"Conservative brain trust concerned about what by-election results mean for the Poilievre led Tories..." June 22, 2023 Canadian News Update + Commentary
With voters angry at Trudeau, where was the anticipated "Blue Wave"?
Political insiders in Ottawa tell me that the results of this week’s four by-elections has some of the Conservative brain trust concerned about what those results mean for the Poilievre led Tories.
We know, of course, that the Conservatives held their two seats and the Liberals retained their two seats, and that’s the problem.
When a government is sliding in the polls and their leader is wallowing in low approval ratings according to most polls, more than a few folks on Parliament Hill were guessing that angry voters would show their displeasure by punishing the Liberals in one or both of those by-elections.
That didn’t happen; there was no blue wave.
The Liberals easily won in Montreal and Manitoba and made it closer than expected in Oxford. In fact, both victorious candidates are strong, vocal supporters of the Prime Minister.
As one colleague asked, where was the outrage?
Now, some of those Conservative insiders are quietly questioning Pierre Poilievre’s attack dog style of politics and wondering if Poilievre’s style is actually turning voters away from their Party.
No one is suggesting that a mutiny is at hand, but recently history has shown that the Conservatives are pretty quick to jettison a leader who doesn’t lead them to the political promised land.
The Conservative’s lackluster showing in those by-elections seems to have some Conservatives wondering if Poilievre can do what the last two leaders couldn’t do.