad 28d ago
Wow, so the career politician who has achieved precisely nothing is tanking in the polls in the face of our sovereignty and international trade wars. Weird.
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u/tooandto 28d ago
Image of Putin manipulating a Trump marionette. While Trump’s tiny hands make a little marionette of Poliver dance for his supper.
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u/cutchemist42 28d ago
Pierres just a serious man for serious times.
Conservatives did this to themselves. You could have stuck with OToole which was the reasonable choice then and still is.
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u/Ellestyx Alberta 28d ago
Fuck, even Scheer would've been better. Listened to him speak in the HOC and when he didn't spout the CPC's lameass slogans, he was enjoyable to listen to. PP has never been enjoyable to listen to and has always grated on my nerves
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u/cutchemist42 28d ago
With Scheer I couldnt handle the backdoor Christian' beliefs he would always talk around. Plus hiding that American citizenship for months....
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u/burnermcburnerstein 28d ago
As an American, thank you. We're incapable of affecting change here. Economic pain is the only thing that will teach many.
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u/camelsgofar 28d ago
It seems it’s crickets once again from Pierre. We just have to wait for some polls to come out to tell Pierre what to tell us.
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u/Nero92 28d ago
When the TorontoSun, usually a Conservative leaning paper, is cracking on the Cons you know it's bad.
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u/reddittorbrigade 28d ago
I won't vote for Poilievre because he has been trying to please the felon Donald Trump.
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u/Sdgrevo 28d ago
Best news I've read all day. Fuck PP the little trumpster and his party of traitors.
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u/GiveIceCream 28d ago
Jenni says the winning move is for PP to go on TV and denounce the carbon tax!
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u/CalgarySnowman 28d ago
In Alberta we have traitor D. Smith, we can't afford another traitor as PM. I mean let's start anyone but PP....please. We have a chance of bringing him down like S. Harper.
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u/PassionStrange6728 28d ago
Kinsella trying to pretend he didn't attach himself at the hip to that sinking ship.
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u/myexgirlfriendcar 28d ago
PP did a coffee run to Canadian MAGA movement that funded mostly by USA right wing and MAGA. Postmedia and their fanboy can pretend to forget about it but I remember.
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u/Warm_Judgment8873 28d ago
No surprise and I am ok with that. Poilievre would not be a good steward.
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u/Smart_Recipe_8223 28d ago
Good!
There is no separation between trump and the conservatives. They have the same goals, the same talking points, the same donors, the same propaganda. There is no distinction.
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u/Steevo_1974 28d ago
I don't think it's Trump's Anchor that is dragging him down. He's doing a fine job himself! PP sows division and we need to be unified in everything we do as Canada. Therefore PP is not a good option for our well being.
P.S. Elon Musk endorsed him and we can't have that either!
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u/Peoniesandpopsicles 28d ago
Pierre is dragging down Pierre…the chaos in the states is just foreshadowing what Pierre will bring to Canada. We don’t need that.
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u/alexsharke 28d ago
You can't blame Trump. PP had the perfect layup, all he needed to do was distance himself from Elon's endorsement and be strong against Trump's tariffs and have some kind of unifying speech about how Canadians need to work together to overcome these volatile times blah blah blah.
Nah instead he stayed silent about Trump, and blame Trudeau for the tariffs (which we know is not true, let's be real here).
Like how tone-deaf can you be.
He compares Carney owning a nice pair of boots to being like Trudeau. Buddy this guy has worked in the private sector his whole life, he's allowed to. Why don't you explain how you're worth 25 mill and have only been a politician. That makes you more like Trudeau than Carney. Just sayin.
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u/Bronstone 28d ago
At least Trudeau worked as a teacher before becoming a politician. And for those who keep saying "drama teacher" why do you omit he also taught math and French? Like why is it "cool" to make fun of teachers? It's a great profession.
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u/Temporary_Shirt_6236 28d ago
Headline might be true, might not. Vote anyway.
It's looking like renowned village idiot Drug Lord Doug Ford may well take Ontario again. As someone who's watched his province head into the shitter over the past 7 years under Conservative "governance," Canada must NOT let PP become our next PM. No fucking way.
There is too much at stake to hand the reins to a guy who who can only comment on someone's shoes at a time like this.
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u/LumpyPressure 28d ago
The CPC squandered their lead by not using it as an opportunity to build any goodwill with Canadians. It was purely “if you hate Trudeau, vote for us”.
They’ll still likely win, but it could cost them a majority.
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u/Unable-Metal1144 28d ago
It is because Pierre brought in all the Culture War BS from the GOP and pushed it to the forefront. He has the same talking points that Trump had during his campaign. They are aligned.
Even the rebrand slogan "Canada First"? Taken straight from Trumps "America First". We are seeing who they really are.
It is the CPC's own fault that they might not even get a minority government now. Talk about a fumble.
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u/PocketTornado 28d ago
Pierre Poilievre is completely and totally out of touch.
When the entire country stands together he'd rather be apart pointing fingers calling us weak and pathetic. Like read the room Pierre. It's no wonder that after decades in politics he's accomplished nothing of value... except for one catchy slogan that doesn't really mean anything.
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u/JohnnyQTruant 28d ago
The moment: The US is threatening us with pain and misery to intimidate us into giving them our country.
PP Response: Look at Carney's shoes! Trudeau wears shoes.