Image Credit: Mel Rothenburger

By Mel Rothenburger

ARMCHAIR MAYOR

ROTHENBURGER: Scheer proves he can bring out a crowd during Kamloops stop

Jul 2, 2019 | 10:36 PM

KAMLOOPS — THE KAMLOOPS SUNSHINE smiled on Andrew Scheer and the Conservatives yesterday. Three hundred and fifty people exchanged donations for burgers and hotdogs and applauded as Scheer trashed Justin Trudeau and the Liberals.

The venue was convenient — the sun tents were still up at the bandshell in Riverside Park after Canada Day, the Rube Band was in fine form on stage and everybody was in a good mood.

Scheer’s speech got underway 20 minutes late but nobody seemed to mind. On television he comes across as awkward but in this kind of informal setting he connected with his audience. The Conservative leader scrummed with the local media afterward and even paused for a few selfies with the party faithful, a few of whom wore T-shirts that said “Make Trudeau a drama teacher again.”

While Scheer doesn’t have the charisma of Trudeau he showed he can bring out a crowd. That crowd was mostly older but it’s to be expected on a weekday morning — young Conservatives were probably at work.

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Scheer spoke of the “positive Conservative vision” for the country. I’m not sure what that means but I think it’s supposed to conjure a vision of Conservatives as upbeat with a plan.

He mentioned his national energy corridor — a concept that looks good on paper and ends there. He spoke of thinking big and building big. He even took a poke at himself when he said people tell him not to smile so much.

But there’s much for Conservatives to smile about these days, he said. The party is riding high in the polls.

Most of all, they have Justin Trudeau to smile about. He’s given them a good political target, and Andrew Scheer was happy to take some target practice in Kamloops yesterday.

I’m Mel Rothenburger, the Armchair Mayor.

Mel Rothenburger is a former mayor of Kamloops and newspaper editor. He publishes the ArmchairMayor.ca opinion website, and is a director on the Thompson-Nicola Regional District board. He can be reached at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.

Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or the Jim Pattison Broadcast Group.