Joe Clark in 1993

CanadianTory · Sep 21, 2015

This is a scenario I've been kicking around in my head for a long, long time. As we all know many pundits expected Joe Clark to be a candidate to succeed Mulroney whenever he resigned, but when he did in 1993 he opted not to and instead endorsed Jean Charest.

The guy spent 20 years as an MP by 1993, seven of those years as Secretary of State for External Affairs, two as both Minister responsible for Constitutional Affairs and President of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada, Acting Minister of National Defence in 1985, Acting Minister of Justice in 1988, Prime Minister for a few months and Leader of the Official Opposition for about seven years.

He would have been the most experienced candidate by far had he decided to run. So what would it have been like had he run? Would he win the leadership? Would he win the election? Would he do better had Mulroney's constitutional reforms succeeded? Would Reform grow faster under his tenure?

What do you think?

RogueBeaver · Sep 22, 2015

Mulroney was brutal about Clark in private, as Newman revealed later. Clark is still Clark, the poster boy for Reform rage, and would not get the Tories anything. Campbell at least was new and for a bit, exciting. Indeed there's probably no one in that caucus hated more by Reform than Clark. Hail Mary is to turn the page, which only Campbell and Charest have the vaguest chance at doing. Reform would grow even faster. I don't see any way Clark gets the leadership.

CanadianTory · Sep 22, 2015

RogueBeaver said:
Mulroney was brutal about Clark in private, as Newman revealed later. Clark is still Clark, the poster boy for Reform rage, and would not get the Tories anything. Campbell at least was new and for a bit, exciting. Indeed there's probably no one in that caucus hated more by Reform than Clark. Hail Mary is to turn the page, which only Campbell and Charest have the vaguest chance at doing. Reform would grow even faster. I don't see any way Clark gets the leadership.

Not even if, say, he helps get Mulroney's Constitutional reforms through?

RogueBeaver · Sep 22, 2015

As I've said in other threads on Mulroney-era subjects, passing either of those things would make Reform mushroom even faster than OTL.

CanadianTory · Sep 22, 2015

RogueBeaver said:
As I've said in other threads on Mulroney-era subjects, passing either of those things would make Reform mushroom even faster than OTL.

But could those loses be offset by retaining support in Quebec?

RogueBeaver · Sep 22, 2015

CanadianTory said:
But could those loses be offset by retaining support in Quebec?

What I said here. Short answer: no.

CanadianTory · Sep 22, 2015

RogueBeaver said:
What I said here. Short answer: no.

Fair enough.

Let's try a different scenario. Mulroney loses in 1988 to either the Liberals or NDP, would not Clark still be the best candidate to succeed him as leader?