He’s not Trump
If the Conservative party chooses Kevin O’Leary as its leader it should be based on his business mojo and not his celebrity status. Often referred to as “Canada’s Trump,” O’Leary, who officially entered the race to become Conservative leader, has nowhere near the fame of his U.S. counterpart.
In the 1980s, Donald Trump was a playboy, providing fodder for the New York tabloids throughout the decade. He was a best-selling author. He dated super-models. His mug was all over television. We knew him, or at least thought we knew him.
Just when we almost had enough of him, along came The Apprentice, a skillfully-edited reality show which for several years topped the Nielsen ratings. Although it followed every cliche of reality television, nothing like The Apprentice had ever been seen before by North American audiences.
With Trump controlling final edit of The Apprentice he was portrayed as a knowledgeable, calm, deep-thinking and kind businessman who valued the opinions of those around him.
By comparison, O’Leary is on Dragon’s Den, a show many Canadians have never seen. This led to an American spinoff, Shark Tank, which also includes O’Leary. He’s hardly Ryan Seacrest.
Trump offered shock value during the primaries and in his run for president. We can only hope it never gets to that in Canada.
There’s no question that, like Americans, Canadians now want name recognition in their politicians. Justin Trudeau certainly had it. Everyone had heard of Hillary Clinton. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jesse “The Body” Ventura and Sonny Bono were all elected to high offices in America.
One thing hurting NDP leader John Horgan here in B.C. is nobody knows who he is. If you ask 10 people walking into a WalMart who the leader of the provincial NDP is, would anyone know? Ditto for the names of the other Conservatives now challenging for the leadership.
In a field of a dozen-plus candidates all vying for the Tory’s top prize, nobody has risen to the forefront. Kevin O’Leary is definitely the most recognizable name. But he’s not a household name. The best bet for the Conservatives to take down the Liberals in 2020 would have been to amend its rules at take the word “interim” away from interim leader Rona Ambrose. Unfortunately, that’s not an option.
O’Leary’s not a household name like Donald Trump