I don’t think it’s necessarily a slam dunk that this kind of thing makes someone unelectable (Ted Kennedy), but it’s painful to watch it appear uninvited half way thru the mayoral campaign.
This stuff needs to be in the public domain at the *beginning* of the politician’s career, preferably announced by the candidate. Maybe when one considers running for council, hospital or school boards they have feeling that this kind of thing is deeply buried and will never surface. But I don’t know why one would assume that.
great work on the documents warren .think you can get obama’s birth certificate?PHOTOS GOOD TOO .all the anti ford folks .see if you remember to turn on your lights on after two quarts of plonk .five pints of lager and a doob.
and, hey, I see he’s not only appealing to the Trailer Park Boys crowd for votes, he wants to hire some of them for, um, beer & dope instead of wages, to save the city some dough on construction costs. Everybody wins when you drive a Ford!
There are many, many, many reasons not to elect this lying buffoon as mayor of Toronto. False and unproven allegations just aren’t necessary and are, frankly, beneath this blog.
Well, what I said was 100% true: he certainly was accused of slapping & bullying his charges.
And even if the alleged victim denies there was a slap, the To. Star is standing by it’s story* (that a parent in the stands testified that he witnessed that incident; plus there were others saying he had to be restrained from attacking the player when he swore back at him, and another student saying he saw him apply a chokehold on a different player in a different incident)
And there are certainly different forms of bullying: with verbal abuse being one of the most prominent kinds.
There’s little doubt in my mind, that he _is_ one of those angry, bullying, constantly insulting-one’s-masculinity coaches that ruin organized sports for so many, and there’s nothing in those Nat’l Post articles to suggest otherwise.
And I don’t think that’s an irrelevant consideration when considering the merits of a mayor, who must build a consensus b/w the various councillors and b/w the city and its unions & police & fire chiefs, among other things.
@Namesake – We clearly share the same opinion of the man, but I just find that it feeds the whole “everyone is out to get Ford” fire (which at this point is helping his campaign, not hurting it) when we repeat claims that are of dubious credibility.
The best example of the type of guy that Ford is can be found here:
This is NSFW as it uses the F-bomb repeatedly. This video is an exchange between Ford and Globe reported John Barber. There’s a bit of conflict between the two before a third guy (presumably an associate of Ford’s) claims that Barber called Ford a “fat f**k”. Ford then goes into attack mode. The problem isn’t so much that Ford “defends himself”, but rather the glee on his face as he chases Barber down, refuses to let him on the elevator, etc.
Let Ford’s words and actions speak for themselves.
You know, of all the things to hold against Mr. Ford, I think this is the least amongst them. The guy’s platform will do more damage to the city than simple marijuana possession.
Still, it’s fair to ask him: do you believe that marijuana should be decriminalized? If not, why not? And what changed your mind between then and now?
Does anyone else get kind of depressed reading the comments sections on the newspaper websites? I understand the “wild west” nature of those sections, but they are just so entirely devoid of thought, perspective, and intelligence (let alone correct spelling)…I just feel like banging my head against the wall every time I foolishly decide to skim through the comments.
The comments for the Ford articles are a perfect case-in-point. The Ford partisans just keep shouting “it was only a joint in his pocket, so what?”, completely missing the point that he directly and emphatically lied when first confronted about the issue (as he’s done in the past when confronted with bad behavior). He didn’t just deny it, he did so belligerently and feigned offence at the very question.
?I?m dead serious. When I say no, I mean never. No question, Now I?m getting offended. No means no.?
Just because we expect politicians to lie does not make it okay. This isn’t about smoking a joint – its about honesty, maturity, and common sense.
I have to admit, though, that I got a chuckle out of the handful of comments that described the Sun as a “left wing paper”. 🙂
I’m rapidly coming to the view that if Smitherman won’t do the honorable thing and tap out of his loser Babs campaign to help Rossi, the next best likely result is to see Ford win after all. That way, all the fools voting for him can suffer through four years of learning about the consequences of their actions. Rational people should concentrate on Council campaigns to make sure the inevitable – Ford getting nothing done – happens for the best of reasons instead of the worst of reasons.
Mulletaur is right: Ford’s fans are so deeply sold on the ‘little guy like me’ schtick that Ford could go on a killing spree in Riverdale with a chainsaw, and they’d explain the incident away as some sort of leftist con. The triumph of brand over reality is one of the most disturbing trend in politics today.
