03.02.2011 04:42 PM

“Ford Nation”

He actually said that.

If he possessed the minutest amount of self-awareness (or irony), Rob Ford would be aware that he is getting mad at the Premier and the Minister of Finance for saying the very thing that he credits with winning him the keys to the Mayor’s office: to wit, “there’s no more money.” Tighten your belt. Make do. Stop complaining, etc. etc. You know, Rob Fordy stuff.

When Rob Ford says it, it’s okay. When someone says it to Rob Ford, well, he has a five-alarm hissy fit, and he makes asinine threats about mobilizing his (theoretical) army of winged monkeys.

This guy is going to win us just about every seat in the GTA. Just watch.

Member of aforementioned “Ford Nation.” Sizes may vary.

43 Comments

  1. JenS says:

    The “Ford Nation”??? Is that sorta like the KISS Army?

    I suspect it’s make-up is about the same.

    • Kevin says:

      Close. I think the KISS army would be the kids of the Ford Nation. One group is a bunch of malcontent misfits, while the other really loves KISS.

  2. Jonathan says:

    My first thought was, ‘no f-ing way, there must be some misunderstanding’. Nope.

    Dear lord I am glad I don’t live in Toronto right now.

  3. James Bow says:

    As I said on Twitter, I can’t help but wonder what Tim Hudak thinks about Rob Ford’s pronouncements. If Ford fails in his bid to shake down the McGuinty government, just who does he campaign for?

    Is he promising that Tim Hudak will increase provincial spending on the City of Toronto? Has he tried to get that past Randy Hillier?

    Or will Ford campaign for the NDP? Heh. That noise you just heard was the sound of the heads of the Sun editorial board exploding.

    But I am frustrated and angry, here: it is the height of hypocrisy for Ford to cut over $150 million from Toronto’s tax base, and then go to the province, cap in hand, for $150 million to fill the gap. If he really wants to fix his problem, he should raise his own damn taxes.

  4. Dave says:

    Now, I’ll admit that I’m a bit of a political neophyte, but it seems to me that in order for his Fordness to campaign against the Liberals for not giving TO more money, there has to be somebody on the other side promising to cough up some dough.

    Is that a position that the Hillier/Hudak PC party would take? Don’t know how well that would sell at the landowners rallies..

  5. Harith says:

    Ford is trolling Ontario.

    What nerve.

  6. Cow says:

    It also doesn’t even make *sense*. Who is he going to throw his support behind?

    Does he really believe Hudak/Hillier and the rest of the PCs are going to be dropping hundreds of millions on Toronto? In what universe is that even a possibility?

    Or is he about to throw his support behind the NDP? Because -that- would be a -fascinating- day.

  7. Andrew says:

    It may sound corny, but it is politics. Dalton is sagging in the polls and won’t want to stir a hornets nest of voters.

  8. Cow says:

    Wait! I figured it out!

    Rocco Rossi will descend on clouds beside angels, and cause hundred-dollar bills to rain all over Toronto. He’ll fix everything!

  9. Leon Brule says:

    I’m not so sure about that. I think Ford is setting McGuinty Liberals up for a serious beatdown. And please do not forget, the “winged monkeys” kicked Liberal ass in the mayoral election. In my opinion, it was Liberal arrogance that caused the Liberal funded, supported and mobilized defeat. A crushing defeat at that too wasn’t it.

    • Philip says:

      Not giving into Ford’s playground blackmail scheme plays very well outside of Toronto. I wouldn’t hold my breath waiting for Hudak to jump in to this with Ford. Even he knows this idea is a non starter outside of the GTA. Come to think of it all the Conservative chatter about the golden “Rob Ford” effect has really died down.

    • Ted says:

      “kicked Liberal ass”????

      McGuinty Liberals supported Ford in almost the same numbers as they supported Smitherman.

  10. Derek Pearce says:

    Well whatever happens in the GTA, he’s certainly gaining McGuinty brownie points across the rest of the province. Voters in Wingham or Windsor or Timmins will be content that the Big Smoke is not getting blackmail payments. I think the province should actually fund more of the operational costs of the TTC, but voters in those places wouldn’t agree with me.

    • Ted says:

      Exactly. If you lived outside of Toronto, even just in the GTA, would you want your taxdollars funding Ford’s tax cuts? And are you more likely or less likely to support someone who stood up to him? And are you more likely to support someone who said “um, well, maybe, I’ll get back to you on that after you elected me”?

  11. Wannabeapiper says:

    Megalomania->

    A psychopathological condition characterized by delusional fantasies of wealth, power, or omnipotence.
    An obsession with grandiose or extravagant things or actions.

    The poor poor man…………..

  12. 1weasel says:

    Sadly, it appears to be hereditary.

  13. hugger says:

    All that taken into consideration, it seems more simple to me;

    The Common Sense revolution in the end was about downloading.

    The Can’t A Ford it revolution seems to be starting off about uploading

    An aside; share their pain fellows and sisters of Ontario, they who suffer the indignity of the Maple Leafs yet still pay the exorbitant cost, reach out for your understanding and your wallets.

