This is an opinion editorial by Jesse Willms, a Canadian Bitcoin reporter.
In a stunning win, Pierre Poilievre received 68% of the first ballot points to become the leader of Canadas Conservative Party, becoming the first outspoken Bitcoiner to do so.
The win not only exceeded the wildest expectation of the Poilievre campaign, but with the notable exception of the 2013 leadership race that elected Justin Trudeau as Liberal leader it ranks as one of the most commanding leadership victories among any major party in Canadian history, the National Post noted.
It was only a day after being elected leader of Canadas Conservative Party that Poilievre sustained his first attack from Canadas current prime minister, Justin Trudeau. Likely referring to Poilievres support of Bitcoin as irresponsible, Trudeau tweeted:
Weve made every effort to work with all Parliamentarians over the years, and well continue to do so. But well also call out questionable, reckless economic ideas because Canadians deserve responsible leadership. Telling people they can opt out of inflation by investing in cryptocurrencies is not responsible leadership.
Although its clear that theres a no-holds-barred, knock-down, drag-'em-out fight coming between Poilievre and Trudeau, the exact timing is unclear.
Prime Minister Trudeau is doubtlessly getting lots of advice on when to go to the polls. If he chooses to sooner rather than later exercising his power to call a federal election before the October 4, 2025 deadline, per the Canada Elections Act the stream of scandals that has followed him could come to a quicker end. And if the vote comes sooner rather than later, Trudeau could avoid having to go before a judicial inquiry on his use of the Emergencies Act to control what turned out to be a peaceful protest.
Its generally considered better for incumbents to call elections when the economy is on the mend and inflation is going down, but those trends may be hard to predict. In any case, the Liberals have a deal with the socialist NDP for support on any no-confidence votes until Spring 2025, if they need to use it.
Trudeau may decide to wait to call an election, as he may believe theres a possibility that Canadians could tire of Poilievre and his members of parliament.
No matter when the vote is called, in my opinion, the winner will likely be Poilievre.
Canadian federal politics isnt always a race for the centre, but it usually is, noted national newspaper The Globe And Mail. Mr. Poilievre got to be leader by unabashedly aiming for something other than a moderate middle. Unlike his predecessor Erin OToole, he has given every sign thats where he plans to continue to reside.
Conventional wisdom suggests that the majority of Canadians are moderate, middle of the road voters and so it only makes sense for political parties to aim for the middle. All parties reason that hugging the political center as much as possible, and thus matching opinion polling data, is the strategically smart thing to do.
With his resounding win, Poilievre has ignored the polling data and simply gone for a program, which includes bitcoin adoption, that he believes in, giving voters something to aspire to.
Poilievre ran on a campaign of freedom from government, but also on free money that people should be free to invest in and use bitcoin has been his position.
The campaign timing of the six-month campaign from March to September coincided with a slide in the price of bitcoin that opponents have used to paint Poilievre as irresponsible (in a televised debate, one leadership rival accused him of deceiving vulnerable seniors who stood to lose money from his advice).
Against advice from party members, Poilievre, to his credit, never waivered, despite taking a battering from conservatives who felt that they could easily win without complicating things with bitcoin, especially in the current bear market. (Even the most dedicated bitcoiner might say, well maybe this isn't the time or place.)
He has refused to equivocate and this may have earned him respect with potential voters who are thinking that they might not agree with him, but at least he sticks to his guns.
Conservative party organizers were more than surprised by the thousands of young people who took out memberships and voted for Poilievre.
Canadian politics, as in many countries, is typically for retirees with lots of time on their hands and is the last place youd expect to find crowds of young people.
A source close to the Poilievre campaign remains surprised to see that Poilievres social media engagement translated into real-life interactions especially with a younger age group.
Polls in recent months have been showing that younger voters have been increasingly abandoning the Liberals for the Conservatives for the first time, even before Poilievre became the Conservative leader.
I think were just scratching the surface on how his ability to access young people ultimately contributed to his victory, said Michael Solberg, partner at Canadian public relations firm New West Public Affairs, per the National Post. His digital media game is stronger than even the prime ministers and the government of Canada, with all of their resources and their money.
