Who will replace Harper?

[Loco101]

Originally Posted by ssiguy

I think the Tories may be leaning towards a woman from the East. They need to win the East to not only get the votes but to reassure Easterners that the Conservatives have not recoiled back into a Western based party. The Tories have also got to get more women votes as their voter base is highly warped with men over 55.

That would be a good move for the CPC. I do feel that the next CPC leader might be a Quebecker. The only weird thing is that all three main parties' leaders would be representing ridings from Quebec unless Mulcair doesn't stay on. And if the new CPC leader does not currently hold a seat he/she might have to run in a by-election outside her/his province. It's happened before. Mulroney from Quebec did it in Nova Scotia and Chretien also from Quebec did it in New Brunswick after becoming party leader. Safe CPC seats do exist in a small pocket of Quebec, rural Southern Ontario and all of the western provinces.

[Docere]

Originally Posted by GernB

I really, really hope Charest doesn't run. No retreads please.

Would never happen. The CPC membership would not get behind a former Liberal premier of Quebec.

[Docere]

Originally Posted by PoscStudent

People considered Harper to be very right wing and he turned out to be quite successful at the ballot box. And there are socially conservative MPs in Ontario just as there are in western Canada. It's ridiculous to say that a Western Canadian shouldn't be the next leader because they're too right wing and can't appeal to most voters. Michelle Rempel is a western Canadian MP who seems to be considering a bid, she seems quite progressive when it comes to social issues.

I say let the best person win no matter where they are from.

Not to mention Harper is from Leaside.

[Airboy]

Joe Clark was not a Very Right Wing person. It was only when the Reform came about that we started to see More far right candidates running. Even during the Laugheed and Getty years the PCs were more Left of Centre. We just tent to remember the more radical elements in each party.

And Ontario has its share of Conservative thinkers. Remember the areas outside of the GTA are quite Blue. The next leader of the conservatives will be more centrist, and will need to temper the more radical elements if they want to get in again.

[Docere]

Originally Posted by Airboy

Joe Clark was not a Very Right Wing person. It was only when the Reform came about that we started to see More far right candidates running. Even during the Laugheed and Getty years the PCs were more Left of Centre. We just tent to remember the more radical elements in each party.

They were always there. While Mulroney had a lot of urban social liberals in his caucus, there were plenty of social conservatives from the Prairies and rural Ontario. They didn't just pop out of nowhere in 1993 with the Reform Party.

And Ontario has its share of Conservative thinkers. Remember the areas outside of the GTA are quite Blue. The next leader of the conservatives will be more centrist, and will need to temper the more radical elements if they want to get in again.

Like Larry Miller and Cheryl Gallant?

I don't think southern Ontario rural Tories are particularly "red."

[MonctonRad]

Draft Ben!!

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

Draft Ben!!

Who wants to be that Ben Mulroney voted Liberal on Oct. 19? Betcha his dad did too!

[MonctonRad]

Peter MacKay leads Conservative leadership poll, again
Just like a decade ago, the former Nova Scotia MP tops a list of potential replacements for Stephen Harper
By Éric Grenier, for CBC News Posted: Dec 07, 2015 12:59 PM ET Last Updated: Dec 07, 2015 4:00 PM ET
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/gren...poll-1.3353882

This Abacus poll suggests that amongst all Canadians, these are the leading candidates to lead the Conservative Party:

Peter MacKay - 31%
Jean Charest - 15%
Jason Kenney - 10%
Lisa Raitt - 10%
Brad Wall - 9%

Amongst self identified Conservative supporters, the leading candidates are:

Peter MacKay - 35%
Brad Wall - 17%
Jason Kenney - 12%
Jean Charest - 10%

Mackay seems to have broad support across the country. Also, people were asked if they would consider voting for the Conservative Party if Peter MacKay was the leader and 47% said they would.

MacKay might be the consensus candidate to bring the Tories back........

[Nouvellecosse]

Among those, I think I like Charest the best. But MacKay is a strong second.

[Procrastinational]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

Peter MacKay - 31%
Jean Charest - 15%

Great to see the top two being former Progressive Conservatives.