Ford could go on a killing spree in city hall with a chainsaw, and they’d explain the incident away as some sort of leftist con. I DON’T GET IT BRIAN YOU SAY IT LIKE IT’S A BAD THING
Why the hell would Smitherman, being the most seasoned polititician of the bunch, and soon to be winner and leader in the polls, jump out of this one man, one freak show race to help the fourth or fifth place Rossi? As in behind Pantalone and Thompson Rossi? If I was Rocco’s team, come September 1, I’d be wondering what the hell I was doing flogging a dead horse…..but his “team” does that often.
Of the many times Ford’s past has come to the surface (alcohol, abuse, lying, etc.), I am always reminded that Ford says “I’m only human. I made a mistake. etc.” How many mistakes, lapses in good judgement, should Torontonians allow a mayor?
anyhow this whole thing will not hurt his campaign as much as the pileing on will hurt the”fat clowns”to use BRADS vernacular. just as an aside i do not want ‘ROCCO WHO”?
The tiresome Toronto leftish in-crowd is now scared Ford could win. Very scared. That is clear. Kinsella piling on simply underlines the obvious fear. Given that the Toronto in-crowd and their accepted opinion has been proven time and time again as badly wrong on every major and minor issue, this means Ford is a candidate to take seriously. Oh and just a friendly FYI: John Tory is a hapless fool in the dismal tradition of Joe Clark. Had he run for mayor he would have lost. If no other major players run for Mayor, look for Ford to win.
A bunch of digging for dirt by a lot of people.
Must be a lot of concern out there that the “people’s choice”,may win out over the choice of the “elites.
A fight when 18 and two other charges 11 years ago.Post says he was “charged” with assault against his wife.No elaboration as to whether he was found guilty,innocent or had the charges dropped.
Sounds like the establishment ganging up on the “rocker of the boat” in this election race.I wonder if he has been seen kicking the neighbors dog????
How is Ford “The People’s Choice?” Even if the last poll was correct (doubful), then 68 percent of the city’s population doesn’t want this guy to be mayor. This is a guy whom, in Canada’s largest city, has railed against homeless shelters. The nasty rhetoric won’t fly here, Tim. Maybe you should stick to your forte: analyzing the Wild Rose province. The next poll will tell a different story.
I’m sorry, but sometimes you really can tell a book by its cover and this guy is a meathead, plain and simple. Fought with them throughout public schooling. The thought that he would be mayor of Toronto is unsettling.
Oh and look above, “Tim from Alberta” says
“Post says he was ?charged? with assault against his wife.No elaboration as to whether he was found guilty,innocent or had the charges dropped.”
someone from Alberta is defending this meatheads abuse of his wife…ooops alleged abuse. Riiiight. Leave it to an Albertan to think that being charged with wife abuse is no big deal. judging from the quotes around the word charged I guess “Tim from Alberta” doesn’t believe the charges were even laid.
That province is an embarrassment to the country. Though it will be neat to watch them scramble when they have used all their drinkable water to extract oil for their US overlords(12 barrels of fresh water for 1 barrel of oil I believe). Hard to drink Tar Sands.
“Hurry up! Hurry up! Man oh man, do I ever have the munchies.”
I would like to know why the radio station CFRB, mostly Jerry Agar, has decided to endorse this fat clown.
because Jerry Agar is a Tea Partier.
‘Nuff said?
AS A BALANCE TO JOHN MOORE AND THE TORONTO STAR THANK GOODNESS
I personally don’t care about mistakes someone makes when they are 18 – but, the other stuff is worrisome.
CFRB – supports any Conservative even if they shot their mother in the face.
I… did… not… inhale… that woman.
I don’t think it’s necessarily a slam dunk that this kind of thing makes someone unelectable (Ted Kennedy), but it’s painful to watch it appear uninvited half way thru the mayoral campaign.
This stuff needs to be in the public domain at the *beginning* of the politician’s career, preferably announced by the candidate. Maybe when one considers running for council, hospital or school boards they have feeling that this kind of thing is deeply buried and will never surface. But I don’t know why one would assume that.
Timing is everything.
Yepper
great work on the documents warren .think you can get obama’s birth certificate?PHOTOS GOOD TOO .all the anti ford folks .see if you remember to turn on your lights on after two quarts of plonk .five pints of lager and a doob.
Thanks, dooood. But the Globe and Mail found the document, not me.
I can’t help thinking that these latest tidbits will help him with the people he appeals to anyway. I hope I’m wrong.