Canadian federal politics is complicated by the fact that many votes come from francophones living in Quebec, meaning that it's not impossible, but is unlikely, that a unilingual candidate could win in that province.
Although he grew up in Alberta, Poilievre, with a francophone name, is fluent in French, almost a requirement to win a nationwide vote in Canada.
Despite not being from Quebec, Poilievre won the majority of votes in Quebec and stands to win big in any future election.
Its hard to picture a scenario where the Liberal party can recover its previous lead in the polls. Even without the acrimony around the truckers convoy and questions about the use of the Emergencies Act, the upcoming campaign will be the fourth in a row for Trudeau.
The next campaign will almost certainly be Trudeaus last. History suggests it will be an uphill battle. Sir Wilfrid Laurier was the last incumbent prime minister to secure a fourth consecutive term (in 1917), said one observer.
The NDP is generally seen as the party of the working class but fundraising is suggesting a shift in support among some working Canadians.
According to some observers, by making a deal with Trudeau to keep the government in power until 2025, the NDP leader has sealed his own and likely his partys fate in any upcoming vote.
Alienation from Central Canada has been growing in Canadas Western provinces, particularly in Alberta, which has its own political party running for independence from Canada.
Because of Poilievres support for the truckers convoy and the perception that the Trudeau Liberals are a party of Eastern Canada, there was probably more than the usual amount of interest from Western Canada in the recent campaign.
Western voters showed an almost unprecedented interest in the recent vote and that will likely continue into the next federal election.
In politics, as in life, the obvious strategy isnt necessarily the winning one.
By taking the high road instead of the middle of the road and running on what he believes in, Poilievre is upending the normal in Canadian politics.
How will this affect the outcome of the upcoming federal election?
In my opinion, it would be safe to bet your bitcoin on Poilievre.
This is a guest post by Jesse Willms. Opinions expressed are entirely their own and do not necessarily reflect those of BTC Inc or Bitcoin Magazine.
View post:
Pierre Poilievre Will Be Canadas First Bitcoin Prime Minister - Bitcoin Magazine
- Drake Just Lost $500,000 in Bitcoin Betting on the NBA Finals - Decrypt - June 18th, 2024
- Bitcoin Plunges to $65K, Altcoins Bleed 10%-20% as Week Turns Ugly - CoinDesk - June 18th, 2024
- Should You Buy Bitcoin While It's Less Than $70,000? - The Motley Fool - June 18th, 2024
- First Bitcoin ETF to List on Australia's Bourse in Global Wave - Bloomberg - June 18th, 2024
- Bitcoin Move on the Horizon Following Rare Quiet Period, According to On-Chain Analyst - The Daily Hodl - June 18th, 2024
- $66K BTC price now 'critical' 5 things to know in Bitcoin this week - Cointelegraph - June 18th, 2024
- Breaking Bitcoin with Casey Rodarmor - What Bitcoin Did - June 18th, 2024
- Why The U.S. Should Focus On Bitcoin Mining Policy - Forbes - June 18th, 2024
- Bitcoin, Dogecoin, and Ethereum Volatility Drive $290 Million in Liquidations - Decrypt - June 18th, 2024
- Trump says he wants all remaining Bitcoin to be made in the US - Reuters - June 18th, 2024
- T-Mobile owner Deutsche Telekom will soon mine Bitcoin in addition to running nodes - The Block - June 18th, 2024
- The Bitcoin Halving: Everything you need to know - Coinbase - June 18th, 2024
- Crypto-Breakthrough Bill Could See Bitcoin, Ethereum, and BlockDAG Network Prices Skyrocket Very Soon - Yahoo Finance - June 18th, 2024
