Next Mayor of Toronto?

[arvelomcquaig]

“Most immigrants don't give a shit about yuppie issues like the environment, public spaces, the waterfront, the arts or anything that might propell Toronto to World-Class status. Immigrants typically have less money, larger families, and less time.”

The bizarre and maddening thing is that electing a rich, xenophobic, myopic demagogic clown like Ford will especially hurt immigrants and lower income people. It's incomprehensible how a millionaire who inherited his father’s business and lives in a huge suburban house and cares only about the financially-comfortable has become the mascot for the fight against “elites.” It's beyond ridiculous.

 

[TonyV]

Oh yeah, those trash filled, vacant lots along the Don River are really bringing in the bucks and tourists.

Well, dearest pent-up Scarberian: DUH !!! The idea has been to regenerate Toronto's waterfront from its grim past toward an attractive, livable, sustainable, and economically viable place. And, that is what they're doing with considerable success in some formerly rundown places. Whatever you may happen to have against that initiative will forever remain a mystery to me.

 

[Simple Man]

The bizarre and maddening thing is that electing a rich, xenophobic, myopic demagogic clown like Ford will especially hurt immigrants and lower income people. It's incomprehensible how a millionaire who inherited his father’s business and lives in a huge suburban house and cares only about the financially-comfortable has become the mascot for the fight against “elites.” It's beyond ridiculous.

True but being resentful is not doing anything. You guys lost because you got why out of touch with the middle class and immigrants.

comments like that just make Ford stronger. Actually the more urban elitists insult Ford, it appears the more popular he gets. You just fuel the growing disconnect between downtown and the rest of the city. Ford draws huge power and popularity by fueling this disconnect.

It appears you are not a fan of Star Wars

"If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you could possibly imagine."

a turning point was when a lot of the Miller Clan said, they would ignore the people if Ford is elected and pick their own mayor. Comments like that just drove people in the rest of the city insane and really showed how out of touch they have gotten.

Dismissing the people and "saying we know best, who are you" is why the democrats and Obama have screwed themselves in the US as well, same for Dalton in Ontario.

 

[Tewder]

What people overlook with respect to a lot of immigrants is that once they get here they stop caring about expanding immigration for others. Once they get into the club, they want to keep it exclusive. For a lot of immigrants, they last thing they want is their extended family joining them in Canada to lean on them for money and support. Certainly a lot of immigrants want to expand their communities, but there are also quite a few who have no particular sympathy or love for their countrymen.

You see, this magical thing happens to immigrants once they've arrived here... they begin to stop self- identifying as 'immigrants' and start to perceive themselves as concerned residents of Canada. You know, concerned about things such as taxation, government spending, and yes immigration policy. Fancy that!

 

[toto]

Welcome to New Detroit!

I just heard omn the radio that McGuinty is willing to dicuss Transit and Transit City with Ford, but not willing to discuss reducing the size of council. Dalton would like nothing more than to not fund transit in Toronto, just like every preimier before him. Ford may give him the reason to do so. So, not a new Detroit right away, but definitely heading in that direction. Harris started it with almagamation. Harper tiggered it with the G20 and his general dislike of Toronto. Ford will penny pinch it to death. The conservative's dream of moving the political and economic power to the west is starting to take shape.

 

[Simple Man]

Also..


Many of them don't always sit back and throw their hands in the air and say "Oh were oppressed and everyone is racist" and vote NDP.
They work hard and try to establish themselves and get angry when Govts waste money..

 

[Spoonman]

What people overlook with respect to a lot of immigrants is that once they get here they stop caring about expanding immigration for others. Once they get into the club, they want to keep it exclusive. For a lot of immigrants, they last thing they want is their extended family joining them in Canada to lean on them for money and support. Certainly a lot of immigrants want to expand their communities, but there are also quite a few who have no particular sympathy or love for their countrymen.

Indeed. One of my friends whose parents immigrated from Sri Lanka echoed this sentiment. He voted for Joey Pants and tried to convince his parents to do so as well, but he says their attitude (and a common attitude in their community) is that they've worked hard to be successful in this country, and that accepting more immigrants is tantamount to giving them a "free lunch" and somehow undermines their own struggles to acclimate.

 

[Riverdale Rink Rat]

New Detroit? Ridiculous!

I just heard on the radio that McGuinty is willing to dicuss Transit and Transit City with Ford, but not willing to discuss reducing the size of council. Dalton would like nothing more than to not fund transit in Toronto, just like every preimier before him. Ford may give him the reason to do so. So, not a new Detroit right away, but definitely heading in that direction. Harris started it with almagamation. Harper tiggered it with the G20 and his general dislike of Toronto. Ford will penny pinch it to death. The conservative's dream of moving the political and economic power to the west is starting to take shape.

