OTTAWA—Except for the ill-conceived public campaign to get well-known commentator Don Cherry installed as a member of the Order of Canada, the Conservatives look like they have carved out a few positive weeks for themselves. It’s better than the abysmal fall and early winter that left many Conservative supporters in a foul mood, and Leader Pierre Poilievre constantly having to answer questions about his leadership.

The brutality of politics being what it is, a few good weeks could be undone by yet another Conservative Member of Parliament crossing the floor to the Liberals; so, it’s better to ride the ups when you have them. All to say, it appears as though the official opposition is adopting a bit of a long-game approach to winning rather than the shock-and-awe short-term calculations that were the hallmark of Poilievre’s first years of leadership.

In some ways, it looks as if the Conservatives are embracing campaign manager Steve Outhouse’s approach to preparing for the endurance triathlons he has impressively done. From all the blood, sweat, and tears he has put in getting ready for those challenges, he knows that many hard, patient miles on the road and laps in lakes are needed to even........

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