Premier Doug Ford's Ontario

[AlvinofDiaspar]

DoFo doesn't strike me as the particularly magnanimous type - and a cabinet position attached to a high profile and difficult ministerial portofolio strikes me as a potential gift horse.

AoD

 

[steveintoronto]

DoFo doesn't strike me as the particularly magnanimous type - and a cabinet position attached to a high profile and difficult ministerial portofolio strikes me as a potential gift horse.

AoD

He likes to 'strike' "elites" though.

 

[steveintoronto]

Check the date on that video; Trump wasn't even president yet (it's from before the election). A lot of information has been released since then.

Absolutely. So if his view has changed (Mulligan put the sexual peccadilloes to Ford, it didn't make him flinch) then his view *has* "wavered". Normally I wouldn't play that game, things change, and so people's opinions do based on new evidence, but Ford doesn't play by those rules. Just like...well...guess.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

He likes to 'strike' "elites" though.

Well, considering the context of his family's slights by the PC establishment over the years, I am sure everyone is wearing Kevlar armor at their back.

AoD

 

[narduch]

I see, so they offered Elliot a position to shut her up? OK, one down (by your count). What position does Mulroney have?

I don't think so. Ford won the leadership fair and square based on the rules (ie. riding weighting).

And Mulroney lost.

Why would they attack Ford now?

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

I don't think so. Ford won the leadership fair and square based on the rules (ie. riding weighting).
And Mulroney lost.
Why would they attack Ford now?

They won't - but I don't see them having undying loyalty to the leader considering the things that were said during the lead-in, plus their own background, values and personal ambitions. What will be interesting is who'd get the blame if they form the government and trip up in their policies - because you know policy is simple.

AoD

 

[narduch]

They won't - but I don't see them having undying loyalty to the leader considering the things that were said during the lead-in, plus their own background, values and personal ambitions. What will be interesting is who'd get the blame if they form the government and trip up in their policies - because you know policy is simple.

AoD

They will be so happy to be in power they won't care how bad Ford does.

Just like Republicans with Trump now.

 

[John_Dee]

I think PB is not the person to pursue a vendetta. I think that's for Elliot, and to a lesser extent, albeit with huge guns behind her, Mulroney.

That rather depends on how angry Brown is, wouldn't you say? I think he has a legitimate grievance here; I'm hardly a fan, but if I were in his place, I'd be furious. And he has nothing left to lose, as his career in politics is essentially over now.

As for Elliott, I suspect she's making the same mistake so many 'respectable' politicos made when dealing with the Fords back when the two douchebags were turning City Hall into their own personal tabloid tv show: She's going along to get along because she thinks she can co-opt some of their voting base. Plus, she sees which way the wind is blowing and likely doesn't have the stomach for a protracted political battle, especially with creatures who treat politics like a blood sport.

As for Mulroney, she has little enough reason to be pissed IMO, unlike the other two. She'll just parachute into some other place and expect to be coronated Queen based on Daddy's name, just as she did here.

 

[John_Dee]

As for Brown, its probably easier to sue CTV then the PC Party.

Ah, but what if Brown goes after individuals within the party instead of the party itself? Wouldn't that be one way to do it? And Ford has money, which would potentially make him a tempting target...

DoFo doesn't strike me as the particularly magnanimous type - and a cabinet position attached to a high profile and difficult ministerial portfolio strikes me as a potential gift horse.

Exactly. As with Trump, loyalty is a one-way street when it comes to the Fords and their dealings with those they regard as beneath them. We've seen that time and again. Hell, Dofo probably views people on the same level or above him in stature as little better than servants to be discarded once their purpose is done.

Well, considering the context of his family's slights by the PC establishment over the years, I am sure everyone is wearing Kevlar armor at their back.

Or what the Fords perceive as 'slights,' which essentially amounts to not having their asses kissed to their satisfaction. I honestly wonder if the PCs know what they're letting themselves in for with Ford, though how they couldn't is beyond me. And in the end, it's always the same: The dupes are shocked, shocked I tells ya, when the asshole they thought they could control screws them over instead, and then it's some shrieked variation of, "Why didn't anybody warn us about this guy?!?!"

