Rob Ford's Toronto

[nfitz]

With multiple addictions... try 6 weeks, maybe more.

My guess, is that his reservation is until about June 12.

 

[VTB]

At least they could be plausible ones not based on the Ford brothers being controlled by mobster/drug dealer/alien overlords.

If you want a conspiracy theory, try this: The Globe gets a call from the dealer who shot the latest crack video. They contact Ford for comment and/or rebuttal, as is the usual practice. Doug (possibly with the knowledge of Rob, but possibly not) has someone tape Rob's usual drunken rantings. Remember, this is just days later. They release the audio to the Sun with the help of their pal Warmington, guaranteeing it will be as soft a landing as possible. Rob announces he is taking a leave to deal with his "alcohol" problem. The Globe is preempted and the crisis is deflected. If the video comes out, it will be "in the past" before Rob was "clean". What they couldn't have predicted was how quickly the Globe moved this time (and that it would pay for those screenshots).

I don't think there is any conspiracy here, but if there was one, that is the most plausible.

Yes, this is also the most likely scenario for me too.

 

[themarc]

My guess, is that his reservation is until about June 12.

And in the interim the "Electronic Music" ban at the CNE will be reversed and its possible that Muzik will have its license investigated over the Rofo allegations.

Rofo will return to find a whole bunch of his doings "un-done" and will be infuriated - and likely relapse...

 

[stoobiedood]

Disagree. Even Doolittle is quite adamant that he's not "stupid". He may be ignorant, small minded, boorish, and adhere to a knuckle-dragging ideology borne of a peculiar, bred-in-the-bone *weltanschauung*, but stupid? No. He has animal cunning and political smarts in abundance. Which is actually a more dangerous thing, IMO.

I agree about the animal cunning and political instincts. But the opposite of "stupid" is "intelligent," and I simply can't apply that word to RoFo.

 

[John_Dee]

One can't help wondering what Mikey thinks of the footage of Unca Slob shoving and kicking his mother.

As for all the conspiracy talk surrounding the latest video releases, I dunno...Rob, Robbette and Lisi are all deeply stupid people. I think the video could have been recorded as was, and they wouldn't notice a thing, especially as they were all under the influence by that point. And Kathy presumably trusted her dealer 'friend,' and the others foolishly trusted Kathy's instincts.

Doug I could see engaging in what he would consider some suave master manipulation, but it would likely come off a lot more crass and obvious than intended. I do think the Ford braintrust (Thug and Diane) had the plan of shipping Mayor Assclown off to rehab - or claiming to - should it prove necessary, but it's a pretty obvious scheme, no? And we still don't know that Ford has indeed been sent to a reputable rehabilitation outfit. He might just be hiding out somewhere until the heat dies down. It's not like his family genuinely cares about him, and they're all arrogant enough to think they could get away with this kind of a plot.

 

[Franks2000inchTV]

One thing we haven't considered is the idea that someone put a bounty out on recordings of Rob Ford.

If you remember, the person who sold the photos to the G&M tried to get them to print his nickname, but they refused because he seemed to be after something. He could have been trying to get credit to claim a reward.

It's plausible that members of the dixon bloods or another organized crime group are angry with Ford for putting the heat on them and put out a bounty for anyone who could get him on tape smoking crack, or basically being embarrassed. It would explain why he showed up in two different recordings, both in etobicoke, both on the same weekend.

Being flown down to chicago is certainly ominous. Doug crying is also something. Maybe he's going to get an entirely different kind of "help." Maybe Doug really isn't sure if his brother is coming back alive.

 

[EagleEye]

I agree about the animal cunning and political instincts. But the opposite of "stupid" is "intelligent," and I simply can't apply that word to RoFo.

He's smart on the level of a 12 year old. He knows that if he repeats things his cult will buy it. But if you nail him on a question and don't relent, he can't answer it.

Also, when he caused the flag flap this winter, I thought it was done because he knew the Canadian flag never flew from that pole but now that we have heard the recording from Monday, it's pretty clear he didn't.

 

[sno man]

I believe Dofo is "thinking" about running BUT he might wait to see how his pal Hudak does at the polls June 12th before deciding. You can probably imagine that if Dofo announces he's going to run for Mayor before election day that Toronto based Liberals and NDP'ers will polarize on making sure the OPC's get shut out as much as possible in the GTA ridings - and if the Liberals form another government (which is a strong possibility) that Dofo knows there is no way he will get elected splitting the Right wing vote with Tory against a left leading electorate. Actually Dofo is a greater risk to Tory than Rofo is - just based on the sanity factor alons.

