Derek 2.0

Without a doubt, I doubt he'd need the National Guard, but he would be within his right to call them up if he did.

To add: What do you think "rural prairies folk" will think of O'Leary's own views on firearms?

No they don't.......as already explained to you, the leadership race is a ranked ballot vote.. Your cited polls show Trudeau beating O'Leary....... He can? How? Harper had a terrible time with the media and improved in each election......until the last election. "Best shot" is subjective........two polls showing losing to Trudeau and only have ~1/3rd of support among CPC party members doesn't, in my opinion, seem like "climbing the mountain". How do you figure........if social issues have been "dealt with", why would "young Canadians" vote for O'Leary???? They typically don't vote, or vote for a progressive...... Ahhhhhhh......like Preston Manning? Ipsos said he'd still loose, and the Tories would be reliant upon attracting nearly a quarter of the current supporters of the NDP.........fantasy land Numbers are numbers........these youngsters and NDP supporters better join the party quick so they can vote for O'Leary It didn't hurt Harper, nor "chew him up", during his election victories.

Not if he doesn't win the leadership race. "Get in line"? Ahh no, they won the leadership for Harper.......and he had to keep a lid on them. Why do you think they would vote for O'Leary when their are social conservatives that share much the same economic policies. Harper was a social conservative.......O'Leary is, at best, a Red Tory or a Blue Liberal on social issues. And he'll sound like a moron debating Trudeau is French.......wanna guess who the last Prime Minister was that didn't speak French? No they don't, you provided a dubious poll that showed O'Leary had the support of 1/3rd of voting Tory members. I don't deny that, but then Harper had neither and our current PM went into the election in third place despite his name and media attention.

You seem confused......if the polls you linked to are gospel, 2/3rds of voting party members don't favor O'Leary.......in a race with ranked ballots......a culling of the herd isn't a clear benefit.......for example, within the Conservative party there are various factions or wings, like church going social conservatives or gun owners. O'Leary is socially Liberal and anti-gun, ergo, its unlikely he'll be within the top three picks of such voters........He doesn't speak French, so that (and joining after the French debate) could alienate him in Quebec, remember, each Quebec riding has as much an equal voice as the bluest Alberta riding......he's made bonehead remarks about the military, another large block of voters within the party........ Despite such polls, O'Leary has to sign up a whole bunch of voters over the next two months.........and I wouldn't be surprised, like he himself has suggested, if he bows out and plays "kingmaker" once it becomes apparent he won't win......or he gets bored.

How many CPC MPs or Senators are supporting O'Leary again? O'Leary has two months to sign up new members to vote for him, across the country, and four months to the convention........

What of it? Bernier is close to half a million (likewise Leitch)......O'Leary is gunning for $25k? Too bad all those polled aren't donating and joining the party..........

Ahh its tea leaves now.......let me know when O'Leary passes Bernier's support in the form of donations from the most diverse number of ridings across Canada

And the winner is...............The biggest Mexican imports to the United States are Cars and Trucks, car parts and oil. American consumer prices will rise due to increased American labor rates, but who are the Mexicans going to sell full sized trucks and SUVs to?

And from said poll: And the chance of ~2% of NDP supporters joining the Tories and voting for O'Leary in the leadership race are? "Culling the herd" isn't something that would benefit O'Leary in the leadership race (with ranked ballots).

Well you should care........Harper figured out one of the few winning formulas, and the next leader will need to repeat said formula.......unless you're expecting Mulroney 2.0

You're sure putting a whole bunch of weight on one flaky poll......said poll is is best summed up here

On paper.......but then most voted for Trump anyways.

Right......like not only PET and Mulroney, but many past US Presidents that have called on the military to quell riots and maintain security.

The Globe's JOHN IBBITSON sums up my views on the leadership to a tee........What would Harper do? Of all those running, Ibbitson figures Harper would choose only three: I like all three, but as I've said in previous threads, in my opinion, O'Toole is too nice.........With Scheer, some might consider him too "young", but his age could be a benefit if we're to assume knocking off Trudeau will take two elections.......Hence my picks will/would be Bernier-Scheer-O'Toole

Sure, and I didn't say different, nor suggest anyone within the field has a "commanding lead" with less that a 3rd of the voting party members in their camp.........

From your link: In other words, of those polled, more people would rather "someone else" than O'Leary, and of actual party members (including myself) slightly more than 2/3rds support someone other than O'Leary.........and if the election were held today, Trudeau would return with a smaller majority.......I guess "commanding lead" is subjective.

