Preston Manning and the Sad State of the Trump Cons

For years, during the dark days of the Harper regime, the Manning Centre Conference was an event where the Cons went to brag about how they were changing Canada beyond recognition.

And building a New Conservative Movement that would rule this country for a generation.

But not any longer. 

Now that the Cons have hit rock bottom, so has the Manning Conference.



For all you have to do is look at that ad, and then look at the list of speakers.

And it's obvious that the conference is a gathering of second-rate right-wing extremists and would be Trumpanzees.

With the parson Manning looking even more like a snake oil salesman than usual...



And at a time when the Con leadership race is a ghastly horror show, even the Con-friendly Andrew Coyne can see the writing on the wall. 

What, in fact, is on the agenda? There’s a session on Islamist extremism; another session on Islamist extremism; a session asking whether Trumpism can be exported to Canada, featuring a Trump campaign adviser; a session on how campus conservatives are being censored; another session on campus censorship; a session on the media; a session on the CBC (“Time to pull the plug?”).

Indeed, there’s also a session entitled “Down with the Elites? Understanding the rise in anti-establishment sentiment,” featuring inter alia that voice of introspection and understanding, Doug Ford.

Ford is not the only conference speaker with a decidedly populist tilt. There’s a Brexit campaigner, a talk-radio host, the editor of the Toronto Sun, even a Rebel commentator or two, all capped by a session with the original bad-boy provocateur himself, Mark Steyn.

Or the dark road ahead.

For any conference where you have to pay to hear Doug Ford speak, isn't much of a conference.

But is one that could have been organized by the Rebel Commander himself...



So it seems only fitting that Kevin O'Leary should hold a get together in Ottawa last night, and end up tweeting out this...



Which is either the view from his house in Boston, or the internationally recognized sign of distress.

And really who can blame him eh?

The Trump Cons, still not a Canadian party.

And still heading for oblivion...