Thursday, January 19, 2017

Will Canada's Tories Be Dumb Enough to Choose Kevin O'Leary?

If I were to describe a businessman/reality TV star with an abrasive manner and no previous political experience seeking the country's highest office you would probably think I'm talking about Donald Trump.

In most instances you would be correct. But in this instance I'm talking about Kevin O'Leary who wants to become Canada's next Prime Minister. Yesterday, he entered into the Conservative Party leadership race. People in this country will know O'Leary from the ABC TV show Shark Tank. But he is also a Canadian media figure with his appearances on Dragon's Den and the Lang & O'Leary Exchange both which aired on CBC.

O'Leary, of course, assures us that he is not Trump, but then basically proceeds to stay all of Canada's leaders are stupid and that he will hire the best people. Where have we heard that before?


I should mention that O'Leary lives in Boston. That the Tories would even consider O'Leary after they spent years excoriating the Liberals when they picked Michael Ignatieff, then a resident of Cambridge, Massachusetts, to be their leader is utterly precious. Perhaps the NDP should pick its next leader from somewhere in the vicinity of the 128/95 corridor. 

Let's suppose the Tories choose O'Leary. I can't see him beating Justin Trudeau. Not after one term in office. If Canadian voters think O'Leary bears any resemblance to Trump they will close ranks behind Trudeau. For his part, O'Leary says the Tories can fire him if he can't lead the Tories to a majority government in the 2019 election. Of course, he could change his mind, but I can't see him sticking around for the long haul attending rubber chicken dinners in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan.

On the other hand, I could be wrong about O'Leary. I was wrong about Trump. If I am wrong about O'Leary then Canadians will be no further position to criticize Americans for electing Trump. And the Americans who fled to Canada because of Trump will have to pick their poison.

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