This just in: is Poilievre charismatic?

OAKVILLE, ONT.—I’ve got a few Republican political consultant friends in America who usually don’t show too much interest in Canadian politics. But now that’s changing. Lately, I’ve been getting messages from these former colleagues telling me how impressed they are with Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre. And, yes, they all mention his famous “apple interview” video that recently went viral. I really get the sense they wish Poilievre were running in the Republican presidential primary. At any rate, this positive attention from hardened American political operators, combined with Poilievre’s good polling numbers, got me wondering if the Conservative leader is possibly displaying signs of charisma. Yes, you read that right: I actually used the words “Conservative leader” and “charisma” in the same sentence. That’s something I thought I’d never do. Let’s face it, conservative politicians in this country aren’t exactly renowned for their charismatic personalities. Indeed, it’s usually the exact opposite. Consider, for instance, former Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper, a leader who—yes—came across as tough and competent, but who also seemed humourless, bland, and boring. His unofficial motto could have been: “Smart but dull.” Nor did Harper’s two immediate successors as Conservative leader—Andrew Scheer and Erin O’Toole— do much to move the charisma needle. As a matter of fact, both men seemed to embrace dullness as a positive political attribute. Scheer, for example, kept pushing the idea that he was just a run-of-the-mill, boring, suburban dad. Nothing exciting to see here, folks. Not to be outdone, O’Toole also did his best to extol his lack of pizzazz, even going so far as to release a video entitled, “Not a celebrity. Just a leader. Just Erin,” which begins with O’Toole standing with his back to the camera, while a narrator asks, “Do you know who this is? Probably not. He’s no celebrity; just an ordinary Canadian.” And if that’s not enough to bore you, the video also tells us he’s “just a husband and father” and “just someone who’s in it for Canada, not headlines.” So, the message seemed to be, if you’re looking for a dynamic, exciting and charismatic leader, better vote for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, because O’Toole sure ain’t that guy, he’s just “ordinary.” Not exactly inspiring stuff. Of course, I understand what Scheer and O’Toole were trying to do. They figured Canadians were tired of Trudeau’s photo op, “look-at-me, I’m a star” style of leadership, and thus were ready for a more grounded, more serious leader to take over the reins of government. But it didn’t work for an obvious reason. Voters typically don’t want an “ordinary” Canadian running the country. They want someone who’s above the herd, someone they can look up to, someone they can believe in. Or, to put that another way, they want a strong leader. This is why charisma matters. Basically, a charismatic politician is blessed with personal leadership qualities that inspire us. This brings us back to Poilievre, who I’d argue possesses such qualities, i.e., he comes across as passionate, assertive, confident, and energetic. It’s this charisma, I’d further argue, which helps explain why he’s doing well in the polls, and why he’s on the radar of American political consultants. Yet, I don’t want to get too carried away with all this charisma stuff. Certainly, I’m not saying “Pierremania” will sweep Canada the way “Trudeaumania” did in the 1960s, or even the way “Justinmania” did in 2015. After all, Poilievre is a conservative, and there’s a limit to how “cool” a conservative can be. But one thing's for sure: no one will ever call him dull. Gerry Nicholls is a communications consultant. The Hill Times

This just in: is Poilievre charismatic?

I’m not saying 'Pierremania' will sweep Canada the way 'Trudeaumania' did in the 1960s or the way 'Justinmania' did in 2015. But no one will ever call Pierre Poilievre dull.

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This just in: is Poilievre charismatic?

I’m not saying 'Pierremania' will sweep Canada the way 'Trudeaumania' did in the 1960s or the way 'Justinmania' did in 2015. But no one will ever call Pierre Poilievre dull.

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