Co-written by Aaron Binder and Nicholas Tsergas The world has changed much in recent years and perhaps none more so than this year on January 20, the inauguration of U.S. President Donald Trump. During the recent American election cycle, many Canadians observed from the sidelines -- at first with chuckles when Donald Trump entered the Republican primary. Chuckles soon turned to nervous laughter, and in the election's closing days finally devolved into shrill cries of "But don't they know about Rob Ford?!" The Trump situation takes place within its unique American context and many Canadians are assured that We The North are immune from the ideological virus of radical right-wing populism. Yet the savvy political observer can easily detect the toxic symptoms of this aggressive strain of New Republicanism creeping north into dinner-table conversations, Facebook fights and the shaky belief structures of our collective angry uncle populace.

Conservative leadership candidate Kellie Leitch. (Photo: Liam Richards/CP) Canada has done relatively well with its political discourse for quite some time, and regardless of political leanings most Canadians would be hard-pressed to say we've ever had a truly horrendous prime minister. Yet, as radical populism runs amok in America, similar sentiments threaten to gain a foothold in Canada while, infuriatingly, the same people that chuckled before at Rob Ford and then Donald Trump are now chuckling again -- having clearly learned nothing and taking comfort in a smug sense of intellectual superiority over those who sympathize with the much-derided alt-right. In their infinite arrogance, the Chuckling Left are presently resting assured that radical populist politics will not gain traction here in Canada. Enter the Conservative Party of Canada, currently in the throes of a leadership race punctuated by one-dimensional stabs at relevance from Kellie Leitch, a Where's Waldo search for half the candidates, and the recent addition of a half-American, half-shark business person. It may not seem as farcical as the American election, but by Canadian standards this stuff is worthy of the Chicken Cannon.

Conservative leadership candidate Maxime Bernier. (Photo: Chris Wattie/Reuters) As the leadership race begins to enter mainstream Canadian consciousness, it is easy to tell which candidates have toured the country, hearing the concerns of diverse communities across Canada, and which candidates have not. Michael Chong and Maxime Bernier have both gained traction as strong candidates in polling, social media discourse and fundraising. Both men have also distanced themselves from the toxic politics of religious conservatives and instead have decided to run on platforms embracing economic conservatism, revitalized taxation policy and next-generation leadership. While both of these candidates should be lauded for eschewing the rhetoric-based campaign styles of their competitors, unfortunately Chong has run a campaign far too Ontario-centric to garner the Canada-wide support necessary to be a truly viable candidate. If radical populism in the Conservative Party is left unchecked, it threatens to overtake meaningful and nuanced candidates. If this were a regular leadership race, it probably would come down to these two, but this election is more than simply choosing the next Conservative Party leader -- it represents a potentially massive shift in the party's policies and core platform due to the power vacuum still evident in the post-Harper era, and could reflect a similar ideological shift across the country if Conservatives can successfully depose Justin Trudeau in 2019. The threat of radical populism has also shown its ugly face during this leadership race, and that face is the dual-headed hydra of Kellie Leitch and Kevin O'Leary. The concern is that if radical populism in the Conservative Party is left unchecked, it threatens to overtake meaningful and nuanced candidates like Bernier and Chong. Which is why not just long-time card-carrying Conservatives -- but all Canadians bound by a sense of civic duty -- need to concern themselves with the process of choosing the next Conservative leader, regardless of personal political stances and beliefs.

Conservative leadership candidate Kevin O'Leary. (Photo: Paul Morigi/CNBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images) Policy substance in political discussions and debates needs to be considered, covered, and valued far, far above sloganized rhetoric, empty promises and the illusion of simple solutions to complex social problems. Bernier alone has been loud and clear in spreading his message to keep Canadian cultural values intact while invigorating the country's fiscal outlook with policies that will affect Canadians from all walks of life. This past week, Bernier released a speech targeted directly at the controversial equalization payments that have been a contentious point among residents of all provinces since their implementation in the 1950s. This represents a direct attack on business-as-usual in Ottawa with a level of policy substance not seen from most other candidates, creating an important distinction between Bernier and other candidates who focus on religious hot-points, their bald egos, and defending their roles and activities in the good ol' Harper glory days.