 

[animatronic]

Ah, but what if Brown goes after individuals within the party instead of the party itself? Wouldn't that be one way to do it? And Ford has money, which would potentially make him a tempting target...



Exactly. As with Trump, loyalty is a one-way street when it comes to the Fords and their dealings with those they regard as beneath them. We've seen that time and again. Hell, Dofo probably views people on the same level or above him in stature as little better than servants to be discarded once their purpose is done.



Or what the Fords perceive as 'slights,' which essentially amounts to not having their asses kissed to their satisfaction. I honestly wonder if the PCs know what they're letting themselves in for with Ford, though how they couldn't is beyond me. And in the end, it's always the same: The dupes are shocked, shocked I tells ya, when the asshole they thought they could control screws them over instead, and then it's some shrieked variation of, "Why didn't anybody warn us about this guy?!?!"

Ford said the only person he trusts is “the one he’s looking at when he shaves” (actual quote)

The thief thinks everyone steals. The traitor thinks everyone is disloyal.

 

[JGHali]

As for Elliott, I suspect she's making the same mistake so many 'respectable' politicos made when dealing with the Fords back when the two douchebags were turning City Hall into their own personal tabloid tv show: She's going along to get along because she thinks she can co-opt some of their voting base. Plus, she sees which way the wind is blowing and likely doesn't have the stomach for a protracted political battle, especially with creatures who treat politics like a blood sport.

Given the alt-right overtones here, I don't think it's unreasonable to recall that German conservatives thought Hitler and the Nazis could be controlled. Was that Godwin?

Of course, Doug still reminds me mainly of my mom's cousin who also inherited a business and managed to run into the ground. And, similarly, no class, generally speaking an asshole...

 

[steveintoronto]

They will be so happy to be in power they won't care how bad Ford does.

Just like Republicans with Trump now.

The GOP is in crisis over Trump. The most unpopular US President in modern history, and even some of his hard-core of supporters are starting to 'get it'. No-one likes to ride a sinking ship.

That rather depends on how angry Brown is, wouldn't you say? I think he has a legitimate grievance here; I'm hardly a fan, but if I were in his place, I'd be furious. And he has nothing left to lose, as his career in politics is essentially over now.

I think he has very legitimate grievances, albeit he's hardly an angel. He's 'yesterday's man' though. Elliot and especially Mulroney have an *inside* agenda to pursue, a good part of which is *maintaining and growing* the party. And returning it back to a semblance of what it once was.

Let me be clear: I think all the wild hoopla about Ford's polling actually works against him. And for Wynne. The more I see the claims for Ford's popularity which oddly, has just appeared out of nowhere beyond his previous low double digit ratings is indicative of glitches. Intentional or otherwise.

The man's vanity allows him to believe it. And that's his undoing. He is completely unprepared to rise to his boasts. He has no record to run on. He hasn't a clue as to how QP works. He hasn't a clue on much of anything.

And his win over Elliot will be revisited as new details emerge. I leave it at that. More than a few people know what really went down, and they're just waiting to blurt it out first major pothole Ford hits.

Ford said the only person he trusts is “the one he’s looking at when he shaves” (actual quote)

The thief thinks everyone steals. The traitor thinks everyone is disloyal.

Brilliant quote. It speaks volumes, if not portends his demise. I wonder how many knives it will be in his back? Not one member of caucus chose him as first choice. PB was just the warm-up act.

Addendum: Just went looking for linked reference to @animatronic 's quote.

Found it, and more, and as mentioned prior in this string, even the NatPost is sounding the alarm on Ford (some journos there being scathing, they know the danger to the OntPCParty). NatPost goes as far as to reprint a TorStar piece as editorial: (Phhhh...how often does that happen?)

Editorial Exchange: Doug Ford: Let's hope that past isn't prologue
March 19, 2018

[...]
Two books on the Rob Ford years — Mayor Rob Ford: Uncontrollable, by former chief of staff Mark Towhey, and The Only Average Guy by city councillor John Filion — offer insider accounts of Doug’s temperament.

In all, they provide a study in presumption, impulsiveness, indiscipline, indiscretion, bullying and an inability to put the team first.