- Ethereum poised to 50% surge this year against Bitcoin Fractal analysis - Cointelegraph - June 18th, 2024
- Bitcoin nears $65,000 as the selling pressure continues - ForexLive - June 18th, 2024
- Bitcoin Price Falls Below $66,000, Bond Yields Weigh. Ether Awaits Crypto ETFs. - Barron's - June 18th, 2024
- Donald Trump wants US to rule Bitcoin mining industry - Cointelegraph - June 18th, 2024
- How This Bitcoin Developer Lost 25,000 BTC - BeInCrypto - June 18th, 2024
- MicroStrategy Increases Convertible Note Offering by 40% to $700M in Bitcoin Splurge - CoinDesk - June 18th, 2024
- Bitcoin Mining Cost At $86,700: Price To Surpass This Soon? - NewsBTC - June 18th, 2024
- 3 reasons why Bitcoin analysts believe BTC price recovery is overdue - Cointelegraph - June 18th, 2024
- Analysts Predict BTC Hitting $200,000 Next Year and $1 Million by 2033 'We Believe Bitcoin Is in a New Bull Cycle ... - Bitcoin.com News - June 18th, 2024
- Leak Reveals Joe Biden Could Be Planning A Crypto Coup Amid Bitcoin, Ethereum And XRP Price Swings - Forbes - June 18th, 2024
- Drake on Brink of $1M Bitcoin Loss as NHL and NBA Bets Sour - CoinDesk - June 18th, 2024
- Bitcoin, Binance, Ethereum, Solana, and Ripple: The Biggest Crypto News of the Past Week - Cointribune EN - June 18th, 2024
- Bitcoin price pressured by whales, long-term holders, and miners: Bitfinex - Crypto Briefing - June 18th, 2024
- Michael Saylor Reacts to Bitcoin Dropping Below $67,000 by Sharing Crucial Advice - U.Today - June 18th, 2024
- Top 3 Price Prediction Bitcoin, Ethereum, Ripple: Bitcoin retesting its major resistance level - FXStreet - June 18th, 2024
- Donald Trump Speaks On Bitcoin Mining, Wants 'All The Remaining Bitcoin To Be Made In The USA' - Benzinga - June 18th, 2024
- Almost $500M in Liquidations as Bitcoin (BTC) Dumped to $64K and Alts Bled Out - CryptoPotato - June 18th, 2024
- Top 3 Price Prediction Bitcoin, Ethereum, Ripple: BTC likely to take markets on a rollercoaster - FXStreet - June 10th, 2024
- Bitcoin in the red to end the week after better-than-expected May jobs report - CNBC - June 10th, 2024
- Bitcoin Could Lift to $83K in the Coming Days, Analyst Says - CoinDesk - June 10th, 2024
- Best Places to Buy Bitcoin in 2024 - The Motley Fool - June 10th, 2024
- Bitcoin to reach $150,000 if Trump wins presidency: Standard Chartered - CNBC - June 10th, 2024
- Report: Speculation Returns as Bitcoin Market Shows Signs of Recovery Market Updates Bitcoin News - Bitcoin.com News - June 10th, 2024
- Bitcoin And The Future Of The Lightning Network - Forbes - June 10th, 2024
- Bitcoin Braced To Go 'Parabolic' After 'Amazing' 2017 Price Breakout Repeat - Forbes - June 10th, 2024
- Is Bitcoin On Track to Make a Big Move and Hit $100,000 in 2024? - The Motley Fool - June 10th, 2024
- Bitcoin network transaction fees temporarily soar to nearly $52 - Cointelegraph - June 10th, 2024
- XRP Reached Multi-Month Low, Solana (SOL) on Strongest Support, Bitcoin (BTC) Price Drop Is Better Than You Think - U.Today - June 10th, 2024
- Bitcoin Dips Below $70K, Reaches $68450 Low, $86M in BTC Longs Liquidated Markets and Prices Bitcoin News - Bitcoin.com News - June 10th, 2024
- Demand Growth for Bitcoin Surges: What Does This Mean? - CryptoPotato - June 10th, 2024
- First Mover Americas: Bitcoin Futures Positions Top Record $37B as Analysts Predict Bitcoin Surge to $83K - CoinDesk - June 10th, 2024
- Crypto for Advisors: Layer 2s and the Evolution of Bitcoin - CoinDesk - June 10th, 2024
- Bitcoin Wyckoff pattern eyes $85K, but BTC price must close the week above this level first - Cointelegraph - June 10th, 2024
