09.09.2010 07:31 AM

Furious acting curious

“…one point has become perfectly clear: Smitherman is running aimlessly through political no man’s land; he won’t survive out there for long.” (Spacing Toronto, John Lorinc, Sept. 9)

“…he’ll never out-do Ford, but his eagerness to try will alienate the centre-of-the-road voters he should be assiduously courting.” (Spacing Toronto, John Lorinc, Sept. 9)

“Given that Smitherman seems determined to cede vast tracts of his political messaging to Ford, I’m guessing there are now thousands of voters — many living in the older core areas – who no longer have any idea whom to support.” (Spacing Toronto, John Lorinc, Sept. 9)

“But if Smitherman and his team were paying attention for the past two or three years, they would have recognized that the…“war on waste” message took precedence.” (Toronto Star, Royson James, Sept. 9)

“He could have owned this issue. Now, all he has left is a risky gambit that might confuse voters.” (Toronto Star, Royson James, Sept. 9)

“Now, as the Toronto mayoralty heads into the final weeks and an Oct. 25 voting day, Smitherman is struggling to create a persona, an easily digestible vision of what he stands for.” (Toronto Star, Royson James, Sept. 9)

“When it was pointed out to [Smitherman] that he was sounding all too much like Ford — who has pledged to do away with both the Land Transfer and Personal Vehicle Taxes plus many councillor perqs — he insisted he is THE ONE with experience managing “substantial” budgets.” (Toronto Sun, Sue Ann Levy, Sept. 7)

“But let’s not forget that this is the same guy who in his maiden speech to the Board of Trade and in subsequent interviews last December — when the polls put him on top — said he would not touch the land transfer or personal vehicle taxes” (Toronto Sun, Sue Ann Levy, Sept. 7)

“From the beginning, his campaign has suffered from a bewildering incoherence…he seems to want the job desperately because … well, because he wants the job desperately. What, exactly, he would do with it if elected is less clear.” (Globe and Mail, Marcus Gee, Sept.8)

4 Comments

  1. Paul R. Martin says:

    I realize that you (Warren) live in Toronto; however’ there are interestin races in Vaughn, Mississauga and Brampton. Politics in Vaughn has appeared to have been a cesspool for some time. Old Hazel will be 93 at the end of her next tem if she lives that long. In the meantime, damming evidence against her has emerged in a judicial enquiry. In Bramton, our current Mayor (Susan Fennell) seems to think that she is the key to the well being of the City and wants to stick around for another 20 years. I will not be voting for her, due to a run in with her in which I felt that she displayed unwarranted arrogance. (I apologize for any spelling mistakes in this personal rant.)

  2. Scott says:

    Smitherman has defined himself:

    Bad personality, will say/do anything to try to get elected, arrogance, media darling up to this point, immature.

    I wish he’s stop telling us “I had a good gig before I ran for Mayor.” Yeesh.

  3. Namesake says:

    (oops, that last was meant as a reply to Scott alone; WK just put that other story out there w/o predicting how damaging it would or should be)

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