Y'all need to take a chill pill. FWIW, the new mayor of my birthplace would be happy to acknowledge Calgary as a centre of power, but it's not really true outside the energy industry. Toronto is still the centre of economic power in Canada, full stop. And it will be so until the financial sector decamps, and that's not going to happen.

This has become an enlightening thread, quite frankly. The amount of crap flowing in both directions makes me think that no one, not even Ford himself, has any idea what he's going to do now (other than a hazy idea.)

My hope is that he does a Martin-esque 20% cut from all costs (or pick your own percentage.) It has worked well in the past at a Federal level, it has the benefit of simplicity and transparency, and if done relatively quickly and implemented while the election halo is still in effect, might actually succeed. I didn't vote for him, but he was a one issue candidate. He better show some quick progress on his one issue, or this is going to be a long four years.

I'm willing to bet I'm going to have a great belly laugh once the b*tching about cuts to services start, though. And I really can't see how police/fire/emergency services are going to be able to implement their portions of the cuts without much wailing and gnashing of teeth.

As for the Waterfront haters -- it's progressing magnificently. Come down for the Pan-Ams: It'll be ready for your inspection.

 

[Simple Man]

Well here is my experience.


A lot of friends in University who supported George and Joe pants, not even one of them came out to vote.

The people I know who like Rob Ford, all came out to vote and were watching the vote closely.

There was not a clear suburban-urban divide. A lot of them who supported George live near the Northern edge of the city, but it appears George support was very very weak.

 

[GraphicMatt]

In reflecting today I've really come to pin this on a failure of the left. It goes beyond Toronto, too. In a country that used to be known for its strong left-wing politics and politicians, there are very few bright stars out there today.

 

[Simple Man]

I have listened to enough politicians in Gudwara's in my lifetime. But honesly, do you think he was being himself at the Gudwara? His entire historty suggests he got into his bus and made fun of all the turbans afterwards.

IMO I think a lot of immigrants are quite conservative but vote liberal because liberals are seen to be more friendly to immigrants. However Federally this has changed dramatically in a few years.

A lot of immigrants I know want more police, harsher punishments, reasonable taxes, however they still want decent services.

 

[Name]

Propagating the outdated idea that the left (or liberalism) as the diligent protector of the downtrodden or immigrant or ‘working class’ has long become laughable. They are simply enablers and poverty pimps, constantly dividing & conquering via the old Bolshevik staple, class-warfare. -but whatever.
Last night was harbinger of what’s to come. Next week the Commie clowns down south get spanked!

 

[Simple Man]

Well its hard to compare this election to the States.

The election in Toronto clearly shows voters are angry and it appears polls really are underestimating the anger.

If the same happens down South, Obama is in huge trouble.

 

[MetroMan]

In reflecting today I've really come to pin this on a failure of the left. It goes beyond Toronto, too. In a country that used to be known for its strong left-wing politics and politicians, there are very few bright stars out there today.

^ We also have to admit that Smitherman ran a terrible campaign. There was no focus, he shifted from the centre, to the right, to the left and back to the centre shaking off supporters to both Ford and Pants. It was always a long shot.

I didn't feel real passion for his campaign, only a huge drive to save Toronto from Ford. In the end, that wasn't enough to motivate Toronto to jump on the Smitherman bandwagon.

Then there was e-Health and the Deputy Premier tag. Those were crosses too heavy to bear in this political climate that likely cost him 10-20% support, and was responsible for the reluctant support that he did get.

I have an uneasy feeling that we're going to end up with Ford for 8 years because the people who voted for him last night, will still be here in 4 years. As long as he can show that he's managed to lower expenses and keeps the city clean, no personal scandal is going to convince them to abandon him. It certainly didn't happen in this campaign. The next election will have a lower turn out, with fewer people paying attention to the campaign, only to shrug their shoulders and vote for the incumbent.

The left needs to be highly motivated and has to find a major contrast that people can identify with and rally behind. I saw Adam Vaughan last night and while he may be a visionary and very intelligent, he's just as charismatic as Joe Pantalone. If I had just woken up from a weeklong sleep, I wouldn't have thought that he just won by a landslide. It looked like Vaughan lost. He was so down. Granted, he's the returning councillor with probably the most to lose from Ford being Mayor. Adam Vaughan was his arch-nemesis when they were both councillors.

This election again demonstrated that an outsider will not be able to become Mayor. A popular councillor has a built support for his own ward from day 1. The contrast needs to go beyond ideas and political ideology. A minority or a woman need to run against Ford in 2014. I've got my eyes on Shelley Carroll.

 

[GraphicMatt]

lordmandeep: But isn't it just as likely that Ford implodes like Larry O'Brien in Ottawa and the city moves left again?