Just prior to Wednesday’s Conservative Party of Canada leadership debate (which morphed into a fireside chat with two candidates thanks to some last-minute cancellations by half the field) we took to Yonge-Dundas Square to ask Torontonians if they could name the four leadership hopefuls.

We showed citizens photographs of those vying to become the next Conservative Party leader — perhaps even prime minister — and then we simply asked passersby if they could name those leadership candidates.

Spoiler alert: the vast majority had no idea who’s who in the Conservative zoo

It would appear that a very large percentage of the Canadian population is simply not engaged in the political process, as opposed to taking an interest in, say, the latest fashion exploits of the Kardashian gals or who’s on first for the Blue Jays.

And ominously, the lack of recognition for Dr. Leslyn Lewis, Peter MacKay, Erin O’Toole and Derek Sloan likely bodes well for Justin Trudeau if name recognition is indeed an important factor when it comes to filling out ballots.

I know, I know, as if 2020 couldn’t possibly get any worse.