Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has never had a comfortable relationship with mass media. While the video of Poilievre last October
dismissive… Meanwhile, he received further criticism when he prevented reporters from traveling on the
Currently, five Conservative candidates have been removed from the race, four of them due to past comments on social media or podcasts. The candidates’ controversial comments were missed during the party vetting process, but they did not escape media scrutiny as the election progressed. The removal of candidates during a campaign is never ideal, but it is better for it to happen early on to allow time for replacement and for the furor to c…
The
deadline for candidates to participate in the federal election is the afternoon of April 7. If a party expels a candidate after that date, they cannot be replaced. Therefore, parties will be more cautious about disassociating themselves from controversial candidates, as any scandals post-deadline could significantly harm the party’s image.
A party’s aim is to remove problematic candidates sooner rather than later, as waiting until after the nomination deadline can maximize harm to the party. Social media has revolutionized campaigns and candidate assessment, making it easier to research candidates’ backgrounds and track their words and actions. Cancel culture has been empowered by social media, extending the life of controversies for candidates.
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Indeed,
Gunn has come under fire for his controversial postings regarding residential schools. Poilievre faces pressure regarding Gunn’s candidacy, but has not yet removed him. Gunn has issued a
statement expressing sympathy for residential school survivors, but has not retracted his previous statements. Removing Gunn from the B.C. United Party leadership race did not end well for Kevin Falcon, putting Poilievre in a difficult situation.
Candidates with a public profile bring political advantages but also come with baggage. Strategies must be devised to address historical statements made by candidates, as it is challenging to find someone without any social media history. Centralized communications help mitigate risks but may hinder local campaigning efforts by candidates.
In the final weeks of the campaign, the Conservative Party must stay on-message and handle potential candidate controversies effectively to avoid campaign setbacks.
Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
