Progressive Millennials are Invading the Conservative Party Leadership Race.

Is it Entryism or “real” Political Engagement? Who cares.

For Millennials, it often seems like politicians care more about their electability than our future. Issues like Climate Change, automation, and a runaway housing market continue to put the squeeze on a generation with an unemployment rate double the national average. And the bitter pinch of stagnating incomes despite supposedly strong economic growth continues to drive cynicism towards a political and economic system that leaves people, and the environment, behind.

Now, that system is at a crossroads. As Trudeau continues to retreat from his campaign promises, the Conservative Leadership Race enters its final month and party members are faced with a referendum on the direction of the Party.

One of these three is not like the others.

On one side, a B-List reality TV star turned political dilettante and 12 cookie-cutter conservative candidates continue their race to mainstream obsolescence by parroting Trump-style rhetoric and systematically alienating young people, immigrants, and millions of centrist swing voters. On the other side is Michael Chong and his rapidly growing national coalition of small-c progressive conservatives attracted by the simple idea that Conservatism doesn’t have to mean acting like a dick.

Michael’s Vision is for a country united behind the goal of addressing the challenges of the 21st Century.

Rather than misdirect the anger people feel about being left behind by the economy, Chong actually recognizes and proposes addressing the fact that people are being left behind by the economy. Rather than deny/ignore climate change, he proposes sensible market-based strategies to wean the economy off fossil fuels. And instead of breaking promises about fixing our democratic institutions, he just goes ahead and fixes our democratic institutions. He is, amazingly in this day and age, not just an effective politician but a bona fide visionary.

It’s an important distinction as we continue to see Trudeau pandering to millennials but abandoning them whenever it’s politically expedient. The carrot of legalized weed will only get you so far when you have a well-documented track record of shitting on those who elected you.

But amidst the CPC Leadership Race, it’s Chong’s vision for a fair future that has most profoundly resonated amongst Millennials. Sick of empty promises, it’s refreshing to see a guy whose track record shows he’s been fighting the good fight, often against his own party that doesn’t want to hear it, and he’s been winning.

While others in the race fight over who gets to lead, he leads.

A mild-mannered yet charismatic policy wonk who served as Cabinet Minister for Intergovernmental Affairs, Michael has become a media darling by doing something no other candidate in the race has done: Inspire.

It’s a good time for the podium industry

In what looks like an embarrassingly amateurish version of the 2016 Republican Primaries, Michael Chong sticks out. As the other candidates compete over who can say “LOWER TAXES, MORE JOBS, CANADA FIRST” the loudest, Michael lays out a thoroughly detailed series of carefully developed policy plans for fixing major contemporary challenges. Backed by wonky backgrounder papers that bear the endorsement of prominent economists and pundits, his website offers dramatically more policy detail than any other candidate (I’ve checked them all, it was tedious).

The only photo of Michael that doesn’t make him look like a dork.

Going into the May 27th vote, the Chong campaign is bolstered by party estimates that about 20% of the 70,000 new party members joined for him. Combine that with a strong existing base of support, ranked ballots, and growing sense of panic amongst insiders that hardcore conservatives are leading the party into oblivion and Chong’s path to victory becomes clear.

If elected CPC Leader, Michael Chong and a new friendlier Conservative Party would still have a long way to go in earning the trust/votes of progressive millennials. The direction Harper took the country in was resoundingly rejected in 2015. Now the party has to decide if it will stay on that hard-right path, go down the Trumpian alt-right rabbit hole, or go forward with a more modern and socially competent Conservatism. Either way, it’s time the party and the media begin to acknowledge that Canadians’ political positions don’t fall along a 2-Dimensional Left-Right spectrum. There are, in fact, millions of Canadians who believe in individual liberty, fair free markets, and progressive social values who are waiting for the Conservative Party to show up.