I find it hard to imagine the PPC pulling in 8% of the vote under a CPC led by Skippy. They were only able to get ~5% with O'Toole and that was with ~10% of the population animated over vaccines etc..
Skippy is the overwhelming choice for leader among PPC voters. I don't think taking a pro-choice stance changes that. I think you're overestimating how much this is about issue positioning and underestimating how much is about vibes. They don't care about his platform, they care that he fights the establishment. And he plays that character a lot better than Bernier does.
Also, it's not as if the PPC has an explicit pro-life stance. Their official platform doesn't even take a position on it other than some vague nonsense about freedom of speech and open debate, which is pretty close to the position Skippy has articulated (he's pro-choice, won't introduce restrictions, but wouldn't block private members bills).
On guns and climate, I think he might be more vulnerable, but I think he overcomes it on personality, because I don't think populists care all that much about issue positioning. Not saying he wins, but I don't think he loses because he bleeds from his right. Trump was the least socially conservative person to ever run for president and won them overwhelmingly. He hated the right people. That's what mattered.
I find it hard to imagine the PPC pulling in 8% of the vote under a CPC led by Skippy. They were only able to get ~5% with O'Toole and that was with ~10% of the population animated over vaccines etc..
Skippy is the overwhelming choice for leader among PPC voters. I don't think taking a pro-choice stance changes that. I think you're overestimating how much this is about issue positioning and underestimating how much is about vibes. They don't care about his platform, they care that he fights the establishment. And he plays that character a lot better than Bernier does.
Also, it's not as if the PPC has an explicit pro-life stance. Their official platform doesn't even take a position on it other than some vague nonsense about freedom of speech and open debate, which is pretty close to the position Skippy has articulated (he's pro-choice, won't introduce restrictions, but wouldn't block private members bills).
On guns and climate, I think he might be more vulnerable, but I think he overcomes it on personality, because I don't think populists care all that much about issue positioning. Not saying he wins, but I don't think he loses because he bleeds from his right. Trump was the least socially conservative person to ever run for president and won them overwhelmingly. He hated the right people. That's what mattered.