So Rob Ford is big in the news this week. It turns out that the mayor of a major city coming out and admitting to crack use is a big story, particularly when he can't really say when or how he did it because he was in a drunken stupor. A drunken stupor being one of Ford's most common states this doesn't narrow it down a lot; could have been pretty much any day really. As I have said before I don't think this actually changes my opinion of the man either as a person or as a mayor. He is lousy on both fronts but it is his utter incompetence at the job that irks me more than substance abuse. Whether or not those substances are controlled or illegal doesn't enter into it.
I read a few articles about the whole debacle and it was surprising how many Torontonians came out to defend Ford in comments. One particular gem I found was this:
As long as you keep doing a great job Mayor we (50% of Toronto) dont care if you leisurely have a toke or not.
This is of course true. We don't care if Rob Ford has a toke or not as long as he keeps doing a good job. Unfortunately he has been doing a crap job on any number of fronts which is exactly the problem. Though this quote was designed to support Ford it really makes my point for me; the issue with the mayor is his unsuitability for the job and not his personal problems.
Ford's run in the next election is going to be epic. Everybody will be out for his blood and they will be able to come back to every statement he makes with "but at least my friends aren't extortionists and I don't do illegal drugs...?" in addition to the arsenal they had before which included things like Ford's homophobia, racism, anti-immigrant stances, innumeracy, and incompetence. If he does get reelected then it will paint a dismal picture indeed of the Toronto electorate. Before you assure me that he can't get elected again I should note that people thought that during the last election too.
Yesterday Ford said, "I have nothing left to hide." I firmly believe that is not the case. But barring any revelations about under-age prostitutes I think he is going to win the next election fairly easily. The people who support him, whatever they tell themselves, support him because he sticks in the craw of a "downtown elite" of their own imagining. As long as he keeps doing that he'll continue to have support.
ReplyDeleteTo be honest what I am really hoping for is a sex tape. Not that I would see it mind you but it would just feel like the appropriate capstone to Ford's public relations disaster.
ReplyDeleteIs it a disaster?
ReplyDeleteI think it is, for him. He could easily lose the next election. If all he had done is stomp around and yell about money wasting and subways for four years he would have handily been reelected. Getting caught smoking crack and getting caught lying to everyone about it really puts his career in jeopardy. Which is great, to my mind, but a disaster for him.
ReplyDeleteWell now we have a tape of him screaming about murdering someone. It's probably just angry, "I'm going to kill him" type talk, but Ford being involved in an actual murder wouldn't exactly be a shock.
ReplyDeleteAs for a disaster for Ford it's really odd. His approval rating is over 50% but 60% of Torontonians think he should resign. About 13% of Torontonians think Ford has done a good job but also think it's time for him to stop. It's hard to guess how such a person would vote.
Next week comes the sex tape, bet on it.
ReplyDeleteWell, not quite a sex tape...
ReplyDelete