UPDATED: The Great Pivot, A.K.A., Refashioning His Image

By now you have probably heard about Pierre Poilievre's outrage over an apparent threat against his wife, Anaida.

The threat, made by Jeremy MacKenzie, is, of course, reprehensible and unacceptable. However, the outrage Poilievre expresses is tinged with a heavy measure of hypocrisy. 

Here is a shot of PP with MacKenzie:

Poilievre had previously sidestepped calls to denounce MacKenzie, including from leadership rival Jean Charest, after the men were photographed together at an event during the Conservative leadership race this summer.

Nick Seebruch wrote on Sept.2,  

Jeremy MacKenzie, the de facto leader of the Diagolon cult... has gone on social media calling for the execution of Canadian Armed Forces personnel. He has encouraged his followers to harass health care professionals, and is facing assault and weapons charges in Sask., and weapons charges in N.S. in an unrelated case as well.

After the photo of MacKenzie shaking hands with Poilievre began circulating on social media, he refused to denounce MacKenzie or Diagolon by name instead stating: “As I always have, I denounce racism and anyone who spreads it,” then deflecting by pointing to what he called “. . .Justin Trudeau’s many racist outbursts . . .”

Then there is the unpleasant participation of PP's wife, Anaida, in inciting hatred, associating Trudeau with pedophiles and terrorist, as I wrote about in a previous post:

That the rage-farmer's wife is all in with Pierre's pursuit of power at any price is evident in a recent Tweet she sent, recommending Canadians visit an extremely right-wing site trafficking in sensational headlines, love of 'freedom' and hatred for Trudeau.'

I could go on and include references to Poilievre's own indifference when members of the media, especially females, have been subjected to terrible abuse and threats, as well as his self-serving response in reaction to Chrystia Freeland's verbal assault when she visited Alberta, but I think you get the picture.

The hands of both PP and his wife are unclean, precisely what happens when flinging mud at others. The fact that Poilievre now posts supreme outrage at the inevitable result of stirring up the baser instincts of people is unseemly and hollow. 

One suspects he is making the "Great Pivot" to appear now as a regular public official, only concerned about his family. 

And who, if they don't know any better, could argue with that?

UPDATE: Our national satirical treasure, The Beaverton, has some acerbic fun with PP. Here is their headline:

Pierre Poilievre asks extremist group to go back to threatening other peoples’ families