For all the Ford talk of business experience, “Rob and Doug had no idea how to” staff the office after Rob’s election, Towhey wrote.

It was also soon apparent that Doug wasn’t motivated solely by the opportunity to serve, but a desire to wield power at elite levels. “If you think I came down here just to be the councillor from Ward 2, you’ve got another think coming!” he reportedly yelled at Towhey and former Ford adviser Nick Kouvalis.

Doug acted as if entitled to a rank and authority he hadn’t earned, Towhey wrote, and would sit “at the head of the table, in the mayor’s seat, and hold court.”

During the transition to the Ford administration, Doug was an unreliable presence, Towhey said. He “popped in and out” of meetings, usually late. “He expected us to go back to the beginning to bring him up to speed.” He’d participate for 10 or 15 minutes, then step out to make a call. “We wouldn’t see him again until he popped into another meeting later in the day, or the week.”

Furthermore, the mayor’s staff believed Doug to be the source of leaks. “We began to guard our conversations around Doug,” Towhey wrote, and changed the topic whenever he arrived.

During the early going, Doug’s impulsiveness caused his brother numerous problems, Towhey said. “Doug was shooting from the hip and picking fights we didn’t need.”

He got into slanging matches with the likes of Margaret Atwood over public libraries and, later, the chief of police. In 2011, he dreamed up a Disneyfication scheme for the waterfront that became an instant laughingstock.

To Towhey, the new PC leader was a bully, even to his brother. “If Rob ignored Doug, Doug would pummel him with endless calls and tenacious harassment. Often Rob would cry uncle, telling us ‘I can’t handle one more call from him. Just do it’.”

As with many who demand utter loyalty, Doug Ford was mistrustful of most everyone. “I only trust the person I shave in the morning,” he told Filion. “That’s it. And I nick him sometimes too.”

Doug once told Filion, in the run-up to his 2014 mayoral run against John Tory, that “you’ve never seen the vicious side of me. You watch.”
[...]

http://nationalpost.com/pmn/news-pm...e-doug-ford-lets-hope-that-past-isnt-prologue

In all fairness, as stated prior, NatPost, like the Globe, supported Mulroney. Is that 'the elites supporting the establishment'? Perhaps, the point is moot. What is germain is that there's a massive movement waiting for Ford to stumble (and that can't be far away...lol) and they'll be there to hold his hand to make sure he goes down all the way.

'Uneasy heads the liar that wears a crown'. (Apologies to lysdexic Shakespeare).

 

[Jasmine18]

Um the reason why the Tories have united against Ford because you guys don't understand, whatever problem Ford has, the hatred of Wynne is much stronger.

Any other time or party would have gotten rekt by the chaos in the Tory Party in the past 2 months but it has instead increased its support.

That to me shows that for all your intelligent punditry some of you guys need to put an ear to the street.

 

[Bayer]

That to me shows that for all your intelligent punditry some of you guys need to put an ear to the street.

The "street" isn't particularly astute at this point. But "hatred" is correct - and it's rather fact-free; apparently something in Wynne's personality is irritating people - so what? Is it possible to be more superficial? Electing Ford and his team will lead to service cuts, and people are already complaining about the services they get. Mistakes aside - including the gas power plant cancellation, whose $1 billion cost represents 0.09% of the province's budget since it happened - Ontario is already managed conservatively. With program spending as low as it is compared to other provinces, any cut will hurt, and despite all the hot air, there is very little "waste" to be eliminated. There certainly wasn't in Toronto under the other Ford.

 

[narduch]

Um the reason why the Tories have united against Ford because you guys don't understand, whatever problem Ford has, the hatred of Wynne is much stronger.

Any other time or party would have gotten rekt by the chaos in the Tory Party in the past 2 months but it has instead increased its support.

That to me shows that for all your intelligent punditry some of you guys need to put an ear to the street.

Some of the comments on the polling is bordering on tinfoil hat territory.

CBC's Eric Grenier had a good piece on how this election is a bit different then the previous 3. He's the best in Canada at aggregating polls.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/grenier-ontario-polls-comebacks-1.4585921