04.11.2010 09:32 AM

Operation Alienation

The source, who isn’t involved in a campaign, said it appears prominent Conservative backroomer Jeff Bangs got fed up with “too many cooks” directing how to keep Smitherman the frontrunner in a marathon race that heated up unexpectedly early.

The “cooks”, they said, include Smitherman and Jaime Watt, a key figure in provincial Conservative campaigns in 1995, 1999 and 2003 and co-chair, with Smitherman, of Barbara Hall’s 2003 mayoral bid that saw her frontrunner status collapse in a loss to David Miller.

There’ll be plenty more scrambling for the exits before this thing is over. Believe me, I know.

9 Comments

  1. James Bow says:

    So, who do you like for the position of mayor, given the state of the field? Just curious.

  2. Raj says:

    James if you read WKs other related post you’ll see that he appears to be leaning towards Rossi. Not sure if you’ll get Warren to divulge anything more than that teaser.

  3. Brian says:

    Funny, I was just getting ready to make a Barbara Hall comparison. Now I won’t look quite so prescient. 🙁

  4. Derek Lipman says:

    GS shouldn’t be counted out just yet. It is still very early. Notwithstanding the fact that Bangs was his manager, the exit of a Mike Harris tory from the campaign shouldn’t be considered a bad thing. Maybe GS will shift a bit to the left (or centre), where the vast majority of Torontonians are situated. Last time I checked, the Tim Hudak- Sue-Ann Levy conservative types receive less than 20 percent of the vote.

  5. Brian says:

    I don’t count GS out, but the issue isn’t left, or right, or centre.

    The issue is: does George Smitherman have something to bring to the City of Toronto other than his legendary temper?

    And if so, why isn’t he willing to share even a sample of it when he’s already been a candidate for many, many weeks?

    Despite GS’s long years of ‘public service,’ I know more about the obscure Sarah Thomson’s vision for Toronto right now than I do about Smitherman’s.

  6. Mike says:

    Bangs available again? Time for John Tory to reconsider.
    Let’s put this GS nightmare to bed for good.

  7. Brian says:

    Incidentally, @ Derek Lipman, you’re crowing over the “exit of a Mike Harris Tory” from Smitherman’s campaign. Yet the other guy in the kitchen appears to be… Jaime Watt, a Mike Harris Tory. GS’s media flack is Stefan Baranski, a Mike Harris Tory.

    Kind of makes me wonder: where are all the Liberals, anyway?

  8. Derek Lipman says:

    Brian:

    You make some great points. I’d add that the temporary website is a bad idea, running a “classic front-runner” campaign is a bad idea, and flooding the “communications” and strategy positions with Harris tories is a bad idea. Erecting a big tent is one thing, but letting the Harris Tories run the show makes no sense whatsoever, especially after what they did to the City of Toronto.

  9. Brian says:

    Hey, I don’t have a big problem with Harris Tories.

    I just wonder why a guy who’s supposed to be the liberal flag bearer seems to be surrounded by nothing *but* Harris Tories. Sort of makes you wonder what all the Liberals who know him best are up to.

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