COMMENTARY: Campaigns matter (until they dont) – National [Video]

There is a sacred mantra in Canadian politics: campaigns matter. You hear it from pundits, professors, and the guy at the back of your local Tim Hortons who thinks he’s David Akin with a double double.

And most of the time, they’re right.

But not in the way they used to be.

If the old rules still applied in 2025, Pierre Poilievre and the Conservatives would already be measuring the drapes in the Prime Minister’s Office. By every traditional measure, they’ve run the kind of campaign that should end in a majority. The ads have been sharp and relentless. The message has been disciplined. The tour has been gaffe-free and scandal-proof. And the crowds? Massive. These aren’t polite gatherings of party loyalists. They’re political rallies with the energy of a Tragically Hip show. The kind that makes other leaders nervous.

Meanwhile, Mark Carney and the Liberals are offering a campaign that, if we’re being generous, could be described as restrained. If we’re …