Despite the perverse forecasts of some purported pundits, Rob Ford is hardly likely to be supported for re-election as mayor by any large number of Torontonians. You can clean him up, wash out his mouth with soap and buy him shirts that fit but a klutz is still a klutz. The only thing keeping his faint hope alive is the fact that he has two strong challengers. If there was just one, you would simply write off Ford as just another ‘loser.’
This is not four years ago when people were taking the mayoralty race in Toronto for granted. People believed in the ‘gravy train’ back then and desperately wanted to take back their city from the downtown councillors with their ties to the New Democrats and different priorities. George Smitherman, the former Liberal MPP, never connected with the Toronto suburbs and Ford won them by default. He will have a tough time convincing those people this time out.
Ford made his biggest mistake when he entered rehab in June. His loser supporters heard of his month long holiday in Muskoka. They did not mind the holiday as much as they resented his admission of needing help. He came back refreshed, a bit leaner and a little more fashion conscious.
What is really worrying his sycophants is that he has obviously decided to clean up his act. What’s the fun in a guy that fails to say whatever he wants? His supporters liked it when he fought with Police Chief Bill Blair, made surprise visits on the prowl, acting drunk, incoherent, and spewing racial slurs and do you really think he does not see when people are recording his antics.
But these are not the voters he can count on. The Etobicoke-centred Ford Nation has been shrinking. Ford can no longer sustain the image of returning citizen telephone calls beyond his base vote. He is starting to let down the side. His campaign needs new stimulus and he has nobody to supply him with the easy answers.
Ford is going to continue to struggle with the media and it will be just his pugnacious nature that people are going to continue to see. The media revel in his simplistic diatribes but are not interested in a new, nicer Rob Ford. Besides, the media are not the voters.
Either way, Ford is a loser. Prove the media wrong about him and he will become just another loser. Prove the media right about him and he will go out in flames anyway.
We will discuss the likely winner tomorrow.
-30-
Copyright 2014 © Peter Lowry
Complaints, comments, criticisms and compliments can be sent to [email protected]