The Maclean's Debate

The Maclean’s/CityTV leaders’ debate was painful to watch; it was, of course, all cant crafted to mislead, not a true debate. One never heard a new idea: just slogans like “more money in the pockets of…” “tax cuts are only for the rich,” “we must invest in …” and so forth. But that is a given in Canadian politics; these events are beauty contests, not debates. Who do you think would be more welcome in your living room every evening, via TV or YouTube? That is the issue.

On that score, it may have been a big win for Andrew Scheer. His consistent, calm tone came across well. At the same time, he did not look like a pushover, as I feared. “I listened to you,” objected Singh at one point. “Now let me speak.” “I wasn’t telling lies,” Scheer responded. Just enough iron under the velvet. By comparison, Singh or May seemed a bit like yapping puppies. May broke through with flashes of sincerity; she sounded real, for example, when she said she could not find any way to pay for a promise of universal dental care. But she was also heavy on the cornball slogans: “let’s all sing kumbaya!” “Like Charlie McCarthy to Donald Trump.” Maybe corny enough to be a bit endearing, actually. A bit like Biden’s appeal as everybody’s dotty uncle; May is everybody’s dotty aunt.

It is surprising, on its face, that Trudeau did not show. As Andrew Coyne has pointed out, that is a strategy that makes sense for a clear front-runner—why risk making a mistake, and why give the others the exposure?

But that does not apply here. The polls show Trudeau and Scheer neck and neck. And Twitter trends suggest a lot of people were watching.

I suspect the true answer is that Trudeau, personally, has lost his nerve. I have suspected this in his other recent decisions, since the SNC-Lavalin affair broke. He is just holding himself together.