Although he would undoubtedly reject such comparisons, in a recent interview, Justin Trudeau briefly sounded a little like Richard Nixon.
join the conversation Interaction with village mediathe Prime Minister asked questions about dissent within the caucus and the party’s ranking in opinion polls. He was also asked about the “Fk Trudeau” flag that, like all policies and political gestures, has come to define this Liberal government’s third term.
One interviewer said he did not recall similar flags being flown for Stephen Harper or Jean Chretien. The misfortune, he said, was “personal.”
Prime Minister Trudeau said his first reaction when he encountered such displays was to wonder what could have driven people “to such a place of anger.” He also said these protests are being amplified by news outlets and social media platforms that promote “very aggressive negativity.”
“The problem is there’s a silent majority right now that’s a little bit silent and wondering if maybe it’s actually a minority. And a lot of good, thoughtful people are saying, ‘I don’t know. “Personally, I’m against the leader, but everyone seems to hate him, because I don’t own all these flags,” Trudeau said. So, you know, he’s going to step down or he’s going to be unpopular,” Trudeau said. village media.
“And when I actually have conversations with people, whether it’s in a factory lunchroom or on Main Street, what I always remember is [in] People are thoughtful whether they’re in a small town or sitting in a university classroom in the middle of a big city. People are interested and open to serious discussions about the challenges we face. ”
Although Nixon, the 37th president of the United States, did not coin the term, he popularized the concept of the “silent majority” in a 1969 televised speech about the Vietnam War. These words evoked images in the public mind. The voices of voters whose voices are not heard over the noise of protesters and activists demanding political and social change.
“Silent majority” has become a populist and reactionary rallying cry. It was also a deep split. During President Nixon’s term, we can find the beginning of the fissures that currently define American politics (see Rick Perlstein’s article) nixon land).
For Trudeau, this appeal to the silent majority may simply reflect a deep-seated belief (or hope) that the flag does not represent the feelings of most Canadians – a significant number of them. They are still open to dialogue about the future of this country and are being persuaded to vote for the Liberal candidate.
Prime Minister Trudeau must also still believe that a quiet majority of his caucus intends to support him, or at least not decisively oppose him.
A very Canadian coup
Trudeau appears to be refusing to test that belief by not holding a secret vote on his leadership. But he is essentially calling on his opponents to make their first bet. If a significant number of Liberals actually want him to be removed from office, or just put it to a vote, they will need to come forward and say so. Passive aggression won’t get him out.
Thirteen Liberal MPs have so far called for a secret ballot. That number is likely to increase further. But a week after a dramatic caucus meeting in which at least 20 MPs reportedly wanted Trudeau to resign, the rebels appear to have gotten the worst of both worlds. Mr. Trudeau remains the leader of the party; It was a little weaker than it was a few weeks ago.
At the very least, the opposition may have helped push the party to adopt the sharper tone it has been displaying over the past week (belatedly).
“I think it’s been a knife in the crossfire so far in the way we’ve approached advertising and the way we’ve approached campaigning in general,” Liberal MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith said on Wednesday.
Mr Erskine-Smith had just returned from a caucus meeting where Liberal campaign manager Andrew Bevan was screening an advert he was preparing to release in the coming days. The first such ad was posted online Thursday and focused on government records related to health care. It’s worth noting what this ad doesn’t emphasize. Although an image of Prime Minister Trudeau appears in the background of the ad, Trudeau is not narrating, his name is not spoken, and credit is given to the “Liberal Team.”
Even if the ad doesn’t move a single vote, its mere presence may give Liberal MPs some peace of mind.
Can Prime Minister Trudeau connect the dots?
Any leader contesting a fourth election will have to contend with some degree of backlash. The Liberal Party is not the first party to face this fact. In 2015, the Conservative Party ran an ad in which women acknowledged that Stephen Harper was “not perfect.”
The backlash was deeply personal because so much of Trudeau’s rise and victory in 2015 hinged on who he was and what he stood for: the power of his personality and his name. That’s not surprising. But even if flag-wavers are still in the minority, the available evidence suggests that fatigue with the prime minister is widespread. According to the latest research, Abacus data Studies suggest that only 23 per cent of Canadians have a positive impression of Prime Minister Trudeau, while 60 per cent have a negative one.
in analysis Abacus’ David Collette, in an article published in July, said Trudeau’s best hope for regaining his standing was in part because he was “disappointed” by some of Trudeau’s past actions. He argued that the focus should be on voters. Collett suggested that this requires acknowledging that disappointment (perhaps the Liberals could run an ad acknowledging that Trudeau isn’t perfect).
This week’s issue: The Bloc Quebecois threatens to topple the Liberals as the party sidesteps demands for a secret vote on Trudeau’s leadership. Canada is watching closely as Americans begin preparing to choose their next president. Additionally, Doug Ford plans to send a check for $200.
Ann Angus Reid Institute poll A paper published this week suggests that up to 55 per cent of Canadians are considering voting Liberal at least in the next election (almost in line with the proportion considering voting Conservative or NDP). ). Keen observers will note that only 19 percent of respondents currently support the ruling party.
In an interview with Village Media, Trudeau was asked about his party’s vote tally, and he recalled 2015, when the Liberals entered the election in third place. He acknowledged that Canadians were “more naturally optimistic in 2015,” and cited the Conservative leader’s ability to capture and channel public disillusionment with Pierre Poièvre. I praised him from behind. Trudeau reiterated that what’s important is the ability to propose solutions.
However, Prime Minister Trudeau ultimately The next election will be a choice — and based on the belief that Canadians have not yet begun to think about that choice.
“No matter how much I talk about it, no matter how much I point out that a million Canadians are getting dental care, no matter how much I point out that electric cars are coming off the assembly line in Canada, especially in Ontario,” Trudeau said. said. “People still haven’t been able to connect the dots: ‘What are we at risk of losing in the next election? What are we likely to win and gain in the next election?’ ”
Trudeau wants to ask himself why his government isn’t receiving more recognition on these counts, and why members of his caucus felt they should publicly voice doubts about his ability to reconnect with voters. You may be thinking.
Prime Minister Trudeau seems to be betting that once voters connect the dots, they will find that he, or at least the “Liberal team”, is still the best choice. Strictly speaking, he doesn’t even need a majority of Canadians, silent or otherwise, to decide that.
The risk for Trudeau and the Liberals is that the leaders and teams that got the Liberals into this hole may not be equipped to pull them out of it. There may be a silent majority behind the waving flag, but too many voters are ignoring their complaints about Trudeau and failing to see what he’s trying to get them to understand. Maybe.
