2014 Municipal Election: Toronto Mayoral Race

[typezed]

Who does Rob mean by "taxpayers"?

Mostly it's just a buzzword. If drilled down, he'd be referring to middle and working class homeowners with families and long-term decent paying jobs. I'd like to see him questioned in debate about who he feels he represents. Something along the lines of "Many of your friends appear to be middle-aged people living in their parents' basements. Do you also represent these people? Are they "taxpayers" too?"

 

[newearthling]

A person close to the Ford family told me tonight that Ford still hasn't secured any major donors for his campaign. It's early but Doug has been getting doors slammed in his face for months now.

I'm beginning to get the feeling that not only is Ford not going to get re-elected, he's going to get humiliated at the polls in October. I have trouble imagining his concession speech. Will he even give one? Will it be a "the people still love me" or a "this was a Toronto Star conspiracy" or "I'm still going to work for the taxpayers" or a "I'm running for Provincial/Federal government"... I'm going to make sure I attend that in person, it'll be cathartic.

Hopefully, Ford will be in jail by Oct. Then he won't have to worry about making any kind of speech!

 

[newearthling]

i dunno.... i think he has the ability to get votes from the entire spectrum, not just right or center, so he might be one to watch.

I agree. I think he has surrounded himself with some smart people. His team have some tricks up their sleeves.

 

[FromTheHammer]

A person close to the Ford family told me tonight that Ford still hasn't secured any major donors for his campaign. It's early but Doug has been getting doors slammed in his face for months now.

I'm beginning to get the feeling that not only is Ford not going to get re-elected, he's going to get humiliated at the polls in October. I have trouble imagining his concession speech. Will he even give one? Will it be a "the people still love me" or a "this was a Toronto Star conspiracy" or "I'm still going to work for the taxpayers" or a "I'm running for Provincial/Federal government"... I'm going to make sure I attend that in person, it'll be cathartic.

It will be interesting once all the major players have thrown their hats into the ring. If Chow enters and starts polling well, with Soknacki scoring points for his "largest tax cut in Toronto's history" message, any Ford support that isn't hard core Ford Nation could disappear fast. Without a savvy campaign manager, Rob and Doug will just stick to the talking points that won last time, together with their attack on all mainstream media. Judging by the lame "Ford For Mayor" website, which has no content save Ford's phone number, I'd say they have zero web/social media strategy.

I think you're right, this could get real ugly for Ford

 

[adma]

I agree. I think he has surrounded himself with some smart people. His team have some tricks up their sleeves.

And, *here's* an interesting possibility: Soknacki gaining enough momentum so as to render a waffling John Tory candidacy redundant--instead, *Tory* endorsing *him*...

 

[FromTheHammer]

And, *here's* an interesting possibility: Soknacki gaining enough momentum so as to render a waffling John Tory candidacy redundant--instead, *Tory* endorsing *him*...

Interesting, indeed.

Are there any potential strong left-of-center candidates besides Chow? If not, she could consolidate a left leaning base that would easily counter Ford Nation.

 

[nfitz]

That example wasn't racist. It was making fun of foreign accents ...

Okay then ...

... I'm surprised you all let this go without commenting on the absurdity of the comment!

 

[salsa]

Hopefully, Ford will be in jail by Oct. Then he won't have to worry about making any kind of speech!

But first he would have to give another one of his "I'm so so so so so sorry, the media blablabla" speeches.

 

[TheTigerMaster]

A person close to the Ford family told me tonight that Ford still hasn't secured any major donors for his campaign. It's early but Doug has been getting doors slammed in his face for months now.

Do we know what portion of his 2010 campaign was funded by "major" donors? I'm hoping that it was mostly funded by these large donors (who've now abandoned him) and not his Ford Nation supporters.

 

[newearthling]

Do we know what portion of his 2010 campaign was funded by "major" donors? I'm hoping that it was mostly funded by these large donors (who've now abandoned him) and not his Ford Nation supporters.

What if they can't get any major backers and use Deco to bottom line the campaign? Would there be any chance of them spending so much money that Deco goes out of business?

 

[Crazy]

What if they can't get any major backers and use Deco to bottom line the campaign? Would there be any chance of them spending so much money that Deco goes out of business?

Some info on Ford;s campaign financing:

Ford's unique approach to campaign financing: Borrow from family firm
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news...ancing-borrow-from-family-firm/article578922/

Ford administration’s secret list of candidates for city boards and agencies revealed
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/201...es_for_city_boards_and_agencies_revealed.html

 

[adma]

Still holding out for a Budd Dwyer type concession speech.

Of course, that tasteless kind of scenario has popped up here and again. But that'd involve the kind of "deliberation" that I can't see any of the Fords taking--even though I *can* see them obtaining/possessing the weapons for such a scenario.

A self-destructive lunatic meltdown wouldn't be out of the question, though--maybe even pre-E-day, once it became clear the jig was up. And don't rule out a campaign-manager blowup/meltdown involving *Doug* Ford, either, something involving mug shots and police custody and what have you.

Whatever the case, it's practically *guaranteed* to not be pretty.

 

[adma]

What if they can't get any major backers and use Deco to bottom line the campaign? Would there be any chance of them spending so much money that Deco goes out of business?

Who knows whether Deco's *already* in financial trouble through the Fords blowing their dough on Ford Fest extravagance and whatnot--there's something about their modus operandi that's akin to Powerball lottery winners who spend and spend until, oopsie, it's all gone. And we're talking about the Ford *boys*--methinks the father had more discipline. In a way, it's a really low-operating version of younger-generation Eatons and Bronfmans blowing the family biz...

 

[Admiral Beez]

Who knows whether Deco's *already* in financial trouble through the Fords blowing their dough on Ford Fest extravagance and whatnot--there's something about their modus operandi that's akin to Powerball lottery winners who spend and spend until, oopsie, it's all gone. And we're talking about the Ford *boys*--methinks the father had more discipline. In a way, it's a really low-operating version of younger-generation Eatons and Bronfmans blowing the family biz...

Sounds like a lot of wishful thinking there. I haven't heard of anything about Deco's operations or methodology. Isn't Randy running it now?

I would have stopped at "Who knows?"

 

[themarc]

Who knows whether Deco's *already* in financial trouble through the Fords blowing their dough on Ford Fest extravagance and whatnot--there's something about their modus operandi that's akin to Powerball lottery winners who spend and spend until, oopsie, it's all gone. And we're talking about the Ford *boys*--methinks the father had more discipline. In a way, it's a really low-operating version of younger-generation Eatons and Bronfmans blowing the family biz...

Who knows, maybe the Ford's desperate clamoring to power is to remain in a position where they can pay back past favors. I thought it to be telling that Ford has been insistent on there still be a referendum on the casino issue.