- Visualizing the 15 Most Valuable Bitcoin Addresses - Visual Capitalist - June 10th, 2024
- First Mover Americas: Bitcoin Fluctuates Around $71K, Consolidating This Week's Rally - CoinDesk - June 10th, 2024
- Bitcoin, Ethereum, and XRP Price Prediction: Will Bulls Make A Comeback This Week? - Coinpedia Fintech News - June 10th, 2024
- Bitcoin volatility hovering within 6% of record low levels - Cointelegraph - June 10th, 2024
- Why Did the Bitcoin Price Crash Below $70K and is the Bleeding Over? (Bitcoin Price Analysis) - CryptoPotato - June 10th, 2024
- Bitcoin Halving: How It Works And Why It Matters - Forbes - June 10th, 2024
- Mexican Billionaire Says to Buy Bitcoin, Musk vs. Nakamoto, and More Week in Review The Weekly Bitcoin News - Bitcoin.com News - June 10th, 2024
- Bitcoin: Etfs Accumulate 19 Consecutive Days Of Inflows! Ibit Leading The Way! - Cointribune EN - June 10th, 2024
- From AI to Bitcoin Mining: Heres a Timeline of Tethers Latest Investments - CryptoPotato - June 10th, 2024
- Forget Bitcoin: 3 Cryptocurrencies to Consider Instead - The Motley Fool - June 10th, 2024
- Key Reason Why Bitcoin Price Has Not Topped $70K Named by Top Trader - U.Today - June 10th, 2024
- Standard Chartered Sees Bitcoin Soaring to $150,000 by Year-End If Trump Wins Presidency - Yahoo Finance - June 10th, 2024
- Peter Brandt Predicts Bitcoin Bull Market With BTC Potentially Reaching $150000 Markets and Prices Bitcoin News - Bitcoin.com News - June 10th, 2024
- Polymarket Bets Show Growing Confidence in Trump's Election Victory Over Biden Bitcoin News - Bitcoin.com News - June 10th, 2024
- Bitcoin Tops $65,000 as Fund Inflows, Upcoming Halving Event Fuel RallyKey Level to Watch - Investopedia - March 5th, 2024
- Coinbase Stock Jumps. A Bitcoin, Crypto Frenzy Is Fueling Its Rally. - Barron's - March 5th, 2024
- Bitcoin Tops $67,000 on ETF-Led Demand Even With GBTC Outflows - Yahoo Finance - March 5th, 2024
- Bitcoin Has $70,000 In Its Sights: Stocks to Watch - Yahoo Finance - March 5th, 2024
- Are The Bitcoin ETFs Eating Golds Lunch? - Forbes - March 5th, 2024
- BlackRock looking to include Bitcoin exposure in other funds - CryptoSlate - March 5th, 2024
- Bitcoin Price Explained: Why the Crypto Is Surging Back to All-Time Highs - Markets Insider - March 5th, 2024
- Bitcoin ETF snapshot: Record volumes lead to second-best weekly inflows - Blockworks - March 5th, 2024
- MicroStrategy to Offer $600 Million in Convertible Notes to Buy More Bitcoin - Bloomberg - March 5th, 2024
- US Government Continues Bitcoin Seizures, Controls Nearly 1% of Circulating Supply - Bitcoin Magazine - March 5th, 2024
- Bitcoin value climbs above $65000, one step from all-time record - Euronews - March 5th, 2024
- What's driving the bitcoin surge? Experts weigh in. - ABC News - March 5th, 2024
- Bitwise CIO Says Bitcoin Could Top $200K This Year Citing 'Too Much Demand, Not Enough Supply' Markets and ... - Bitcoin.com News - March 5th, 2024
- MicroStrategy will use proceeds from convertible note sale to add to bitcoin stash - Blockworks - March 5th, 2024
- Is the Bitcoin halving the right time to invest in BTC? - Cointelegraph - March 5th, 2024
- These multi-billion-dollar banks are joining the bitcoin fray as price breaks $67000 - TheStreet - March 5th, 2024
- An Interesting (and Cheaper) Way to Play Bitcoin - RealMoney - March 5th, 2024
- Restricting access to growing bitcoin ETFs becoming 'hard to justify' - Blockworks - March 5th, 2024
- Bitcoin (BTC) Price To Hit New ATH in Next Few Hours, What To Expect Next? - Coinpedia Fintech News - March 5th, 2024
- Its Happening!Huge Mystery Whale And Sudden $65,000 Bitcoin Price Surge Fuels Secret Sovereign Bid And Tech Billionaire Predictions - Forbes - March 5th, 2024