Poilievre: Incredible Hulk or Captain America?

OAKVILLE, ONT.—One of the complaints I keep hearing about Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre is that he’s too “angry,” and that he wants to make all Canadians angry, too. For instance, one typical comment in this regard recently came from Globe and Mail columnist Lawrence Martin who wrote, “So why is Pierre Poilievre trying to get us so mad? Why does anger seep from his every pore?” On top of that, Martin adds “has there ever been a Conservative opposition leader so rabid, so given over to the politics of destruction?” Tough words, right? I mean, if you believe Martin, Poilievre has a serious character flaw and is in dire need of anger management classes. But is there any validity to this complaint? Is Poilievre truly the political equivalent of the Incredible Hulk, a rage-fuelled leader with anger seeping from his every pore who likes to mindlessly smash everything in sight? In my considered opinion, the answer is no. First off, when I see Poilievre in action, I don’t see a leader who’s angry or rabid. I see a leader who has embraced a “tough guy” persona; he likes to brawl, he likes to go on the attack, and occasionally, he triggers controversy by kicking a hornet’s nest. This is not the “politics of destruction." It’s simply good tactics. After all, as Napoleon once said, “Attack, attack, always attack.” In other words, by staying on the offensive, Poilievre keeps the strategic initiative and keeps his political base motivated and energized. This is in sharp contrast, by the way, to Poilievre’s two immediate predecessors—Andrew Scheer and Erin O’Toole—who were always playing defence and always willing to retreat in the face of an attack, which meant their messages were always going off-track. Mind you, how you view Poilievre’s “tough-guy” tactics often depends on your perspective. To quote Miles’ Law, “where you stand depends on where you sit.” If you’re a Liberal or admire Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, you’ll likely view the Conservative leader as a rampaging Hulk, but if you’re a Conservative, you’ll likely see him as more of a Captain America-figure, a righteous avenger who’ll smite their enemies. But, of course, the real question is: how will regular, non-political, nonpartisan Canadians view Poilievre’s combative style? For his part, the Globe’s Martin argues Poilievre’s aggressiveness will ultimately alienate voters because, as he put it, “Canadians want more than a troll king.” But do they? I’d argue it all depends on the current mood of the electorate. If Canadians are angry—angry about inflation, angry about taxes, angry about scandals, angry about being ignored—it's likely they’ll want a leader who understands and sympathizes with their anger. Poilievre is basically saying: “I'm that guy.” At this point, I should note Poilievre isn’t stirring-up or creating anger amongst Canadians; rather he is seeking to exploit or tap into anger that already exists. Seeking to ride a wave of emotion in this way makes perfect tactical sense. As Drew Weston put it in his book, The Political Brain, “In politics, when reason and emotion collide, emotion invariably wins”. And make no mistake, anger is one of the most powerful motivating forces in politics. So, yes, even though a lot of people might view Poilievre as an SOB, sometimes voters believe only an SOB can fix the problems they face. On the other hand, it’s possible Poilievre might overplay his SOB-ness and come across as more menacing than aggressive, which is why he must stay disciplined and strategic. In the words of American political consultant Morton Blackwell, “Don't get mad except on purpose.” Gerry Nicholls is a communications consultant. The Hill Times