Many will wonder about what finished Andrew Scheer — what really drove home to him that his best option was to resign as Conservative leader. And why now?
Both are valid questions, but undoubtedly the more important one facing the Conservative party is: What happens now?
Obviously there will be a new leadership race, with Scheer possibly remaining as caretaker in the interim. Some of the names that have been floating about since the attacks on Scheer’s leadership began in October were naturally being buzzed about on Thursday: Rona Ambrose, Peter MacKay, Lisa Raitt, and others. Unlike the NDP, who had an even more disappointing election result, the Conservatives have bucks in the bank to fight another election, but given that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government can fall at any time, they will have to move to get a new leader quickly.
But there’s an interesting wrinkle in that. Former Harper-era cabinet minister John Baird has been conducting a review of the last election at the request of the party, a postmortem of the Conservatives’ election failure. Because, despite the best efforts of the Tories to put a happy face on it — winning the popular vote; the biggest opposition caucus ever — a failure is what it was. Trudeau was wounded and unpopular, the election was the Conservatives’ to lose, and they did. Baird was hired to find out why.
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See Also:
(1) Conservative caucus backs Scheer as interim leader amid private school backlash
(2) It was not a question of if Andrew Scheer would leave, but when
(4) Scheer resignation a surprise, but necessary
(5) Conservatives not ready for prime time
From the NP article:
“Trudeau was wounded and unpopular”
Maybe wounded, nut not unpopular, especially with the MSM, which readily forgives politicians who share THEIR world view, denigrating anyone who does not conform to THEIR ideology. Even so-called conservative strategists have joined the chorus: all politicians MUST enthusiastically embrace Pride parades & women’s “right to choose” (now renamed as “reproductive rights”) — as if conservatives are trying to prevent them from reproducing!” — otherwise those would-be politicians need not apply.
As Rex Murphy justifiably pointed out in one of his columns https://nationalpost.com/opinion/rex-murphy-so-when-will-trudeau-and-singh-be-asked-tasteless-questions-about-their-religion, no other leaders were hounded by the MSM, as well as some conservative strategists, about THEIR faith as Andrew Scheer was. No one challenged those other leaders by telling them that they could not truthfully claim to be observant adherents of ____________ (whichever religion) and simultaneously enthusiastically support abortion, same-sex marriage, and assisted dying, which most religions do not embrace.
Granted, as I commented here in a different thread, Scheer was too timid in defence of his faith and his promise that he was not planning to revisit issues that had been more or less settled, either by the courts or societal acceptance. The other two “revelations” — about his CV and his American citizenship — also served to paint him as somewhat untrustworthy, so he was not seen as a formidable opponent to unseat Trudeau. However, the fact remains he was able to increase the CPC seat count, the vote count, and reduce the arrogant Trudeau to a minority.
Something else that has not been discussed at large: the role changing demographics played in the election, especially in the GTA. At the risk of being labelled racist & anti-immigrant (which would be funny, since I was an immigrant before I became a Canadian citizen) … but is it conceivable that the latest arrivals to Canada, grateful for having been so warmly received by Trudeau himself, voted for his party in those apparently crucial ridings? Having arrived in 2015-2016, they probably became eligible to become Canadian citizens and thus able to vote. However, I have no evidence of my assumptions. But hey, I’m not the first nor will I be the last to express an opinion based on assumptions rather than on factual evidence.
You’re probably right in saying that “Trudeau is responsible for that bit of luck” but some credit must also be given to Scheer. Not because he was such a galvanizing leader that people flocked to him but probably because they couldn’t bring themselves to vote for Trudeau — out West that was probably “the bit of luck”. But how to explain some gains — even if small — in Atlantic Canada?
I would like to see Sarnia LAmbton MP Marilyn Gladu run for leader of the CPC. She is smart and well versed. Then have Lord Christopher Monckton, Patrick Moore, and Timothy Ball as Environmental Advisors. Look these men up. The brain trust of these men would put the Liberals, NDP, Greens, and the corrupt Media in their place!!!