09.24.2010 07:36 AM

Toronto race: your morning’s quotable quotes

“Jodi Shanoff, an Angus Reid senior vice-president, said the poll’s 36 per cent of undecided respondents shows “this race isn’t over yet” despite Ford’s “significant” lead. “I believe many voters and observers continue to believe some kind of an implosion is coming.”” (Toronto Star, David Rider, Sept. 23)

“As is always the case with the politics of anger, those who support Ford are also those who will suffer by him. You get what you pay for, but lower taxes mean fewer services; and it’s the poor who need them most.” (Toronto Star, Christopher Hume, Sept. 23)

“But no one’s listening…As long as he and the electorate remain focused on the anger — and the fear that underlines it — the debate need go no further.” (Toronto Star, Christopher Hume, Sept. 23)

“On the other hand, unlike the majority of his supporters, Ford doesn’t lose sleep over money. “I don’t need this job,” he assured Galloway. “I have been very fortunate in life.” He was referring to the fact that he is a rich man thanks to Daddy (Douglas Ford)” (Toronto Star, Christopher Hume, Sept. 23)

“Smitherman still hasn’t given voters a clear idea of why he wants to be mayor — other than the job of premier wasn’t available.” (Toronto Sun, Editorial, Sept. 23)

29 Comments

  1. Paul R. Martin says:

    Wern’t you recently criticizing Christopher Hume?

  2. Anonymously Posted says:

    You realize, WK, that Rossi will have to drop out if his numbers don’t improve. With Sarah T. out and Pantalone to follow, Rocco will need to show significant movement of their voters to him. With less than a month to go, time is not on his side.

    • Warren says:

      Forgive me for not wanting to take political tips from a person whose email is “anonymous@invalidemail.net.”

      Oh, and grow a set and use your real name next time. Then I might listen.

  3. Brian says:

    Er, yeah. Citing Chris Hume three times in the same piece makes me start to believe all that Toronto Elite stuff.

    Arguably, if you want to blame ten people for the (temporary?) rise of Fordism, Hume and his self-indulgent lectures have to have put him up at #7 or so.

    At some point, someone in Team NoFord has got to figure out what I wanted to tell somebody back in January: this one will be won in the suburbs. Adjust message accordingly. It’s almost too late.

  4. Pedro says:

    It comes down to those opposed to Mr. Ford as mayor think that any who may support his ideas are unworthy of consideration.
    I would hope that all voters consider that a portion of Torontonians views will be disregarded in an ‘anyone but Ford’ result.
    Happy trails to Toronto.

  5. Andrew says:

    If you want Rossi to stand out from the other candidates at the next debate.

    Just have Rossi talk about what he will do for the city without any reference to Rob Ford. Everyone always has “I’m not like Rob Ford” or “Unlike Rob Ford, I will…” those types of statements just put more name recognition to RF because you hear RF’s name over and over.

    Its like a job interview, if you come in and start talking about the other job candidate who just left the room, who is the interviewer going to remember most or want to look at again over you.

    Rossi should also distance himself from the Thompson statement “We are working together against Rob Ford”.

  6. kyliep says:

    I’m happy to vote for Rossi if he has a reasonable shot of winning. I think at some point, though, perhaps in two or three weeks if Smitherman doesn’t drop below 20 and Rocco’s still polling around 10, then it may be time for your boy to step down, for the good of the city.

    • Warren says:

      The Star poll is bullshit. Was done nearly two weeks ago!

    • james curran says:

      What is also bull is that Rocco is “everyone’s second choice”. The fact is Rocco is Ford voter’s second choice. Smitherman is second choice to Rocco voters by a narrow margin over Ford and Smitherman is the overwhelming second choice to Pants voters.

      What is not bull is that Rocco, in a month of Sundays, cannot improve enough to cover the spread. At 10% with 26% undecided the numbers just don’t work. They just don’t. And that’s reality.

      But, what do I know. I don’t even have a degree.

      • kyliep says:

        if the poll is dated and there are new numbers that show a change in percentages, then cool. it’s just that i keep hearing that Rocco is on his way up but i’m not seeing it in any poll numbers. i realize a lot can change in 4-5 weeks so no advanced polls for me. if the situation reverses, and Rocco’s at 26 and George is at 10, then I know where I’m gonna vote. but my vote on october 25th will depend on the latest poll numbers and who is closest to ford.

        i realize it’s not fair to ask you to comment on hypothetical negative scenarios for your candidate, especially given all the work that you and your team are putting in on his campaign. i just hope that there’s a contingency plan for dropping out and supporting another candidate if things don’t go your way.

      • Leon says:

        So by your own calculations, you agree, Smitherman cannot beat Ford. If Rossi drops out, his supporters put Ford over the top. But if Smitherman drops out, we pull the anti-smitherman support away from Ford and he then becomes very beatable, whether pantalone stays in or not.
        Also if Sarah Thomson really wants to stop Ford, she would throw her support behind Rossi now which would finish Smitherman and allow the “real” race to start.

        • James Curran says:

          what a load of crap Leon. 21+26 =a Rob Ford Loss. Smitherman IS THE ONLY ONE THAT CAN BEAT FORD.

          • Leon says:

            With all due respect, it appears you are applying Smitherman math to your logic. I have NO idea where you are getting those numbers and how you got 47. I’m assuming you are throwing in Pantalone behind Smitherman, in which case it would be Ford vs Smitherman. Again, thank you for proving Smitherman can’t win. According to my math skills, 21+26= 47, which is less then 53% support Ford would have. Ford would win.
            James, Rossi doesn’t need Pantalone’s support to win. If Smitherman drops out and can deliver his supporters Rossi, given Rossi would pull a large portion of Ford support, Rossi wins.
            By the way, how did Smitherman’s camp come up with 2% of $1000 is $50. Most grade 5 students would tell you that is wrong! tt is $20.

