If I had to choose between a Harper era conservative and a Poilievre era conservative, I’d pick the Harper era.

I would disagree for two reasons:

• we had Harper-era conservatives as an option already, and we’re forgetting how bad it was because we remember them at their accidentally-least-worst when they were bumbling at being cruel bootstrap elitists.
• even if Carney at his worst were like Harper at his best, that shows how Carney retains potential that Harper and the cons just don’t have.

In short: Carney’s situation is the cons’ policy. The two are not the same.