Red-pill populism
Conservative politics and its embrace of populism have merged with toxic masculinity for validation in the mainstream.
Feds’ lack of transparency continues to be a shame
Global Affairs Canada has reversed the small step forward it took towards trade-deal transparency out of what appears to be a misguided fear of negative outcomes if people know anything about negotiations.
Foreign interference didn’t damage our democratic institutions—our institutions did it to themselves
The needless secrecy, selective leaks, political theatre, dark undertone of racism, and the gullible media who ate it up stoked the fears of foreign interference and did harm.
What Conservative rally crowds reveal—and why it matters
Showcasing energized supporters at every stop serves not only as momentum-building, but also as a critical internal motivator for the thousands of volunteers.
Trade talks more opaque after Canada’s foreign ministry cuts live briefings in wake of media leaks
Global Affairs Canada says it ended live trade briefings because leaks could threaten the final deal, but the department says it has ‘no reason to believe’ that the Canada-Indonesia trade pact was actually affected after reporting by The Hill Times.
Do Canadians really want Stephen Harper back?
While the former prime minister remains an icon among the Conservative base, his presence may remind voters of what they didn’t like about him in 2015.
Welcome to ‘Gaffapalooza’
In one of the shortest election campaigns in our history, each of the leaders has proven to be seriously accident-prone.
Election platform release a ‘pass/fail’ exercise with little reward for expedience, say politicos
Parties must weigh the optimal time to capture voters’ attention with the potential pitfalls caused by even minor errors when deciding on platform-release dates.
NDP has a familiar team fighting to keep its presence in the House
‘For the NDP, the battle of this campaign is going to be fought in their incumbent ridings,’ and target ridings, says strategist Jordan Leichnitz.
Q&A | Unpacking the ‘astonishing’ swing in federal polls with Frank Graves
‘The stakes are very high’ this election says Ekos Research’s Frank Graves, and voter ‘emotions are very important’ in driving how campaigns take shape.
