For the first time in a somewhat long life I witnessed an election be the reason for a watch party. Usually it’s a sporting event, a sporting championship, maybe a UFC beat-down. But on Tuesday, the US presidential election became the new Super Bowl, with almost everyone I talked to that day mentioning that they were going someplace to watch the election.
My goodness times have changed.
I’ll bet there was a watch-party of sorts at Rideau Cottage as well, or maybe on Wellington Street over at the PMO, or Prime Minister’s Office. And while I doubt anyone was wearing the colours and swag of the team they were rooting for, I’ll bet you’d have no trouble figuring it out regardless.
I’ll bet they were rooting for Trump.
Huh? Wait, what?
Think about it.
Justin Trudeau is the most unpopular politician in the country right now. If there’s another one out there somewhere that I’ve missed, then God help them. And yet Trudeau is insistent on staying on to fight the next federal election against Pierre Poilievre, despite all manner of public opinion polls and political sages indicating that, if he were to remain, he’ll get clobbered and take his party down with him.
I’ve heard of arrogance before, and I understand the folly of hubris, but the level of self-destructive behaviour is bewildering from a man who does possess intelligence, plenty of it. Others like to make everyone feel that they’re the smartest person in the room. Whether you hate him or really hate him, Trudeau often is. It’s just those socks!
I mean, what exactly would the election of Kamala Harris do for him politically? Even though they come from the same sort of spot on the political spectrum, a Harris presidency was no guarantee of preferred behaviour on the part of the Americans towards Canada. Joe Biden was also a “friendly” to Canada, except for when he handed down his huge infrastructure plan that nearly sideswiped the Canadian economy had it not been for the extensive lobbying efforts put forward by both the federal and Ontario governments. My point is that Democrats, while being cousins somewhat of the Liberals, cannot be counted upon to enact Canada-friendly policies just because of that idealogical similarity. They tend to look out for America first, which shouldn’t really come as any surprise.
But a Trump win? Holy smokes, that’s different.
Every story seems to need a villain, and Trudeau was just gifted one in the election of Trump. Not that it will necessarily turn out successfully for the Liberals, but you have to hand it to them in terms of their strategic thinking, their strategic pluck.
Ask any high school English teacher about the importance of a character foil in a piece of literature. Their eyes will glaze over and off they’ll go on a one-person discussion of how essential it is in many stories to have that whole man vs man, man vs nature, man vs himself action going. And despite their general pomposity, they’re essentially right.
Donald Trump is the perfect foil for Justin Trudeau.
They’re nothing alike, other than they both have money, a lot of it having been inherited, and in one case, quite likely stolen. But aside from that, there could be no two people more diametrically situated as these two. So how does this work? How can Trump help Trudeau?
One thing that has some credibility is the fact that the two govern differently, having contrasting approaches to governance, their public images, and their approach to what each thinks are core policy issues.
In short, they have different governing styles, Trudeau more of a diplomatic kind of fellow, Trump a combative us versus them type. Trudeau’s a progressive, some might say Trump is a regressive. Yes, a good chunk of the Canadian electorate is in the same boat as the angry Americans who lifted Trump back to power, no doubt about that. But still, there’s another good chunk of Canadians who would prefer to have a less confrontational approach to governing. It would be these people that Trudeau would hope to contrast himself with Trump and the Trumpian way of doing things. I’m not saying this will work, but that will be one of their plays. It’s not like they have many others.
Trudeau will attempt to paint Poilievre with the Trump brush. That may work with some, not so much with others. But if Trump comes crashing down on us as part of his America-first thinking, that’s going to hurt us economically. A lot. As well, the Canada – US – Mexico trade agreement is coming due, and watch out for the Americans this time around. It’s not going to be pretty, and it’s going to hurt, some of us more than others, but a lot of us nevertheless. Trudeau will paint Poilievre as being unable or unwilling to stand against this, since many view Poilievre as a poor-man’s Trump to begin with. Again, not saying it will work, but it’s not going to stop anyone from trying.
Some political guru — I don’t know who — once said that a week is an eternity politics. They’re right, to a degree. A lot can happen between now and the next federal election, and I don’t think that election’s going to happen anytime soon. I don’t think that, on its own, it’s enough to save Trudeau. But I do know for a fact that Trudeau is a fighter, a scrapper as good as anyone, both politically and with his dukes, something learned by former Conservative senator Patrick Brazeau when he challenged Trudeau to a boxing match for “charity” a few years back, Charity notwithstanding, the idea was that Brazeau, a bigger, burlier, street-smart kind of guy, would pummel Mr. Fancy Socks. Sun News even covered the event live, with anticipatory glee at the certainty of Trudeau going down, figuratively and literally. and they were going to call the play-by-play.
Trudeau dismantled Brazeau. He punched him out to the point where Brazeau, bloodied and beaten, had to yield. What a show for the Sun News audience.
So socks or no socks, woke or even more woke, effeminate or psuedo-masculine, Justin or Justine, the fact remains the same: Justin Trudeau is a fighter and can’t be counted out. He may not succeed in the end politically, but it won’t be for a lack of fighting spirit or ability. Plus he’s smart and canny, just like his old man was. I never voted for his dad with the two opportunities I had, and even worked for candidates of the Progressive Conservatives in an attempt to get him out and gone. But, love him or hate him, he was no coward, no shrinking violet, and he had a glare that could make you melt if he chose to use it. His boy has all that too, perhaps more refined, but he’s got it, maybe even more than the old man.
Poilievre will have a challenge fending off these characterizations if Trump proves to be dick to Canada, as he most surely will. And Trudeau will be right there to foster that belief in us. And maybe he’s not wrong. But will it work? I honestly don’t know. But I do know it will be attempted.
That must have been some watch party.
NEWSMAGRENFREW 