    Ya friggin’ pinko’s

  14. Sean says:

    1. Rob Ford didn’t even mention Hudak. That says a lot.
    2. Dalton McGuinty’s greatest strength is always coming off as (drum roll) “Captain Reasonable”. Rob Ford raising hell all campaign is exactly what he needs.
    3. Ford has about 10 times the charisma / charm / sound bite stamina of Hudak. He will take the spotlight and mix up the message. I foresee lots of fun between Team Hudak and Ford Nation.

    • Eric says:

      “3. Ford has about 10 times the charisma / charm / sound bite stamina” isn’t saying much about Mr. Hudak, is it? I agree about the sound bite aspect, if only for the reeeeediculous, repeatable nothings like ‘gravy train’ that he spouts … but Ford couldn’t have less charisma or charm the way the he mumbles and slurs into a microphone …

      • Sean says:

        IMHO charisma doesn’t mean “effective, knowledgeable” etc… It means that the person grabs your attention. IE Lex Luthor has just as much charisma as Superman, Joker as much as Batman and so forth.

        • Warren says:

          Superman and those other characters were make-believe, dude.

          • Jarek says:

            Are you telling me Rob Ford isn’t just a nightmare I’m about to wake up from??

          • Sean says:

            Come on, you’ve never theorized about fictional characters running for office? Whats the matter with you people?! If Santa Claus ran for mayor of Smurf Village, would Pappa Smurf authorize vicious attack ads saying “he’s not here for you”? What if Superman, Optimus Prime, Anne Shirley, Lisbeth Salander and Obi Wan Kenobi all ran in a Leadership contest? Would Anne Shirley really deliver all the delegates from PEI? Would Lisbeth Salander be haunted by all the baggage from her past? When elder party statesman Obi Wan Kenobi crosses the floor in a last minute “anyone but Superman gambit”, would Optimus Prime reward the Jawas with posts in the OLO? Would Anne Shirley and Lisbeth Salander bring all the women delegates to Superman just because they are the only females running? Is it appropriate for Superman to be dating a journalist? These are all important questions that need answering.

          • Warren says:

            Sean, you need a rest, big guy. We’re worried.

    • Namesake says:

      “He will take the spotlight and mix up the message…” — what, like Charlie Sheen? Ay, Caramba!

      Think his tantrums and meltdowns will help ANYONE but the media and local comedians?

      “Waah… they won’t give me any more money! Don’t they know who I am?! They’d be nothing without me? I’m going to hold my breath until we all explode….”

  15. Mulletaur says:

    I wonder what Randy and his folk think about the idea that the rest of Ontario should bail out Rob Ford and Toronto. Just a thought.

  16. Brad says:

    I can understand why people out west hate Toronto, I live in Mississauga, I am sick and tired of Toronto politics, on the TV, on the radio, in the papers, Toronto proper is not the centre of the universe

    • JenS says:

      I actually think that, if anything, this shines a light on why we not-in-Toronto-GTAers SHOULD pay attention to what goes on in Toronto – after all, Ford is trying to get US to pay for tax cuts that don’t benefit us.

  17. Sb says:

    “Five-alarm hissy fit” – Classic.

  18. Ron Johnson says:

    I love this blog.

    It gives me hope that there are intelligent voters our there somewhere…

    The idea that Ford can just cut the crap out of Toronto, gut environmental programs, freeze property taxes and cancel other revenue streams and then after all is said and done go to the province for money…. That is just jaw-dropping stupidity. And I agree with Warren, keep it up!! That might be Dalton’s best hope.

    • The Other Jim says:

      You miss the point. The whole issue is that Ford ISN’T cutting the crap out of Toronto. He wants to have his cake and eat ours too.

      He campaigned on the illusion that there was hundreds of millions of dollars that could be cut, deliberately reduced the city’s revenue, and now expects the rest of the province to pay for the shortfall because he hasn’t actually cut anything of substance.

  19. Outsider says:

    I have been predicting since late October that down the road, this buffoon is going to make the good voters of Toronto wonder what in the name of hell they were thinking of four years ago ….

    • JenS says:

      I sincerely hope they wake up sooner than four years from now!

      • Outsider says:

        Short of some form of impeachment, October/14 will be the first crack the voters will have at him, isn’t it? Unless you are suggesting people take the law into their own hands, so to speak ….

        • JenS says:

          No – I’m suggesting that in an earlier October, this October, voters will be voting Provincially, and I’m hoping they have by then seen how much of what Ford said was hogwash to not believe Hudak when he spouts the same drivel.

  20. V. Malaise says:

    Canada’s largest and wealthiest city can’t find enough moola to buy new manhole covers or whatever. Boo-hoo.
    Perhaps Trawna taxpayers should rent Calgary’s Mayor for awhile. He would sort out the mess that passes for Canada’s belly button.

  21. David Taylor says:

    Wellm at least the “village” of Toronto knows where its idiot is!

    300lbs of fun? Really?

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