Friday, September 27, 2024

Poilievre and the "sore winner syndrome"

I'm trying to think whether there was any time in modern history that Canadians elected a Prime Minister they didn't actually like. 
Conservatives seem to have a pattern of finding unlikeable leaders -- Diefenbaker, Stanfield, Scheer come to mind -- but in our recent history, only those Tory leaders who appeared personable on TV were ever elected to lead a government - like Clark, Mulroney, Harper the kitten whisperer. 
(Yes, I know Diefenbaker was PM in the early 1960s, but as soon as people started seeing him on TV, he lost to Pearson.)
And Poilievre definitely falls into the "unlikeable" category, even in spite of his makeover, to anyone who catches Question Period on TV.
Cult Mtl's Matthew Renfrew writes Poilievre’s poor favourability will cost the Conservatives come election time
A new study by the Angus Reid Institute has found that net favourability of Pierre Poilievre has reached its lowest point in over a year, at -16%. Just 36% of Canadians have a positive opinion of the Conservative Party of Canada leader.
A previous study by Léger also found that, while the Conservatives are leading in the polls, just 26% of Canadians believe Pierre Poilievre is the best choice for prime minister.
The fact remains that Pierre Poilievre is just not that likeable. He rubs most Canadians the wrong way and a large majority don’t want to see him become prime minister.
As a result, support for the Conservatives will decrease as the election approaches, and as more light is shed on right-wing foreign interference scandals.
Toronto Star's Susan Delacourt writes Pierre Poilievre acts as if there’s power in being unlikeable. It’s not a good look
...Conservatives appear to be trying everything this fall to turn their poll lead into eventual election victory, with the exception of one force in politics — likeability.
Nothing in Pierre Poilievre’s repertoire in the Commons the past two weeks has been aimed at making people like him, beyond those who already do. He insults, he taunts, he name-calls, he sneers — all the things that parents tell their children not to do if they want to make and keep friends.
It may be making his base happy, but it is doing nothing to present a positive picture of what he would be like in power.
...Poilievre seems pretty certain that the next election will give him a majority, and not require that he work with any other parties in the House. He’s burning his bridges with the Bloc and the NDP, if any such bridges ever existed.
... About a month or so ago, I started to notice increasing mention of Poilievre’s lack of likeability in the political commentary, even among those who are not fans of the Trudeau Liberals. ...
I’ve heard this privately from some Conservatives too, who roll their eyes at what they see as unnecessary vindictiveness from a party that continues to bounce along at the top of the polls. Is this sore-winner syndrome? And what will that look like if they really do end up winners after the next election? More enemies’ lists? More paranoia about the media and the bureaucracy?
...Poilievre didn’t have a good week when Parliament resumed this month, failing to win in a Manitoba byelection and falling short in a bid to rally opposition leaders to bring down the government. He tried to pull that off with taunts and name-calling. Amazing that didn’t work.
Perhaps Poilievre is operating on the principle that nice guys finish last.
Meanwhile, Poilievre apparently thinks leadership means repeatedly failing to lead: But he doesn't let failure stop him, does he... When you've lost Charlie Angus... And here are two more relevant comments:
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