Conservatives are surging provincially. Can Andrew Scheer win their biggest battle?

Conservatives are surging provincially. Can Andrew Scheer win their biggest battle?

By Shachi Kurl, Executive Director

Notwithstanding a stumble on the Rock Thursday night, Canadian Conservatives have wracked up a year’s worth of election victories in Ontario, Alberta, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick, showing an appetite, and aptitude, for winning. Their focus now turns to the big national contest in October.

You’d forgive oil executives in Calgary and small-government defenders in Toronto for seeing only a clear path to victory. Federal Conservative leader Andrew Scheer is viewed as best choice for prime minister among the electorate, according to Angus Reid Institute polling. His party leads the Liberals by an ever-increasing margin. The party’s core base is rock-solid. Its ability to stock the campaign war chest with millions indicates supporters are willing to put dollars, not just votes, on the line.

As epic battles go, the Conservatives today look as terrifying as a Dothraki cavalry charge en route to kill whomever Daenerys Targaryen decides should die. (You’ll forgive the inevitable Game Of Thrones parallels.) Over the course of eight seasons, however, we’ve borne witness to the vulnerabilities of the Mother of Dragons. Canada’s opposition politicians would do well to heed their own weaknesses.

For the rest of this piece, please view it on the Ottawa Citizen’s site, where it was initially published.


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