Toronto Municipal Election 2018: Mayor’s Race

[King of Kensington]

Poor Tory is sounding confused...

Cristina Tenaglia‏Verified account@cristina_CP24
“I’m not right, I’m not left, I don’t belong to a political party.” Mayor John Tory just now. (just an fyi he was the former Ontario PC Leader and former PC MPP)

Tory was a PC insider from the the Davis days until around 2010 or so.

BTW I've heard (but can't confirm) that Jennifer Keesmaat joined the NDP to support Jack Layton's leadership but her personal involvement in partisan politics was minimal.

 

[Midtown Urbanist]

Keesmaat's previous political affiliation was working in Joe Mihevc's office.

 

[pman]

Tory: Mr Dithers or Grandpa’s Buick?

 

[OneCity]

Torys political strength and also one of his biggest criticisms from both sides is he plays on both fences if it helps to get him elected. While he is certainly is PC. PC's don't even know what a PC is these days and they look to be fractioning off into sub parties similar to NDP and Liberals are fractioned on the Left. That being said I see Tory as far closer to the centre than Keesmaat and he has a very good chuck of Liberals supporting him.

 

[steveintoronto]

Yeah, and pointing out that he used to be the leader of the PCs whilst he now says he doesn't feel "left" or "right" is really a bunch of nothing, perhaps especially because of what you just pointed out.

Politics is a sad joke sometimes, it seems.

He's the Leader of the Milquetoast and Sour Cream Party.

 

[christiesplits]

I’ve heard some rumblings from some NDP friends who aren’t all that gung-ho about Keesmaat. Sure, she’s better than Tory, but a lot of them feel like she is too technocratic and has next to no experience in activism or the labour movements. Also, she was apparently very close to running for the Liberals in the last federal election in Davenport.

I told them that you could probably say the same about David Miller, a Harvard educated Bay Street lawyer.

However, I do feel that her late entrance to the race could hurt her volunteer numbers, as a few lefties I know have already committed to working with local council candidates who registered months ago.

 

[Skeezix]

I’ve heard some rumblings from some NDP friends who aren’t all that gung-ho about Keesmaat. Sure, she’s better than Tory, but a lot of them feel like she is too technocratic and has next to no experience in activism or the labour movements. Also, she was apparently very close to running for the Liberals in the last federal election in Davenport.

I told them that you could probably say the same about David Miller, a Harvard educated Bay Street lawyer.

However, I do feel that her late entrance to the race could hurt her volunteer numbers, as a few lefties I know have already committed to working with local council candidates who registered months ago.

FFS, NDP activists in this town can be so stupidly tribal sometimes, often against their own self-interest.

 

[christiesplits]

It's sad that it is more than likely Faith Goldy finishes third.

 

[Avenue]

Sure, she’s better than Tory, but a lot of them feel like she is too technocratic and has next to no experience in activism or the labour movements.

FFS, NDP activists in this town can be so stupidly tribal sometimes, often against their own self-interest.

This is NDP's Achilles' heel. A lot of 'activists' in the party at all levels who otherwise have little understanding of economics, science, or diplomacy. So many of them on the issue of housing can't really go beyond "too many condos!"

Really annoying but also this pattern is somewhat comforting for the federal election because there won't be a vote split.

 

[Skeezix]

This is NDP's Achilles' heel. A lot of 'activists' in the party at all levels who otherwise have little understanding of economics, science, or diplomacy. So many of them on the issue of housing can't really go beyond "too many condos!"

Really annoying but also this pattern is somewhat comforting for the federal election because there won't be a vote split.

It's this kind of pattern that led to Adam Vaughan "taking" Olivia Chow's former ward from the NDP, when she was first elected MP. The local NDP felt that Trinity-Spadina was reserved for Olivia Chow’s former assistant, Helen Kennedy, but Vaughan planned to run. Jack Layton told Vaughan that he had to run in a nomination contest to run in the ward, so that there would only be one progressive candidate. Otherwise, Layton offered to personally endorse Vaughan if he ran in the north half of Toronto Danforth against Case Ootes. If he refused, Vaughan claims, Layton said the NDP would “bury” him.

Vaughan told Layton where to go, and he defeated poor Helen Kennedy in the election. Later, he then took Olivia Chow's riding when she resigned to run for Mayor, crushing NDP star candidate Joe Cressy. Then he crushed Olivia herself in the 2015 federal election.

Vaughan was always a progressive on Council. The toxic relationship between him and the local NDP power brokers was all due to Chow, Layton and others treating the ward, and the riding, as a fiefdom to which only members of the tribe are entitled.

 

[steveintoronto]

^Which brings us back to:

a lot of them feel like she is too technocratic and has next to no experience in activism or the labour movements.

Well Thank God for that! Someone neutral and pragmatic, availed of the facts, what they mean, and how to work them.

Without having to sing "Solidarity Forever".

Plus she's such a damn good looking 50 year old....

 

[adma]

I’ve heard some rumblings from some NDP friends who aren’t all that gung-ho about Keesmaat. Sure, she’s better than Tory, but a lot of them feel like she is too technocratic and has next to no experience in activism or the labour movements. Also, she was apparently very close to running for the Liberals in the last federal election in Davenport.

I told them that you could probably say the same about David Miller, a Harvard educated Bay Street lawyer.

Though unlike Keesmaat, Miller already had a record of running for the NDP (not just through Council endorsement, but also federally in 1993 and provincially in the 1996 byelection to replace Bob Rae)

 

[adma]

It's sad that it is more than likely Faith Goldy finishes third.

Though more likely a "LeDrew 2006" third than a "Chow 2014" third (or even a "Barbara Hall 2003" third)

 

[jje1000]

Tory's latest attack on Keesmaat:

Jennifer Keesmaat wants Toronto to secede from Ontario, Canada. Is that a good idea?

https://twitter.com/JohnTory/status/1034581278551490561

Interesting predictions to the line of attack Tory (through Kouvalis) likely plans on Keesmaat:

Nick Kouvalis's latest attack on @jen_keesmaat: "She's a loose cannon, everyone! She once tweeted something in anger before calming down and deciding to run for office to fix things!" From the campaign manager of Rob Ford. What a weak-sauce hypocritical line of criticism. #topoli

It demonstrates how little they have as counter arguments. He can't campaign on policy and progressive plans because he doesn't have any that shine as bright as the housing plan she has. Is it perfect, no. But it's hopeful and Toronto needs some of that right now.

I haven't decided who I'm voting for yet, but I seriously dislike where Kouvalis is steering Tory. You can't attack your opponent as a radical when she used to be a top lieutenant and left on good terms. Running for office doesn't suddenly make @jen_keesmaat the devil. #topoli

Kouvalis is a pro at identifying the nerve that will ignite the base. Disloyalty plays with the conservative populists. If he can paint her as anti-whatever, then he doesn't have to work on presenting anything concrete. I think Tory is avoiding making promises he can't keep.

https://twitter.com/Percent76/status/1034859971706585088

 

[SunriseChampion]

Yeah, that's what we need in a mayor: experience with activism and the labour movement (which is a movement about doing less labour).

What a bunch of tits.