It's a shame that most media covers Toronto Mayor as a clownish crackhead instead of what he actually is-- Canada's most prominent right-wing politician… and a clownish crackhead. Chris Christie is basically one crackpipe incident from being America's Rob Ford.
The rest of Canada's right-wing politicians are afraid of being tarnished by Ford's outrageous behavior, though not by his vehemently anti-family agenda. Today, when he finally admitted he had used crack-- after denying it for months and months-- he denied lying and just said to reporters "You didn't ask the correct questions." As of publication time, Ford still hasn't been taken into custody. He also says he has no reason to resign.
I just watched his re-elect speech! I live-tweeted it:
Inside the private Tory caucus room on the third floor of the legislature, Ford celebrated the victory of his loyal political lieutenant and longtime deputy mayor, Doug Holyday: By joining forces, the pair enabled the provincial Tories to claim their first Toronto election victory in 14 years.
At the campaign launch, Ford had warmly endorsed Holyday alongside PC Leader Tim Hudak; at an all-candidates' debate, Holyday gave him a grateful shout-out; and with the byelection triumph Ford swung by to give his blessings. So when Holyday was sworn in as the new MPP for Etobicoke-Lakeshore, Ford was the centre of attention at a reception inside the sanctum sanctorum of the Progressive Conservatives.
A polarizing force at city hall, Ford has cast a long shadow over Queen's Park since becoming mayor in 2010. That's because all politics is local-- especially provincial politics.
The opposition Tories embraced Ford as a godsend, a harbinger of a hard-right wave that could sweep Hudak to power by making inroads in Liberal-friendly Toronto.
The governing Liberals tiptoed around him, wary of a populist streak that could wreak havoc with their centrist, consensus-oriented premiers-- first Dalton McGuinty and then Kathleen Wynne.
Across the political divide, Ford was either revered as a demigod or reviled as a demagogue.
Hudak cozied up to Ford conspicuously, attending the mayor's annual barbeque in Etobicoke (though he missed the last one). Quite apart from their personal bond, however, Hudak has consciously appropriated Ford's political vision and vocabulary.
He spouts the same "gravy train" slogan made famous by Ford. And he has embraced the mayor's aversion to LRTs, insisting subways are the only form of mass transit worthy of a big city.
But the Tory leader isn't the only politician to fall under Ford's sway. McGuinty also acquiesced to the mayor's muddled thinking on subways by agreeing to bury, belatedly, the entire crosstown Eglinton LRT (until he and city council subsequently came to their senses). Wynne also buckled, opportunistically, to Ford's anti-LRT mindset by opting for a subway through low-density Scarborough.
For the Tories, the optics and politics of their close association with Ford will be hard to live down. When police chief Bill Blair confirmed that an incriminating video was in hand last Thursday, the Tories swiftly shifted into damage control:
As reporters sought comment from the normally voluble Holyday, Hudak's press aides literally tugged at the rookie MPP to leave, cutting off further questions. Again on Monday, when Holyday wandered over to chat, Tory communications aides scurried over to run interference-- until the MPP reassured them he was making small talk with me about a recent pickup hockey game.
Tory strategists say their current hypersensitivity is understandable. Many MPPs are mortified by the mayor's behaviour and want Hudak to keep his distance. Ford on his way up was assumed to be a net positive for the party; but a big city mayor on his way down is seen as a potential drag on Hudak.
The mayor's maverick brother, Doug, could also cause trouble for the Tories. He keeps musing publicly about running in the next provincial election in Etobicoke North-- a prospect Hudak has publicly welcomed but privately dreads. The mayor, however, is relishing his brother's provincial ambitions:
"Doug will be provincial, he will be premier one day," Ford boasted to a radio host Monday.
Realistically, the Ford factor may yet fizzle out by the time of the next election, just as it waned before the last one in 2011. After all, the Liberals' Fortress Toronto did not fall to Ford Nation two years ago.
So is Ford Nation an exaggeration? It would be a mistake to understate the impact of the Ford brothers, for they have coarsened our political discourse. Skewed policymaking and populist rhetoric will be their enduring legacy at Queen's Park, long after the Fords lose their grip at city hall.
Apparently two more Rob Ford videos are now in police custody and they are "bombshells," though not necessarily relevant to his crack cocaine addiction per se. There's stuff about rampant criminal activities and all the usual sick conservative obsessions with homophobia and racism. It all harkens back to Ford's Mussolini-like mayoral campaign. His right-wing populism and clownishness made him a hero among lo-info voters who distrust government and distrust elites. His blatant corruption is typical of conservative politicians in the U.S. but way beyond the pale for Canadians… and difficult for many Canadians to come to terms with.
Ford has taunted the police to arrest him and says he's not resigning. On Kiss 92.5FM he said, "If I did something illegal, then arrest me. Obviously I haven’t." It's just a matter of time before the police do release the video and do arrest Ford, hopefully this evening. I'm not sure why it's taking so long. Politicians always get special treatment, especially white ones.
 |
| Rob Ford: Chris Christie/Steve Stockman Meets Benito Mussolini |
.png)
