Musings —10.22.2010 02:22 PM
—Conservatives! Don’t read this Ekos poll! It can’t be right!
I post this only to note that various commentators were obviously right when they said that Frank Graves clearly is a Liberal agent provocateur, and his numbers are not ever to be trusted by Conservatives and conservatives.
I suggest who the winner will be, BTW, in my Sun column on Sunday. Who d’ya think I pick?
(And, also BTW, his support among New Canadians is astonishing – or is it? Worth reading, too.)
Probably Ford, by six to eight points. Unfortunately. Either way, thoughl Torontonians should spend the next couple of months stocking up on canned/dried food. Maybe get grandad’s shotgun up out of the basement.
In other words, your team can’t hold Toronto so let’s go with fear? What’s next his weight? What about his religious beliefs?
Simple message, less spending less waste. Respect for taxpayers. A concept that is foreign to those on the gravy train.
Now CanadianSense, can you actually say that what Ford has thus far demonstrated augers well for future competence on the mayoral front? Call me an idiot for suggesting that the jury is still, rightly, out on that one! He may turn out to be a great mayor — or an incredible dud but either way, can’t we agree that the proof will be in the pudding and leave it at that?
You know, if I didn’t know better, and I usually don’t, I’d say our pal Warren wants Mr. Ford to win, now with Mr. Rossi’s absence.
It’s going to make a McGuinty re-election campaign a hell of a lot easier, no?
That’s an interesting theory.
McGuinty is already in re-election mode flip-flopping like a fish out of water on several issues, i.e. power plant in Oakville, eco-fees, allowing MMA in Ontario to name a few. All political parties are watching Toronto with a keen eye as Toronto represents a ransom of tax monies. The provincial and federal government don’t want the Toronto Money Tree to be taken away or have an electorate that will demand the money tree be left alone.
As mentioned in an earlier post, immigrants are running business that require long hours and the last thing that they want is more taxes taken out of their pockets. You should have heard the tirade a shop keeper gave me over the plastic bag fee and other fees he has to pay and collect.
Warren, I don’t know how many relationships you have with immigrants or how deep they go but, if you have any kind of REAL connection with them, you are aware they abhor homosexuality. So much so in fact that, well, you know what Muslims think or *shudder* want to do to them. Smitherman is an OPENLY GAY MARRIED FATHER. You wouldn’t believe the discussions I have with my muslim/sikh neighbours. Smitherman could be the nicest, most gentle, most brilliant guy in the world (which is NOT the case 😉 ) but his *lifestyle* means a complete and unquestioned disqualification as leader of anything… That fact alone takes a good chunk out of the Smitherman immigrant vote and the other part is his dismal stint with McGuinty and e-health and taxes, taxes, taxes…
You’re only half-wrong here, Consinuater, which I guess is a 100% improvement, for you:
as of 2006, half the city’s pop. was born out of Canada, and half of _them_ — or 25% in total — had been in the country less than 15 years at that point.
http://www.toronto.ca/toronto_facts/diversity.htm
Anyhow, I’ll try not to touch any more of your absurdist, extreme & divisive comments w. a 10 ft. pole, anymore
(tho’ I wish you’d read the Manning piece decrying your type of extremist rumour-mongering that I linked to yesterday — http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/opinions/opinion/stop-polarizing-our-discourse/article1765930/
rather than respond any further to that distorted “Iggy wants to starve N. Korea” story you resurrected that was seeded by Jason Kenney’s director of communications: http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Politics/2009/06/24/9916141-sun.html
And even your Stephen Taylor (who relays your talking points each week) expresses some regret for the “salt the earth” strategy you so ardently pursue, at http://www.stephentaylor.ca/2009/07/introduction-to-canadian-media-and-politics/
However, re: your comment above about the fallout when Ford wins: “…Layton relapses,” I’ve gotta say:
Dry up, creep. (another person’s) Cancer is no laughing matter.
I can never understand why people complain about “flip-flopping”……WHO CARES!!!!
What matters is the result! How can you slam a guy for allowing MMA? The people said they wanted it, and he gave it to them. Isn’t that what we should want out of our political leaders?
Quit whining and give credit where credit is due.
Flip-flops are fashionable summer sandals, but I – and many others – don’t care about the political flip-flop shoes!
The “whining” stage is pretty much over… voters apparently start to roar!
Warren,
Here’s hoping that it plays out just right!
Allegra,
Please give the high heels a rest lest you end up like poor mom with a hammer toe. (And she never even went beyond a three-inch heel.) Just saying.
Hmm…. the Province of Toronto seems to be going to heck in a hand basket. Perhaps Mr. Ford just might do some good, that the past lot haven’t?
I noticed that the voters who the NDP and social democratic allies support (the poor, working class, seniors, less educated) are supporting conservative candidates locally and the Conservative Party provincially and federally. Since working class people tend to be less educated, Ford’s simple message of “Stop the gravy train” resonates with these particular voters. Yes, there are highly educated people voting for Ford. Nothing is absolute in support for or against a candidate.
Why does Ford resonate with people not born in Canada? It might be because many of them are thinking of survival needs of food, shelter, and clothing. Ford gives them the message that he will cut taxes so that people can have better necessities of life. I remains to be seen if he accomplishes the task of cutting taxes if he becomes the next mayor.
Pantalone supports the arts. However, to many voters, the arts are a secondary need (unless you are a starving artist). People who are well-off can participate in arts, sporting, and other community activities. People who need to save their money for food, shelter, and clothing will likely support Ford.
Last year, Conservative blogger Daryl Wolk from Newmarket-Aurora posted a polling division map of ranging support for Conservatives and Liberals based on the last federal election results. There was very little difference between neighbouring polling divisions that either had a WASP or mixed community vote. I will suggest to Rocco Rossi that if he chooses to run in the next federal or provincial election in the 905 region to get rid of his “son of immigrants” tag. While suburban voters are proud of their cultural ans social backgrounds, they do focus on survival needs such as paying for mortgages, buying good clothes, and eating good food. Stop thinking about multiculturalism; start thinking about pluralism. People are defined in different categories under multiculturalism; people define themselves under pluralism. Also, don’t mention that you received a scholarship to attend Upper Canada College. While I’m sure that it’s a great school. it is distant in the minds of 905’ers.
Toronto wants to be a world class city – been a wannabe for soooo long and it needs one hell of a shake-up. If Bryant hadn’t had the misfortune to hit a cyclist he would have been my choice. Right now we have Bully-Boy George who loves to give out sweet consultancy roles and Rob Ford who has a brain the size of a pea and a mouth that seemingly operates without connection to the grey cells.
I became a Canadian the other week and will exercise my very first vote for MMM and for mayor – well, Smithers if I have to – but council needs a total overhaul if it wants to lead TO out of the wannabe to a real first class metropolis.
Mind you, with Boris Johnson hacking his way through the UK’s Big Smoke (London), being world-class is over-rated