— Musings —08.25.2010 08:00 AM
Fun TeeDot mayoralty rumour-mongering
This is now:
And this was then:
Any of you smart spinners out there know how David Miller could successfully execute the flip-flop he’s clearly (and understandably) contemplating?
UPDATE: One of Miller’s inner circle contacted me and advises that a flip-flop on his intentions “ain’t going to happen.” So there you go.
GOOD ONE WARREN you are getting a fair bit of air time lately did you ever think of doing a guest spot on CFRB? you mentioned electorate having short memories, i forgot this one.polls be damned if he runs he will get a well deserved ass kicking
All I can say is that last time around here in Ottawa the centre/left candidates buggered around while the right coalesced around a single candidate, and the result has been 3 years of Larry O’Brien. And it may happen again.
I’m also reminded of the 1998 municipal election in Montreal, where I lived at the time, when you had two well-financed, high-profile candidates in former police chief Jacques Duscheneau and former mayor Jean Doré jumping in along with two other established parties to fight Pierre Bourque’s Vision Montreal, and in the end it wasn’t even close. Bourque won, and two years later his vision of an amalgamated city was realized, to the chagrin of about 60% of the people who lived on the island.
Torontonians need to decide what’s more important to them: having the ideal candidate or keeping the fruitcake in the basement with the Xmas tree (and this is not intended as a slight against people who like fruitcake).
“Any of you smart spinners out there know how David Miller could successfully execute the flip-flop he?s clearly (and understandably) contemplating?”
He could get a signed statement from his kids saying he should go ahead and run because they don’t think he’s that cool anymore and don’t care if he’s not around much.
Hate to say it, but given the options, I might hold my nose and vote for him.
i dunno warren, it seems like (most of?) the candidates or former candidates in this race have all gone pretty much batshit, making miller seem mayoral by comparison : all he has to do is decide to show up. the only 2 legged man in an ass kicking contest is bound to win.
forgive a montrealer – who currently in the race has any credibility left?
the only explanation is that he wants Ford to win. If Miller jumps into the race – he will Smitherman will bleed votes to him – and the left will be split – Ford will roll on in to Victory as a conservative version of Michael Moore. That having been said – at least it’ll be entertaining.
Check out this video on youtube. http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=rob+ford+in+action&aq=0
How did you surmise that he was “clearly…contemplating” a run, just from the quotes from Mr. Wright you have pasted above? While you’re right that there is rampant speculation on the left, and he would obviously gain support at the expense of Smitherman, I’m not sure that has ever been any indication whatsoever that Mr. Miller was actually thinking about it.
rob ford in action – is that a Torontonian “wanna go outside”- version?
Now Adam Vaughn is an intriguing one. I’d vote, and also go canvassing for him. He stood up to the ‘Night at the Roxbury’ crowd in the Club District, and he should be commended as the driving force behind the gentrification of that area.
thanks for the update i was running out of Rolaids .besides only accurate 100% poll is the ROXY poll
It has been reported that the provincial liberals are scrambling to de-rail Ford, the thinking is Ford would not be good in city hall for them. I beg to differ, while they may not have their own man there, Ford will make everyone think twice before voting for the right/conservative side again. He is a buffoon and it will be a disaster, but I actually hope he wins, the entertainment factor will be awesome. We won’t need UFC, we’ll have our own at city hall.
As you’ve already noted, the summer poll isn’t something people should put too much weight on. When the same poll says that Rob Ford leads the current list of candidates, but would lose handily if Miller were in the race, that says that the people’s choices are being made based on name recognition only. It’s the summertime, most Torontonians aren’t paying too much attention to the mayoralty race, because they know they won’t have to vote until late October.
It’s interesting, because even though our municipal elections are the only elections whose dates are well and truly fixed (“fixed date election” laws at the federal and provincial level notwithstanding), I think Torontonians know that they don’t have to pay all that close attention while the summer is going on. This is like the pre-season. The real campaign starts on the day after Labour Day. And, as you note, both Miller and Tory started from single digit numbers to finish at numbers one and two during the 2003 campaign.
I think Adam Vaughan will wait until 2014 to run for mayor. If he does, he will need to understand suburban voters better.
james, i respect you but i think this is wishful thinking on your part. ford will undoubtedly be elected, if only because no one on the left understands math. pantalone’s endorsement by layton on wednesday pretty much guarantees he’ll stay in till the end, taking his 10-15% of the vote with him. if we don’t start to see movement in the polls by next week, either george or joe should drop out and endorse the remaining candidate. rocco and sarah have to consider what role they’re playing at this point as well. those opposed to ford and what he represents (name calling and lip-service to fiscal responsbility but no understanding of how to run a city of 3 millino people) are splitting their vote four different ways. sadly, they won’t, ford will be elected, and the next four years will see the city deterioriate in ways that effect everybody–park and pool closures, scrapping of innovative projects.
I’ve found Miller to be a general disappointment but I have to admit I’ve been hoping he’d change his mind and throw his hat in the ring. For all of his faults it has at least been a refreshing change not to have the developers running roughshod over City Hall.
PS. I’m still waiting for Sue-Ann Levy and the other Miller haters to eat their words now that their claims about popular support for Miller have been dashed.