As an MP who has been consistently winning an Ontario riding with a changing demographic, Poilievre knows how a swing voter thinks.There has been no shortage of outrage about Pierre Poilievre's continued calls to defund the CBC. The anger kicked into overdrive when Poilievre wrote to Elon Musk asking him to label the CBC as government-funded media on Twitter.I have this image of Poilievre behind closed doors reacting to the Ottawa-knows-best class the same way Homer Simpson did when Marge got upset with him for spending too much time guarding his stolen sugar: “Oh, I'll never be the darling of the so-called City Fathers who cluck their tongues, stroke their beards, and talk about 'what's to be done with this Pierre Poilievre.'”I am reminded of this line because the reaction from media and stakeholders to Poilievre is so overdramatic. Defunding the CBC has been part of the Conservative ethos for more than two decades (probably more).Strategically, I think defunding the CBC is all pain and no gain for Conservatives. Attempting even to cut the English news budget will result in such a strong reaction from media, arts and culture stakeholders and the Liberals and NDP that I almost pity the poor comms staffers who will have to hold the fort. Just imagine what it will be like when Ryan Reynolds buys the Ottawa Senators and has a downtown penthouse within walking distance of every national media outlet.It sounds like a nightmare, but it won't dissuade Poilievre. Why?Well, first, Poilievre understands that the voting public is in a “throw the bums out” mood. Especially over the last few weeks, the Liberals are more vulnerable than ever. If Trudeau stays on as Liberal leader and Poilievre defeats him and forms a minority government, it will be the perfect storm for the Conservatives to defund the CBC in their first budget. That's because, presumably, the Liberals will have an interim leader and the NDP will be in a financial hole. Neither party will be able to defeat the budget because that would force an election.Secondly, Poilievre and those senior MPs around him always prefer to be the champions of policy rather than the beneficiaries of it. What do I mean by that? Well, for folks like Pierre Poilievre and Andrew Scheer, it's not good enough to get the policy outcome you want; it must be something you made happen. Many Conservatives don't just want change to happen; they also desire credit. They want to be the pointy end of the spear.Finally, Poilievre, more than any other politician, understands how single-issue voters think. His support for defunding the CBC is not dissimilar to his support for the freedom convoy. Poilievre believed that the supporters of the convoy would always support and vote for those politicians who endorsed their cause. Why? Because vaccine mandates were the only issue these voters cared about. Simultaneously, he believed that most voters who opposed the convoy would eventually forgive politicians who stood with the protesters. Why? Because these are multi-issue voters, and their vote ultimately wouldn't be determined by an issue that didn't motivate them.It was a gamble Poilievre made at the time, but it looks like he was right.Poilievre is taking the same approach with the CBC. He knows some voters will vote for him no matter what if he promises and delivers on defunding the CBC. Simultaneously, he knows that for most voters who disagree with him, the CBC probably isn't a motivating factor in determining their vote, especially given the current cost of living crisis.So, what's to be done with this Pierre Poilievre? Well, I have bad news for all the defenders of the CBC: he will likely have the mandate from the public to defund the CBC. He's not hiding his agenda; it's in sight for all to see. This transparency will make the political battle over the CBC all the more divisive and painful to watch. But Poilievre isn't afraid of that battle because he knows he has the upper hand with voters, he prefers to lead out front on policy and he knows how voters think and react to contentious issues.Jake Enwright is the Vice President of Government Relations and Public Affairs for Syntax Strategic and former senior advisor for previous leaders of the Conservative Party of Canada.