Poilievre has been at sea on the issue, but at the party convention he signalled a shift in his own strategic posture

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The main criticism of Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre’s convention speech on Friday was that in 40 minutes or so, he didn’t mention the words “Donald Trump” — or how he would respond to the president’s intimidation.

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On the contrary, though, I thought what he was saying was pretty clear: That he intends to follow in Prime Minister Mark Carney’s footsteps to the point where their positions are indistinguishable.

The Conservatives have likely concluded that the public see Carney as best equipped to handle the president, and their optimal strategy is to inoculate themselves, in the hope that by the time of the next election, Trump is like the measles, unpleasant but transitory.

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In political strategy it is called “triangulation”: the turning down of the volume on one’s........

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