I appreciate Vaughan's contribution to the city, but if I was running Ford's campaign against him the first thing I'd do is print up phony dictionary pages with Vaughan's picture as the definition for 'downtown elite'. It would be easy to portray the guy as smug and smarmy, and that's the worst way to be for many people in the suburbs.
I don't really understand the attraction of Carroll. In council meetings she often seems more deficit disordered than others, disrupting the speeches of those around her (Thompson, del Grande) with her side chatter. And some of her speeches are strange imports from high school drama class (letters to her daughter, conversations with Dalton McGuinty) that would leave potential voters rolling their eyes.
Stintz handled the last couple of months really well, neatly sidestepping what could have been bitter personality wars. And I'd like to see someone come more from the middle or even the middle-right than the left, as this might neutralize Ford's appeal for those worried about the cost of government.