Yup. “Nothing rums like a Ford.”
(and it’s spelled ‘Timbits,’ now, BTW, by official PMO-lamation)
and, hey, I see he’s not only appealing to the Trailer Park Boys crowd for votes, he wants to hire some of them for, um, beer & dope instead of wages, to save the city some dough on construction costs. Everybody wins when you drive a Ford!
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/torontomayoralrace/article/849503
What does that say about the people who would vote for a guy who assaults his wife?
Sigh.
A guy who was accused of assaulting his wife. The charges were dropped:
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/428338
There is a difference, and you benefit no one by making statements that can’t be backed up with facts.
“There is a difference, and you benefit no one by making statements that can?t be backed up with facts.”
Hope you remember that when the Tories come up with their next tall tale.
Well, at least he’s an equal opportunity alleged assaulter; he’s been accused of bullying and slapping (much smaller & younger) men, too:
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/torontomayoralrace/article/835480–rob-ford-told-he-was-unwelcome-as-a-football-coach-at-toronto-high-school
@namesake – Except that’s not true (or at least supported by facts) either:
http://news.nationalpost.com/2010/07/28/rob-ford-never-assaulted-me-former-player/
There are many, many, many reasons not to elect this lying buffoon as mayor of Toronto. False and unproven allegations just aren’t necessary and are, frankly, beneath this blog.
Well, what I said was 100% true: he certainly was accused of slapping & bullying his charges.
And even if the alleged victim denies there was a slap, the To. Star is standing by it’s story* (that a parent in the stands testified that he witnessed that incident; plus there were others saying he had to be restrained from attacking the player when he swore back at him, and another student saying he saw him apply a chokehold on a different player in a different incident)
* http://www.torontosun.com/news/torontoandgta/2010/08/20/15091791.html
(*and I knew that when I posted the above.)
And there are certainly different forms of bullying: with verbal abuse being one of the most prominent kinds.
There’s little doubt in my mind, that he _is_ one of those angry, bullying, constantly insulting-one’s-masculinity coaches that ruin organized sports for so many, and there’s nothing in those Nat’l Post articles to suggest otherwise.
And I don’t think that’s an irrelevant consideration when considering the merits of a mayor, who must build a consensus b/w the various councillors and b/w the city and its unions & police & fire chiefs, among other things.
@Namesake – We clearly share the same opinion of the man, but I just find that it feeds the whole “everyone is out to get Ford” fire (which at this point is helping his campaign, not hurting it) when we repeat claims that are of dubious credibility.
The best example of the type of guy that Ford is can be found here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8EpSdyB0zY&feature=player_embedded
This is NSFW as it uses the F-bomb repeatedly. This video is an exchange between Ford and Globe reported John Barber. There’s a bit of conflict between the two before a third guy (presumably an associate of Ford’s) claims that Barber called Ford a “fat f**k”. Ford then goes into attack mode. The problem isn’t so much that Ford “defends himself”, but rather the glee on his face as he chases Barber down, refuses to let him on the elevator, etc.
Let Ford’s words and actions speak for themselves.
You know, of all the things to hold against Mr. Ford, I think this is the least amongst them. The guy’s platform will do more damage to the city than simple marijuana possession.
Still, it’s fair to ask him: do you believe that marijuana should be decriminalized? If not, why not? And what changed your mind between then and now?
He’s actually on record as favoring decriminalization. He’s seems to have a fairly consistent lite-Libertarian perspective on most social issues.
Does anyone else get kind of depressed reading the comments sections on the newspaper websites? I understand the “wild west” nature of those sections, but they are just so entirely devoid of thought, perspective, and intelligence (let alone correct spelling)…I just feel like banging my head against the wall every time I foolishly decide to skim through the comments.
The comments for the Ford articles are a perfect case-in-point. The Ford partisans just keep shouting “it was only a joint in his pocket, so what?”, completely missing the point that he directly and emphatically lied when first confronted about the issue (as he’s done in the past when confronted with bad behavior). He didn’t just deny it, he did so belligerently and feigned offence at the very question.
?I?m dead serious. When I say no, I mean never. No question, Now I?m getting offended. No means no.?
Just because we expect politicians to lie does not make it okay. This isn’t about smoking a joint – its about honesty, maturity, and common sense.
I have to admit, though, that I got a chuckle out of the handful of comments that described the Sun as a “left wing paper”. 🙂
Try being a teacher and reading the comments on any article that deals with education!
Interestingly, the Sun’s editorial board is starting to question Ford’s legitimacy….
