The Globe’s Jeffrey Simpson has a fascintating post today, where he points out that while conservatives have never been better organized nor better financed, they still only hover at about the 36% popularity level that Joe Clark enjoyed in 1979. His conclusion is that Canada is no more conservative now, despite all that Harper and the Conservatives have accomplished in the last five years, than it was 30 years ago. In some ways Simpson is right, but in some powerful ways he is very wrong.

Simpson:

Conservatives have learned – some might say they now relish – the black arts of shameless politics, what with attack ads, using government money to promote the government’s agenda, making announcements all over the place, and spin-doctoring every waking hour. Conservatives have a political machine that is better focused, more coherent and more ruthless than anything their adversaries possess, or perhaps than Canadian politics has ever seen.

The Conservatives have tried everything these past five years to influence public opinion in its favour, buoyed by the many conservative forces in civil society that have never been stronger. And yet, the country, taken as a whole, is not more politically Conservative than it was. And therein lies the conundrum and presumably the frustration for today’s conservatives.

Conservatives have learned – some might say they now relish – the black arts of shameless politics, what with attack ads, using government money to promote the government’s agenda, making announcements all over the place, and spin-doctoring every waking hour. Conservatives have a political machine that is better focused, more coherent and more ruthless than anything their adversaries possess, or perhaps than Canadian politics has ever seen.

The Conservatives have tried everything these past five years to influence public opinion in its favour, buoyed by the many conservative forces in civil society that have never been stronger. And yet, the country, taken as a whole, is not more politically Conservative than it was. And therein lies the conundrum and presumably the frustration for today’s conservatives.

Simpson may be correct that the country isn’t any more conservative; but the same cannot be said of Ottawa. The problem is that our government, policies and our global reputation are significantly more conservative than ever before, much moreso than when Brian “I don’t see anything wrong with taking envelopes of cash” Mulroney won his big majorities. Harper has undeniably managed to lurch the country further to the right, even though the poll numbers hover around that 36% mark.

The huge issue for Canadians is the prospect of how much further Harper would pull Canada to the right if he ever got his majority.