Some commentators have noted, however, that O'Toole could end up being a formidable competitor to Trudeau, more so than the staggeringly incompetent and decidedly unwell Andrew Scheer, and that a chameleonic pseudo-centrist "pivot" aided by the media could make the prime minister and team break a real sweat, in the run-up to and during the next campaign.
But even the most rabid Con media acknowledges that Trudeau isn't likely to take the leadership change in stride; quite the contrary, he's going to start throwing policy hardballs at O'Toole's big old cueball to see if he charges the mound after getting beaned.
"The price is wrong, bitch," seems to be the theme of the upcoming throne speech going big on transformative public-service investment, in response to Cons' calls for austerity that O'Toole is expected to put forth. Or at least, the underlying gist of it. (Who says you can't make a golfer out of a Canadian hockey player?)
In any event, I can sleep a little bit easier after seeing this poll, with the additional knowledge that the LPC Press Box is aware of Jeff Ballstothewall's troll farm operation, and that the upcoming calendar is so overbooked that Skippy and now the Foole's attempts to fling more pigeon papers about WeGhazi is probably going to get lost in the shuffle.
Which is not to say that anyone should get complacent. Quite the contrary; in politics as in sports, even when it looks like you're ahead, you always work hard like you're 10 points behind. Rather, at least we know where we stand, and right now at least, it's in a pretty good position going ahead.
And there's nothing in the blue Toole box changing the fact that I still stand with Trudeau.