And if Hudak fails to win he's out, period. Doug might jump at the chance to sweep in to 'rescue' the PC's in a leadership bid there.

 

[notshocking]

All this conspiracy theorizing is stupid. Simply put Rob wanted to get wasted, his choice of venue was the one that afforded him the most privacy, his sisters. He got videoed while gacked and decided that a trip to rehab would be good for his image and it will also shield him from the world press.

Any talk that Doug and Kathy orchestrated this is the kind of regressive thinking I would characterize as belonging to Ford Nation types.

Yup.

 

[EagleEye]

If this is due to Rob being threatened by the mob, what next? Does Doug hold a press conference to say Rob died while in rehab so that the mob takes the heat off the Ford family?

Yeah, I'm mostly kidding but it FEELS like a soap opera and that's exactly what would happen if it was a soap!

 

[VintagePunk]

I can't see the Ford family orchestrating the release of a crack video to get Rob into rehab. Alcohol has always been their go-to story, while avoiding the drug use. I think that if they were going to do anything, they would have left it at the audio recording, or even had him filmed while shit-faced, I don't think they would have gone the crack route.

I don't see Rob as smart at all. Doug, perhaps a little more. I think they are both extremely manipulative though, which I suppose may require a certain kind of smarts to achieve, but certainly not intelligence.

 

[casita]

reporterdonpeat 9:08am via HootSuite
“I have no comment on that ... Our family is committed to serving the people" Doug Ford on whether he'd run for mayor.

Is Rob expendable now that he is seen as "damaged goods"?

As far as wanting to "serve the people", why not fill out a job application the way the rest of us serfs had to?

It almost seems like the family believes they are entitled to inherit power.

 

[Jimmi T]

I can't see the Ford family orchestrating the release of a crack video to get Rob into rehab. Alcohol has always been their go-to story, while avoiding the drug use. I think that if they were going to do anything, they would have left it at the audio recording, or even had him filmed while shit-faced, I don't think they would have gone the crack route.

I don't see Rob as smart at all. Doug, perhaps a little more. I think they are both extremely manipulative though, which I suppose may require a certain kind of smarts to achieve, but certainly not intelligence.

I can see Kathy being in on it because she's an addict kept on a short financial leash. Not Sandro though

 

[Starts]

Is it possible that Kathy set this up as a means of feeding her addiction?

 

[anne]

One can't help wondering what Mikey thinks of the footage of Unca Slob shoving and kicking his mother.

As for all the conspiracy talk surrounding the latest video releases, I dunno...Rob, Robbette and Lisi are all deeply stupid people. I think the video could have been recorded as was, and they wouldn't notice a thing, especially as they were all under the influence by that point. And Kathy presumably trusted her dealer 'friend,' and the others foolishly trusted Kathy's instincts.

Doug I could see engaging in what he would consider some suave master manipulation, but it would likely come off a lot more crass and obvious than intended. I do think the Ford braintrust (Thug and Diane) had the plan of shipping Mayor Assclown off to rehab - or claiming to - should it prove necessary, but it's a pretty obvious scheme, no? And we still don't know that Ford has indeed been sent to a reputable rehabilitation outfit. He might just be hiding out somewhere until the heat dies down. It's not like his family genuinely cares about him, and they're all arrogant enough to think they could get away with this kind of a plot.

I can imagine that the Ford household is a violent one and little Mikey is used to it. Case in point; the drug dealer's story about Ford pummelling his friend Lisi in full view of Kathy and all she can say is "let up on him Robbie" (or whatever her exact phrase was). If Lisi was indeed crying from the beating, a normal reaction would have been alarm, and perhaps a call to 911 to put an immediate end to the violence. No, instead it was just another day at the Ford home.

As for the conspiracy theories swirling around here, they're fun to read but unlikely. I have trouble believing that Ford is actually in rehab and I have to wonder why it would have to be in the U.S. and not at some worthy facility here in Canada? Why hasn't a single reporter asked that question?

I also have no trouble believing that someone was able to get a 7 or 8 minute video of Rob again, even with Kathy and Lisi in the room. These days, everyone is glued to their cell phone. You can't go to a restaurant or a theatre any more without seeing people checking them, texting, playing games. There are many apps now that run in the background which could record Ford surreptitiously while allowing the videotaper to look like he's playing a game. Franks2000inchTV's theory that there may be a bounty on a new crack tape rings true - even if it's not for revenge, it could certainly be just for the profit.