[lio45]

Did Charest express intent to run?!?!?

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by lio45

Did Charest express intent to run?!?!?

No I don't think so, and neither has MacKay (for the record), but I have no doubt that MacKay will run. That's the main reason why he quit before the election - to avoid being tarnished by Harper's brush.

[travis3000]

^ I'm not too familiar with MacKay's policy. What does he stand for? Is he more liberal then Harper? I like how he has PC roots and not Reform. That right there could persuade me to possibly cast a vote for him. I do think that's the direction the Conservatives need to go though.

[ssiguy]

Kind of stupid time for a poll when no one has declared they are running.

I think MacKay would be a real mistake for the Tories. He proved himself quite incompetent in the files he was given and had no trouble joining the rates fleeing the ship when things started going south for the Conservatives.

Even though he is more socially moderate he showed he was more than willing to throw those values aside when Harper demanded it such as the Prostitution Law which not only was incredibly regressive but also showed complete contempt for the Supreme Court decision that struck down the old one in the first place.

He is very much seen as being in the Harper camp and Harper is someone the Tories want to put behind them. Harper alienated even more centre-right voters and those are votes they must get back and MacKay isn't a big enough change for voters to see him as more of the same.

A woman from Central Canada is what Tories need because she can play to the votes that the Tories need to ever get back in power..........Central Canada and women.

[jmt18325]

Originally Posted by ssiguy

I think MacKay would be a real mistake for the Tories. He proved himself quite incompetent in the files he was given

Did he? Harper was the one running the whole show, from what it seemed.

[eternallyme]

They have to be careful not to alienate the western/Reform base though. The Liberals will have guaranteed wins ad nauseum if the Reform Party is reborn.

[Loco101]

The only people from the past government who I thought might have a chance is Shelly Glover or Maxime Bernier.

I just can't see Peter MacKay becoming leader because his French is very poor. If he was bilingual then I'd say he is the front-runner. MacKay would become another Robert Stanfield if he became leader.

Jean Charest wouldn't run because he is not a popular name in Quebec. I like him a lot but just can't see him getting support from the current CPC.

Jason Kenney burned his bridges with Ontarians.

Who else is there.....John Baird is a Progressive Conservative, bilingual.

[O-tacular]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

Draft Ben!!

Nnnnnoooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[O-tacular]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

Peter MacKay leads Conservative leadership poll, again
Just like a decade ago, the former Nova Scotia MP tops a list of potential replacements for Stephen Harper
By Éric Grenier, for CBC News Posted: Dec 07, 2015 12:59 PM ET Last Updated: Dec 07, 2015 4:00 PM ET
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/gren...poll-1.3353882

This Abacus poll suggests that amongst all Canadians, these are the leading candidates to lead the Conservative Party:

Peter MacKay - 31%
Jean Charest - 15%
Jason Kenney - 10%
Lisa Raitt - 10%
Brad Wall - 9%

Amongst self identified Conservative supporters, the leading candidates are:

Peter MacKay - 35%
Brad Wall - 17%
Jason Kenney - 12%
Jean Charest - 10%

Mackay seems to have broad support across the country. Also, people were asked if they would consider voting for the Conservative Party if Peter MacKay was the leader and 47% said they would.

MacKay might be the consensus candidate to bring the Tories back........

Jean Charest is a Conservative? When did that happen?

[O-tacular]

Originally Posted by Loco101

The only people from the past government who I thought might have a chance is Shelly Glover or Maxime Bernier.

I just can't see Peter MacKay becoming leader because his French is very poor. If he was bilingual then I'd say he is the front-runner. MacKay would become another Robert Stanfield if he became leader.

Jean Charest wouldn't run because he is not a popular name in Quebec. I like him a lot but just can't see him getting support from the current CPC.

Jason Kenney burned his bridges with Ontarians.

Who else is there.....John Baird is a Progressive Conservative, bilingual.

First off do you forget how bad Harper's French was before becoming PM? Even after it was nothing to write home about. Don't forget about 'les erections federales'.

Second: what did Kenney do to alienate Ontarians? Genuinely curious as I hadn't heard this before.