2018 Ontario Provincial Election Discussion

[Northern Light]

Anything but Ford or anyone but Ford?

That's quite the indictment of the man, if the former.

I hope you're right. This is one of the most depressing elections I can remember.

You made me look up whether Ontario offers write-in ballots (nominate your own person or thing), LOL, it would appear the answer is no.

You have to choose from the list provided or go through the 'decline your ballot' procedure.

So 'things' aren't allowed, unless they were formally nominated by a party or other wise met the rules for being an independent candidate.

Whether some who have met these criteria may also be classified as 'things' I leave to wiser souls. LOL

 

[SunriseChampion]

I dare say it's the wiser souls who reserve judgment.

So, allow me: yes they are.

 

[Admiral Beez]

There's no other way to put this: the Cons blew it, big time. They elected an idiot as leader, and now they're going to pay the price

Careful. This might be your Rachel Madow moment, suggesting the Cons are going to get smoked.

IMO, there’s a lot of groupthink here on UT. Many here I think assume the rest of the province is like them, and that anyone with different mindset is from a small group of nut bars.

 

[adma]

Mainstreet polls should be thrown in the trash the moment they are issued. No matter one's politics.

Their track record is poor and they in fact have been accused, of attempting to mislead media and the electorate in respect of polls issued in advance of the last Mayoral election in Calgary.

(For the record their published polls were so wrong as to be utterly laughable)

Who knows they might be right this time, but they deserve no credence.

I was also reminded elsewhere that the fieldwork for this poll was apparently done on April 16-18; if so, it's a bit stale, to say the least. As usual, Quito Maggi is a quack.

Nanos:42 PC, 31 Lib, 21 NDP.

 

[narduch]

Ford brothers/nation true colours are being against the environment. From link originally back in November, 2012.

Ford's hypocrisy isn't really the point.

People struggling to find affordable housing will see Ford's promise as a concrete attempt to help them.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Ford's hypocrisy isn't really the point.
People struggling to find affordable housing will see Ford's promise as a concrete attempt to help them.

Of course they would - except it was never about them.

AoD

 

[steveintoronto]

Of course they would - except it was never about them.

AoD

Even Sun readers aren't buying it:

Would PC leader Doug Ford's plan to allow developers to build in a "big chunk" of the protected Greenbelt create a supply of more affordable housing?
YesNo

Yes 42.4% (2,741 votes)

No 57.6% (3,723 votes)

Total Votes: 6,464

 

[TrickyRicky]

Interesting stuff because as we discussed before every time Ford opens his mouth people respect him less... until they remember how much they hate Wynne and Horwath.

Regular gas prices are creeping towards the $1.30 mark and in a Globe and Mail article it mentioned that 53% of Canadian mortgage holders have loan-to-value ratios higher than 80%. Angst about gas prices, house prices and interest or loan rates, these are major movers of sentiment among the swing voters that will either elect Ford in a PC majority or hold the government to a minority government with any of the three parties in the leadership position.

To me the fact that Wynne was out today trumpeting about rent control legislation etc. tells me that they know they have lost a lot of suburban ridings and are trying to solidify a foundation in Toronto ridings with large renter populations where gas prices and rising home ownership costs don't bite as hard.

 

[Northern Light]

Interesting stuff because as we discussed before every time Ford opens his mouth people respect him less... until they remember how much they hate Wynne and Horwath.

Where do you get 'hate Horvath' from?

There are many who may not wish to vote NDP, but on every poll I've seen she has both more positives and less negatives than either Ford or Wynne.

I don't recall seeing a single poll evidencing large-scale or intense dislike of Horvath.

Evidence please.

 

[Admiral Beez]

Where do you get 'hate Horvath' from?

There are many who may not wish to vote NDP, but on every poll I've seen she has both more positives and less negatives than either Ford or Wynne.

I don't recall seeing a single poll evidencing large-scale or intense dislike of Horvath.

Evidence please.

Well said. IMO, most people don't know her to hate her. Who's Horvath is more the issue.

 

[narduch]

So Ford has already back-tracked on the Greenbelt.

Truly a man of the people.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

So Ford has already back-tracked on the Greenbelt.
Truly a man of the people.

Strategic retreat to get it off the news cycle - do you *really* think he is going to abandon his buddies who surely have been salivating at this possibility for awhile?

Well said. IMO, most people don't know her to hate her. Who's Horvath is more the issue.

They don't hate her, but I am sure they hate commie NDP which hasn't really escaped the 90s 20 years down the road.

AoD

 

[narduch]

Strategic retreat - do you *really* think he is going to abandon his buddies who surely have been salivating at this possibility for awhile?

AoD

I think he's trying to say nothing of substance. Just attack Wynne and her record.

The Liberals tried to expose him on this issue but he already back-tracked.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

I think he's trying to say nothing of substance. Just attack Wynne and her record.
The Liberals tried to expose him on this issue but he already back-tracked.

Of course, though him backtracking is as meaningful as asking where does a circle begin.

AoD

 

[MisterF]

Do they expect Doug to end a 68 year war?

Do you really think that Trump is responsible for the two Korean leaders talking? Hint: the fact that North Korea's underground test site just collapsed isn't a coincidence.

But considering the fact that housing is becoming less and less affordable it is probably a good campaign strategy for Ford. It will be seen as actually trying to do something about it.

There is a bit of hypocrisy from NIMBY Torontonians. They want to protect the greenbelt but will fight tooth and nail any form of density in their own neighborhoods.

I'm pretty skeptical that the Greenbelt is raising house prices. Growth is happening as it always has, it's just in a higher density form that it was before. There's enough land inside the Greenbelt to meet demand for literally decades to come and massive numbers of new units are being built. And Toronto's metropolitan population density is fairly low by international standards. If much denser cities all over the world don't have stratospheric housing prices, then slightly increasing Toronto's density can't be the cause of our real estate market.

The increasing popularity of real estate investment as a primary form of investment and our housing market and banking system being seen as highly stable likely has more to do with it.

So Ford has already back-tracked on the Greenbelt.

Truly a man of the people.

Looks like his backroom deal making with developers didn't stop at Toronto's waterfront. He's back at it on a bigger stage. This is just the beginning. This guy is going to make the Liberals look like angels.

Another take on it...he gets caught doing something that he tried to keep a secret and only when he gets exposed does he own up to it and backtrack. Just like his brother.