  7. Northbaytrapper says:

    The Sun quote sums Smitherman up perfectly.

  8. CQ says:

    “lower taxes mean fewer services”…
    ..
    I can make do with subways that run less frequently than every three minutes on Christmas Morning.
    ..
    I can make do with the former fine standard gravel path along Grenadier Pond and without the dollhousic bench areas installed while the shoreline weeds and rushes are left to grow to a view blocking height of twelve feet. I can make do with the former non-working Keele & Bloor St. corner water fountain than the new & bland half-wall structure with a replacement shiny glass mixed-in gravel entrance way.
    ..
    I can make do without the raised and dedicated streetcar lane along the Queensway at High Park while dozens of riders are left to stand upon an old narrow passenger platform right in the middle of the confusingly urban Queensway /Queen St. / King St. intersection.
    ..
    I can make do without all the cement form pedestrian figure men along the pathways such as found along the Eglinton West trail near Kipling Avenue. I can also do without the cement inlaid bicycle lane figures, lines, and crosswalks rather than simple white paint.
    ..
    I can make do with all of the past 15 years’ worth of building / condo / and townhouse development allowed to be flush up against 1940s era road curbs. I would have wished for a five metre set-back bylaw to allow for the eventual widening of downtown streets to 2+1.5 lanes both way. The 1.5 lane would be for street parking and bike use.
    ..
    I can make do without roadway narrowing and bicycle lanes wide enough for two riders side by side.
    ..
    I can make do without the St. Clair Avenue based Transit City Plan which will mostly only shift existing ridership from buses to lane hogging raised bed streetcars. I can do without fancy plans which haven’t included the timing of the additional turning signals at each road intersection. I would want for the, separate ticket fare, diagonal freight rail line of Malvern to Dupont for reasons I have given elsewhere to better open up the city core to Park N Ride commuters of two major highways each serving the underserviced east and northeast half of Toronto as Kipling Station already does for the west.
    ..
    I can do without the currently planned Airport link that features a loopy detour to Woodbine Mall and Gov’t Payout Slots racetrack for weary travellers from Denver to Denmark rather than a straight in line across to Eglinton West Station. I wish the old Woodine racetrack at Greenwood was still around; the worked-in triple track looks like hell. Woodbine used to be a beautiful dual course and Greenwood always had a winter season buzz of excitement.
    ..
    I can make do without the water aid station help on hot days. What next, a government umbrella aid agency for rainy days?
    ..
    I can do without food banks. Meals on Wheels styled assistance is one thing, the rest of us can shop at the No Frills grade supermarkets while skipping the cookie aisle.

    • CQ says:

      I forgot to add:
      ..
      I can do without handout money’ed street fairs every May to September weekend and throughout every neighbourhood.
      ..
      I can do without committee people who shove the marathon(s) onto the cramped lane upon the wind chilled Lakeshore ave. waterfront at 7 a.m. on a seasonally darkened Sunday while the Subway only starts at 9:00 without any accomodation. This is like how bars were once unable to serve drinks during overseas Sporting Events like the World Cup. It is a made up regulation operational law. And, btw, there used to be one city Marathon right along busy Bloor and Eglinton many years ago (until the first and second place finishers colluded to split their prize money and the recorded win by finishing hand in hand in 1993).
      ..
      And I can do without every strike and walkout labour demand being urgently caved into. Living within our means is less cruel than adamantly forcing increased public debt every year.

    • Ed says:

      It’s hilarious that in a rant against taxes, you propose expropriating private downtown property for road widening. Do you realize that kind of project would be one of the most expensive ideas conceivable given the land value?

      • CQ says:

        It’s not about being against taxes. That’s the simpistic Neocon kool-aid talk. It is about not wasting money on frivolous and corrupt things like over-wage construction site watching cops and and transit ticket sellers who luxuriously drive in from faraway places like Burlington or Port Hope. Our small and uncompetitive Corporation base is also addicted to the welfare status quo trough. Recent Complaints about a Quebec City hockey arena? We gave Rogers a half billion stadium for a lousy 25 million (half of a baseball team’s yearly salary) right here in TO.
        ..
        We should never lower taxes blindly because we are already in a chronic debt hole at all levels of government. We should however spend upon structural and legitimately compassionate issues which will enable our city and region to grow.
        ..
        That firm flush-up to the curb building allowance has now condemned Toronto to never flexing any of its already out-of-date road veins for the next 100 years.

  9. sanwin says:

    You’re quoting 4 statements from the Toronto Starzeera criticising Ford ?

    What have you been smoking ?

  10. V. Malaise says:

    Bicycle lanes? Who needs bicycle lanes? That’s what sidewalks are for.

  11. Ed says:

    The only way for Ford to lose is for Rossi to stay in and cannibalize the Ford vote. Even if he doesn’t win, any votes stolen from Rob is a good thing.

  12. Dave Ross says:

    Hey Warren,

    Hume, Hepburn, Cribb (who will pay the piper) and the other leftards at The Star call themselves journalist! They should be fucking ashamed of themselves. These parasites give journalist a very bad name!
    BTW – I’m no Rob Ford supporter!

  13. Anthony says:

    Wow. Just saw latest poll. Eep. What’s going on with these numbers? Very bad news for everyone except Smitherman.

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