Rob Ford - Why the Supervillian?

[christiesplits]

For the record, I was joking, poking fun at the sheer hypocrisy of Ford running on a platform of restoring integrity and transparency at city hall. Last I checked, he had a laundry list of ethic violations that could forgive anything that Bussin, Rae or Giambrone have been caught up in.

 

[lordmandeep]

I would like to see him win.

The lefties would crap their pants...

 

[PinkLucy]

I talked to some young urban dwellers recently who normally aren't interested in voting. They said they'll be voting this year for sure -- for anyone but Ford. Who knows, maybe Ford can increase voter turnout!

 

[GraphicMatt]

For the record, at last night's environmentally-themed debate Ford claimed that green energy was too expensive for Toronto to consider, that incinerating garbage would make money for the city and that the best solution for combating air pollution is the removal of stop signs and speed bumps.

 

[ladyscraper]

I talked to some young urban dwellers recently who normally aren't interested in voting. They said they'll be voting this year for sure -- for anyone but Ford. Who knows, maybe Ford can increase voter turnout!

A friend of mine that never voted before in his life told me the same thing. He said he'll just check who is polling the highest other than Ford and vote for them.

I wish there was only 2 candidates running because Ford would lose. However, if every anti-Ford person splits their vote up between all the rest- he can win. It reminds me of how the Conservatives keep winning the federal election because the Liberals and NDP split up the votes of the liberal minded people.

 

[MetroMan]

^ Exactly. If the NDP + Liberals formed a permanent coalition, just like the Conservatives did with the Alliance, there's no way Harper would be PM. Canada leans predominantly left. Toronto even more.

At some point, one more candidates will drop out. I think by the end of the race, we'll have Rob Ford Vs Smitherman Vs Pantalone/Thomson. Rossi doesn't have a chance in hell and he's already using last ditch attempts to stay relevant.

The fact that there are still so many undecideds tells me that people are waiting for a centre/left consensus candidate to emerge.

 

[Tuscani01]

I did some door knocking with Adam Vaughan last night and got tired of hearing "Adam needs to stop Rob Ford" from residents. Many people in Vaughan's Ward are voting against Ford just because of his recent outbursts against Vaughan.

 

[doady]

^ Exactly. If the NDP + Liberals formed a permanent coalition, just like the Conservatives did with the Alliance, there's no way Harper would be PM. Canada leans predominantly left.

The left wing parties (Liberals, NDP, Bloc) already have the majority of the seats in the House of Commons. They could easily take over government and appoint either Ignatieff, Layton, or Duceppe as PM if they wanted to.

 

[jn_12]

I can't imagine all of the candidates will stick it out till the end. At some point reality sets in. As that happens it'll shake things up.

I did some door knocking with Adam Vaughan last night and got tired of hearing "Adam needs to stop Rob Ford" from residents. Many people in Vaughan's Ward are voting against Ford just because of his recent outbursts against Vaughan.

I'm in Vaughn's ward and that doesn't surprise me. I've only been around him a couple times (never actually spoken to him personally) but he's very bright and forward thinking and that resonates well in this area. It's why I like him at least.

 

[Redroom Studios]

The left wing parties (Liberals, NDP, Bloc) already have the majority of the seats in the House of Commons. They could easily take over government and appoint either Ignatieff, Layton, or Duceppe as PM if they wanted to.

well they tried that and Harper was able shut down the government and spin it saying that it was some sort of coup against the government when meanwhile it was totally legal and consititutional. At some point though either they have to try this again and stick to their guns or unite into a single party, most iikely Libs, NDP and Greens as the Bloc leaves a bad taste with their seperatist leanings. I find it endlessly frustrating that Harper has been able to wield so much power as a minority PM. This really shouldnt be allowed to continue much longer - the progressive parties need to be altruistic and put aside individual leadership ambitions for the good of the country (and the planet) and maybe grow some balls while they are at it !

and yes, surely we will seem some vote consolidation in this mayoral election too...

 

[Irishmonk]

I don't know what the latest polls are showing but I can't imagine Ford garnering more than 35% of the vote. Rossi and probably Pantalone will drop later this month and an ABF sentiment will coalesce around Smitherman. It could be close, particularly if Thompson picks up some support, but I just can't see Ford winning under any scenario.

 

[toraerach]

^ Exactly. If the NDP + Liberals formed a permanent coalition, just like the Conservatives did with the Alliance, there's no way Harper would be PM. Canada leans predominantly left. Toronto even more.

At some point, one more candidates will drop out. I think by the end of the race, we'll have Rob Ford Vs Smitherman Vs Pantalone/Thomson. Rossi doesn't have a chance in hell and he's already using last ditch attempts to stay relevant.

The fact that there are still so many undecideds tells me that people are waiting for a centre/left consensus candidate to emerge.

The Liberals and the NDP really don't have that much in common, and there are elements of both parties that swing more towards the Conservatives than to each other. The solution to vote-splitting is not to remove options, it is to change the way our electoral system works. It would not be too difficult to implement a preferential voting system for mayoral elections - such a system would prevent us from having to chose the lesser of two evils.

 

[MetroMan]

Pantalone will not drop out. He has the money and the endorsements to take him right through election day regardless of his showing in the polls. He also has John Lashinger. The last time there was no incumbent (2003), around this time Miller had 2% support... and John Lashinger.

 

[alive & well]

I went to a mayoral debate at St Lawrence Monday and heard Mr. Ford speak. I really thought the comments everyone was making were exagerated ...... but they weren't. No direspect but he used the debate to restate the same things he has been saying, no more immigrants, cut perks, no more taxes etc. I cut him some slack as I thought maybe he did not understand a lot about Heritage Preservation which is what the debate was based on but when he started to talk about solving the problem of dirty rivers by enlisting high school volunteers who need their 40 hours, I knew he had no place in the mayor's office. I would strongly urge everyone to go to as many debates as they can before voting. The only way to make an informed decision about who to vote for is to see for yourself and not rely on second hand information from news papers and the internet.
Alive & Well

 

[nfitz]

If one wants to see a debate on TV, then TVO is doing one on 8 pm next Tuesday, on The Agenda.