"When Carney started kicking the Liberal Party's tires in late 2024, smart money was on Pierre Poilievre to win the next election. Poilievre had a double-digit lead in the polls, and Ottawa was bracing for the coming Tory revolution. Then came Donald Trump with his threat to break Canada's economy so we'd crawl to the United States-and his mutterings about forcibly annexing us and Greenland too. Canadians were looking to hire someone with the brains to take on the president. Someone credible and not weird."
"Why Carney won is clear. Who Carney is-less so. Canadians voted for a CV, not a biography. The Walrus ran a big feature on him in 2021, and a couple of decent magazine and newspaper profiles came out before the election, but Carney had no real face recognition outside the Ottawa bubble and the realms of high finance. His first big North American media moment was on Jon Stewart's The Daily Show in early January, coyly playing with the comedian about running for Liberal leadership."
Mark Carney's unexpected victory combined timing, credentials, and a reaction against populism. Pierre Poilievre led polls early, but Donald Trump's threats and rhetoric shifted voter priorities toward a leader with demonstrated competence in economics and international credibility. Voters sought someone credible, able to confront foreign threats and manage complex financial matters, favoring Carney's technocratic resume. Carney entered office with low public name recognition and limited personal biography in the public sphere. His media exposure before the campaign was minimal, with a notable appearance on The Daily Show, leaving many aspects of his background lightly vetted.
Read at The Walrus
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