Indeed. But it's even worse than that: These self-aggrandizing stunts Ford keeps pulling are going to pick up their own momentum if they're allowed to continue without the adults in the room stepping in and smacking him down. The more he gets away with, the more unstoppable he's going to look, and not just to his mouth-frothing supporters. Not even just to the mushy middle; if he keeps getting away with disruptive crap, the people who have no intention of voting for him are going to become more and more discouraged. Especially if he continues pulling these stunts at City Hall, and at the council chamber itself while the business of governing the city is supposed to be taking place. Allowing him to continually get away with acting like an out-and-out vandal simply does not look good for the other councillors. And it's not going to help them come the next election. Don't they get that?
Nunziata by herself was quite bad enough. (I hope some of her colleagues had a few sharp words for her afterwards. And I hope the same goes for those city staffers who were joining in on the "fun.") But as far as I could see, the rest of them were doing nothing but nervously shuffling around with their thumbs up their butts, looking distinctly shell-shocked while Mayor Peter Griffin was acting up. As usual.
I don't want to appear completely unsympathetic here to the council members because I'm sure I wouldn't have had the first clue how to react if this little episode had unfolded under my nose. The whole incident was just surreal. But Ford's pulled this kind of garbage several times now, and he's going to keep on doing it if they don't counteract him. By now, they should be expecting him to misbehave, even if they can't predict the particulars. Just tremulously standing by with their knees knocking, without even uttering a token hint of complaint simply makes them look weak and cowardly and useless. Which will likely help Fatso back into the Mayor's office for a 2nd term all by itself.