"Anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that 'my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.'" -Isaac Asimov
Catchy. But lines like that, taken to the extreme (the assumption that the majority of the population falls into the ignorant bin) have also been used to justify communism. You're ignorant, so how about you let me run everything for you and you do everything I say?
I prefer this one:
Indeed, it has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time. - Sir Winston Churchill
This from the same man who also said, "The biggest argument against democracy is a five minute discussion with the average voter."
Ultimately, people get the government they deserve. And that fate, and that decision should be in their hands. This idea that one man's opinion should be worth more than anothers simply because the first guy assumes he's smarter is flawed (unless you possess a political belief system that says a few chosen ones should have the right to rule over the rest).
When it comes to Rob Ford, I stand by my original assertion. He won because Miller utterly ignored the growing discontent in the suburbs for years. All the other candidates followed suit or basically really paid lip service to suburban considerations and voters saw right through that.
And contrary to common wisdom on UT, the suburban voter is not necessarily looking for a new freeway to built every year with tons of parking. They simply want some of their concerns address. Transit for example has been a major concern. And I would suggest that for all the talk about Transit City, at the end of the day, voters saw basically no progress and nothing built, and just another paper plan. These are the same voters who are now playing plate taxes to the city, to discourage them from driving, who perceive that the alternative is not up to snuff yet. These voters also see transit in a different light. They don't care about transit being a developmental tool. They want to get where they are going. Fast. Give them that first and they'll support a plate tax. Just give them the tax and not much else and don't expect to have an easy ride at election time.
The same viewpoint applies to other taxes. Trash bin tax. No change in pickup. But now I have to pay. Okay...so where is this money going? Doesn't look to me like my neighbourhood is cleaner. Pooch tax. I aleady pay to get my pet chipped at the vet, yet I have to pay the city? Etc.
That's how the suburban voter operates. He/she is willing to pay as long as they can see the result and perceive value for money. In the last few years, they've seen new fee after new fee, but haven't seen what they perceive to be serious returns for those charges.
All this is not to say Rob Ford will somehow be the magic cure-all. But people should understand why voters are frustrated and where those frustrations come from. And if the new council doesn't do much in 4 years, they'll find themselves similarly abused at the next election.