WARREN KINSELLA: MY WAR ROOM TARGET IS BIGGER THAN YOURS

There's an old saying in the political circles I come from: "Don't SAY the strategy. DO the strategy."

The estimable Liberal War Room guy Warren Kinsella is free to ignore that maxim, as he has no role - as far as I am aware - in the forthcoming clash between Justin Trudeau and Pierre Poilivere. But then, neither do I. So herewith, my rebuttal to his advice (see his column below). I have paraphrased his three points of prognostication to the Liberals as accurately as I can:

1. Poilievre is a far-right winger who will stampede the NDP toward the Liberals.

Oh, that old chestnut: "The only thing standing between you and the Fourth Reich is a vote for the Liberals." Well, how about telling New Democrats (as if they don't already know) that the Liberals have abandoned working Canadians to the chattering classes and their loopy academic causes. Inflation, tax upon tax, out-of-control spending that will mortgage our children's futures, a housing and food affordability crisis and an accumulating pile of "rules for thee - not for me" examples of pandemic and environmental hypocrisy. Show these struggling voters how the interests of "labour" are reflected in the embrace of increasingly bizarre ivory-tower social justice ideology.

Also, focus on a sentiment, which is reportedly growing within Jagmeet Singh's caucus, that they're being played for suckers in supporting the Liberals through the supply agreement, i.e. that credit for anything good that comes of it (think national dental plan, which will inevitably fall short of NDP expectations) will accrue to the Libs, not to them. So get NDP support to eat into Liberal votes - not the other way around. There are signs this is happening already. Keep it up, Conservatives: Now you're glimpsing majority territory.

And regardless, if Poilievre is truly a racist white supremacist looney anarchist in a tinfoil hat then so is more than half the country at the moment, according to the polls. Nice show of respect you've got going for the electorate there, kids. Conservatives might mention that every now and then.

The shorthand to all this: Hug a Dipper.

2. Conservative premiers are everywhere these days. And Canadians don't like being governed by the same party federally and provincially.

This is a tired old saw - especially when it comes to Ontario. Alternating parties federally and provincially has a lot more to do with which one is in or out of favour at any given time in any given province than some arcane game of electoral footsie.

Even then, this may be a recurring thing in ordinary times, but these are not ordinary times: Inflation. Skyrocketing interest rates. A housing crisis. Looming global energy and food disasters. The first European war since 1945. The list goes on. If you want to play the same kind of silly-bugger, in Ontario at least, this is how it's worked in times of trouble:

The Great Depression: Bennett (Con.) federally, Henry (Con.) provincially.

WWII: King (Lib.) federally, Hepburn, Conant, Nixon (all Lib.) provincially

The Cuban Missile Crisis: Diefenbaker (Con.) federally, Robarts (Con.) provincially.

3. Target Poilievre's vulnerabilities: Law and order. Abortion. The pandemic.

Target-rich environment? Here goes:

Law and order: We have seen Canada's RCMP and parole system fail spectacularly over the past year alone, gravely undermining Canadians' sense of security. Here Warren is trying to tag Poilievre to the trucker protest. I'll remind him that the ONLY judicial decision handed down during the entire episode - in an Ottawa courtroom, no less - boiled down to "Stop honking your horns. Otherwise carry on with your peaceful and lawful protest (which it was)." If you want to talk about lawlessness, let's hear more about the invocation of the Emergencies Act, which this government lied about as being the recommendation of multiple police forces. Bring it on.

Abortion: Not this again... A while back, Andrew Scheer's position ("As a practicing Catholic I am opposed, but I will not re-open the debate in Parliament") was documented as precisely that of Justin Trudeau's. But geez, never let your deeply personal faith get in the way of a good wedge. This is a tired and morally corrupt Liberal campaign tactic. Time to call them out on it, while reminding Canadians that we are the only major country in the entire Western world with no abortion law whatsoever, since Morgentaler.

The pandemic: Don't get me started. Just follow the (political) science to bend the curve in two weeks tops…

Others: "Guns, racism, cuts to social programs":

Hit gang gun imports from the border for a change, instead of confiscating them from law-abiding Canadians. Toronto is now a shooting gallery. Racism? Give specific examples, Mister Blackface. Cuts? The man's not even in government yet. Etc.

Lastly, “(The Liberals) are busily plotting to define him before he can define himself."

Too late, sir: It's the Trudeau Liberals who have defined themselves, through things like preachy political correctness, a jobs record forged (so to say) exclusively on government hiring, shoot-us-and-the-rest-of-the-world-in-the-foot energy policy and public services that don't, you know, actually serve the public. And the list goes on. "Basic Competence" might look good on a podium.

Lastly, Warren, regarding your view that Biden's fortunes have turned around sharply since the US Supreme Court decision, check again: Polls show the issue has plummeted in importance since the spring. It's the economy, stupid!

Not you, I mean...

Peter

https://torontosun.com/opinion/columnists/kinsella-poilievre-flying-high-in-the-polls-wont-be-prime-ministe