The Star threw everything it had against Ford — and everything it had behind Smitherman. The Star — which still has the largest circulation of any newspaper in the Greater Toronto Area, and therefore some degree of clout — laboriously chronicled every one of Rob Ford’s misdeeds.

His mug shot from a Florida bust (a Sun scoop, by the by). His drunk-driving record. His drug possession charge. Even unsubstantiated suggestions that he had gotten too physical with others.

Most infamously, real estate developer Donald Trump lost his pea-sized mind on Twitter. Before President Obama won, Trump declared that the election had been a “total sham and a travesty.”

After the results were announced, Trump tweeted that “the world is laughing at us,” and went on to encourage “revolution.” Presumably against the duly re-elected president.

If a liberal had done that, of course, they’d be facing calls for a prosecution for treason right about now. But Trump — who later deleted his online musings — wasn’t alone.

All over the web, all over the dial, conservatives stated that the election had been stolen, that voters were fools, the vast left-wing media conspiracy was against them, or some combination of all three. Oh, yes, and that Obama was a socialist, African-born, and that America was damned to a lake of hellfire.

An Ohio Tea Party group issued a statement: “Socialists, welfare and unions took over this country yesterday. Today (we) wear black. The day America died.”

Rightist commentator John McCain (no relation) proclaimed that America was “Doomed Beyond All Hope of Redemption,” including inappropriate use of capitalization. Breitbart’s Ben Shapiro, who was on Sun News Network for much of the night, actually said: “The war begins now.”

The Wall Street Journal sniffed that Obama had “won ugly.” Mark Steyn, occasional commentator on Canada’s shortcomings and full-time country club bigot, wrote that “America wants to go off the cliff,” and “so be it.” Rock star and Republican Ted Nugent pointed at “pimps, whores and welfare brats” for the loss. Former funnywoman Victoria Jackson unfunnily attacked Christians: “Thanks a lot Christians, for not showing up. You disgust me.”

Here’s why:
 
• She’s focused on the economy: Pupatello was a Liberal MPP for 16 years, and was in several Cabinet posts during that time, including economic development. She left politics to become director of business development and global markets for PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. She is an expert on job creation from both sides, and that’s what Ontario needs.
 
• She’ll reclaim the political middle ground for the party. We’re living in divisive times, with a frighteningly high public debt and an economy that won’t rally. Times like this tend to polarize people, and draw them to the hard edge of the left and right wings of political thinking. But we need a strong voice for the middle ground. Pupatello is seen as coming from the right wing of the party, perhaps because of her corporate experience. She can draw the Liberals back to that unoccupied centrist territory.
 
• She’s smart, tough and together. I was education reporter for this paper, off and on, for 18 years and have seen a few education ministers pass through. Not one of them impressed like Pupatello. Her grasp of the issues was formidable, her passion for the topic was clear and her willingness to hold local boards accountable for continued student improvement was refreshing.
 
• Most of all, she is the person least associated with McGuinty. The Premier has been a lightning rod for the anger of Ontarians who are fed up with his policies. Anyone who was a member of his cabinet will be tainted by association, no matter how wonderful an individual he or she might be.

But Pupatello has been an outsider, and that’s all to her benefit. “He and I are very different,” she said recently about McGuinty. “We are different personalities, we look at things differently.”