You consider a poll with a resulting Liberal Majority as "looking good" for O'Leary?

Ahh......yes, they do......like past Presidents, President Trump has the authority to Federalize any State's Guards units......furthermore, one of the few exceptions to the Posse Comitatus Act, allows the use of said troops to enforce Federal law and aide to federal agencies......hence the Guard could be used to aide not only local and State police in enforcing federal gun and drug laws, but aide agencies like the FBI and DEA...not only in policing, but use of surveillance and transport aircraft.

What regulations? Which taxes and to what level? How does one "let the market work?" That sounds an awful lot like Bernier's proposals, absent the meat and potatoes..... That depends where the country is at in 2019........if the economy is doing better than expected and/or Trump has been a complete failure down South, fluffy populists like Trudeau and O'Leary (and Trump of course) that offer nothing more than slogans and sales pitches could end up being the exact opposite as to what the voting public wants......inversely, a near Free Market Libertarian like Mad Max, absent the socially conservative and anti immigrant baggage, that has concrete policies to right the economy and cut the excess the Trudeau government has dumped on taxpayers, could be the answer............. Like I said, if O'Leary wins the leadership, I'll support him.........but until he puts out something of worth, not huckster slogans and soundbites, I won't support him in his bid for the leadership.

Is that the case though? We're but ~three months away, and by no means does O'Leary have a lock on the leadership..........O'Leary has no policy proposals other then to "grow the economy and reduce unemployment".......Trump has more substance. Like I said, I wouldn't discount O'Leary (and there is a very good chance his fame and media presence could be enough), but as I said, I don't intend to vote for him.......if he wins the leadership I won't take my ball and go home (I'd prefer O'Leary to many of the other also rans anyways), but on principle and policy I'm going with "Mad Max".

Where did I "pray" for the economy to tank? Big difference between believing that it will, in part due to the economic policies of this government and circumstances it has little to no control of, and hoping that it does. Sure, and those few seats combined with those in Metro Vancouver could very well be the difference in forming a Majority/Minority government or a change in government. And is why I suggested last Summer that O'Leary would be the most ideal leader.......with that said, poor economic performance and classic Liberal scandals could make a Bernier electable (see Harper) A better question, how many of said Twitter followers will be voting in the leadership race? Bernier, based on donations, has support among Conservatives across Canada.....Where is O'Leary's support concentrated?

Why is that? For instance, Trudeau's approval of the Kinder Morgan pipeline will very likely see traditional NDP and Tory seats plucked by Trudeau revert back to their traditional colors......are the Liberals going to keep the seats in the Western Provinces if the O&G market hasn't rebounded? With Southern Ontario posed to be bent over by the Trump administration, do you think voters there will vote for him again? Unlike the Ontario PCs and NDP, I don't expect the Federal parties will select such bad leaders....... That's pure speculation.........How will Trudeau "handle" any leader if our economy is in shambles? The French debate isn't to "hold ground", but to not cede the entire Province to the Liberals.......Harper won without Quebec, but that doesn't mean that should be the Tories strategy, nor to count on a strong NDP. It doesn't stand, if Canada were suddenly a two party country, where do you think the NDP vote would go? Inversely, if Obama in 2012 lost ~15-20% of his vote share to an American NDP, do you think Obama still would have won? So? And that's exactly my point......how much money, and from what parts of the country, has O'Leary raised versus Bernier?

Trudeau has peaked (granted a very high peak) by promising the Moon and won't be able to deliver on many of his promises....is he going to repromise to do all the stuff that that he didn't do? Trudeau, as I said, will have to campaign on his record and attempt maintain support..........if the economy is a dumpster fire in 2019, I doubt Trudeau will be gaining support. How so? I don't dispute O'Leary receives far more media coverage then Bernier, but how is he a better communicator? I'd be fine with Bernier debating an "ur--ummm---er" Trudeau in both French and English, defending his record and the economy........how will O'Leary sound against Trudeau in French? Apples to oranges........Try Romney versus Obama versus a Saunders. Three parties aside, the then US economy was "rebounding" and the Tories have nowhere near as many people insurgents within the party like the GOP has with the Tea Party........Don't get me wrong, I think O'Leary would have a very good shot and if he became the leader of the party I would support him, until then, on principle I support Max

My point exactly The same was said about Harper......until faced with Trudeau. The difference now, Trudeau himself is damaging the "brand" that he sold during our last election......if the economy continues to slip, and the media starts to turn on Trudeau (which I think they are), the Tories may not even need a populist persona like O'Leary to replace him.