I’m rapidly coming to the view that if Smitherman won’t do the honorable thing and tap out of his loser Babs campaign to help Rossi, the next best likely result is to see Ford win after all. That way, all the fools voting for him can suffer through four years of learning about the consequences of their actions. Rational people should concentrate on Council campaigns to make sure the inevitable – Ford getting nothing done – happens for the best of reasons instead of the worst of reasons.
Mulletaur is right: Ford’s fans are so deeply sold on the ‘little guy like me’ schtick that Ford could go on a killing spree in Riverdale with a chainsaw, and they’d explain the incident away as some sort of leftist con. The triumph of brand over reality is one of the most disturbing trend in politics today.
Ford could go on a killing spree in city hall with a chainsaw, and they’d explain the incident away as some sort of leftist con. I DON’T GET IT BRIAN YOU SAY IT LIKE IT’S A BAD THING
Why the hell would Smitherman, being the most seasoned polititician of the bunch, and soon to be winner and leader in the polls, jump out of this one man, one freak show race to help the fourth or fifth place Rossi? As in behind Pantalone and Thompson Rossi? If I was Rocco’s team, come September 1, I’d be wondering what the hell I was doing flogging a dead horse…..but his “team” does that often.
….speaking of fools and the people they vote for.
Of the many times Ford’s past has come to the surface (alcohol, abuse, lying, etc.), I am always reminded that Ford says “I’m only human. I made a mistake. etc.” How many mistakes, lapses in good judgement, should Torontonians allow a mayor?
donno ask miller, lastman
anyhow this whole thing will not hurt his campaign as much as the pileing on will hurt the”fat clowns”to use BRADS vernacular. just as an aside i do not want ‘ROCCO WHO”?
Write down this number and report to your Kommissar at the nearest railroad station.
Don’t forget warm clothes and a shovel!
99138
The tiresome Toronto leftish in-crowd is now scared Ford could win. Very scared. That is clear. Kinsella piling on simply underlines the obvious fear. Given that the Toronto in-crowd and their accepted opinion has been proven time and time again as badly wrong on every major and minor issue, this means Ford is a candidate to take seriously. Oh and just a friendly FYI: John Tory is a hapless fool in the dismal tradition of Joe Clark. Had he run for mayor he would have lost. If no other major players run for Mayor, look for Ford to win.
Evenger? Seriously? Is that even a word?
A bunch of digging for dirt by a lot of people.
Must be a lot of concern out there that the “people’s choice”,may win out over the choice of the “elites.
A fight when 18 and two other charges 11 years ago.Post says he was “charged” with assault against his wife.No elaboration as to whether he was found guilty,innocent or had the charges dropped.
Sounds like the establishment ganging up on the “rocker of the boat” in this election race.I wonder if he has been seen kicking the neighbors dog????
Tim,
How is Ford “The People’s Choice?” Even if the last poll was correct (doubful), then 68 percent of the city’s population doesn’t want this guy to be mayor. This is a guy whom, in Canada’s largest city, has railed against homeless shelters. The nasty rhetoric won’t fly here, Tim. Maybe you should stick to your forte: analyzing the Wild Rose province. The next poll will tell a different story.
DL
sigh, doubtful….no edit feature WK!
Derek;
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/toronto/story/2010/08/23/ford-poll.html
Guess not!
Not from T.O. , but this guy can not seriously be the front runner.
I’m sorry, but sometimes you really can tell a book by its cover and this guy is a meathead, plain and simple. Fought with them throughout public schooling. The thought that he would be mayor of Toronto is unsettling.
Oh and look above, “Tim from Alberta” says
“Post says he was ?charged? with assault against his wife.No elaboration as to whether he was found guilty,innocent or had the charges dropped.”
someone from Alberta is defending this meatheads abuse of his wife…ooops alleged abuse. Riiiight. Leave it to an Albertan to think that being charged with wife abuse is no big deal. judging from the quotes around the word charged I guess “Tim from Alberta” doesn’t believe the charges were even laid.
That province is an embarrassment to the country. Though it will be neat to watch them scramble when they have used all their drinkable water to extract oil for their US overlords(12 barrels of fresh water for 1 barrel of oil I believe). Hard to drink Tar Sands.
Hey, dude, I’m proud to be a member of the Alberta diaspora too…I’m assuming your critique of an entire province was satire?
oh, ok, he is not perfect, i will leave it at that. he will be great for the city, just give him a chance.