I mean, if you're referring to our neighbours' recent elections, I'm sure the choice they went with can't exactly be called the 'centrist' conservative choice...

Also did the Reform Party fail because they abandoned they positions? They stayed staunchly religiously conservative and stayed true to their position to privatize health care to the very end. People just ended up choosing the Progressive Conservatives, and that was that.

Also, yes, you're right in that it might provide a long term success. I'm a pretty leftist guy and I agree that in 2023 Trudeau will be replaced by a Tory. But, 2023 is a long way away. A lot of things could happen by then. I still think that by just pulling Scheer towards anti-immigration rhetoric would have been the best choice for Bernier to make.