Column like I see 'em - Do Conservatives have the O鈥橳ooles to get the job done?
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- Published on Friday, September 4, 2020
By Eoin Devereux
Neepawa Banner & Press
The Conservative Party of Canada has a brand new leader and he is the absolute perfect choice鈥or people who always vote Conservative. But what about everyone else across this fractured little nation of ours? How is Erin O鈥橳oole going to sway all those undecided voters, frustrated former Trudeaumaniacs and lapse Conservatives to back them to Tory glory?
Getting to know your O鈥橳oole
A solid selling point for O鈥橳oole is, quite simply, his impressive and enviable resume. The 47-year-old M.P. for Durham, Ont. is a former Royal Canadian Air Force officer, who worked as a tactical navigator in search and rescue missions. After 12 years of service, O鈥橳oole went to Dalhousie University and completed his law degree, while still in the Reserves. That鈥檚 the type of 鈥溾�楶ull yourself up by your bootstraps,鈥� story former Conservative leader Andrew Scheer was never able to cultivate for himself. And it鈥檚 most certainly the polar opposite of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, whose childhood was one of privilege within a Canadian political dynasty. One political leader figuratively worked his hands to the bone to get where he is today, while the other worked his father鈥檚 name to the bone.
鈥楾ake Canada back鈥� or 鈥楲iberal-lite鈥�?
Erin O鈥橳oole鈥檚 intelligence and work ethic should have me excited about the future outlook of the Conservative Party in Canada鈥� So why aren鈥檛 I? Why do I still feel a sense of unease, as I did when Scheer was at the helm? I think it鈥檚 due to still being unsure of what version of Erin O鈥橳oole will ultimately lead the party.
Will it be the long-time Ontario M.P., who was viewed by many compatriots on Parliament Hill as a moderate conservative, whose efforts were focused on being a consensus builder? A man who has previously proclaimed himself pro-choice and a defender of women鈥檚, LGBTQ and other minority rights? That guy was great鈥� but that guy also had his butt handed to him in the 2017 Conservative leadership race by Andrew Scheer and Maxine Bernier.
Or will the version of O鈥橳oole we see moving ahead be the one whose 2020 leadership campaign was designed to appeal to the strong socially conservative base of the party? Will that make him beholden to that portion of the party?
Is O鈥橳oole a right-winger who promised to 鈥淭ake Canada back鈥�, or is he, as Maxime Bernier called him recently, 鈥楲iberal-lite.鈥�
A narrow path
This duality could end up being the downfall for O鈥橳oole, as it was for Andrew Scheer. The modern day Conservative Party鈥檚 foundation feels as though it鈥檚 built upon a very socially conservative base and as much as that base might not want to believe it, that makes for a narrow path to victory in a general election. Most Canadians are not as supportive of reexamining social issues as the Tory kingmakers are. That鈥檒l create a challenge for O鈥橳oole, as he will have to find a way to appeal to a broader electorate that is far less conservative than the membership that made him leader. No man can serve two masters and Erin O鈥橳oole may ultimately have to choose one at the cost of the other. Only time will tell if that results in Tory glory or if we all just meet back here again in three years and try once more to find the next great blue Conservative hope.
Disclaimer: Column like I see 鈥榚m is a monthly opinion column for the Neepawa Banner & Press. The views expressed are the writer鈥檚 and are not to be taken as being the view of the Banner & Press.
