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2014 Municipal Election: Toronto Mayoral Race

Riverdale Rink Rat said:
So the 'Chow is worse than Ford' dementia has now affected Tory haters? Make no mistake, I'm not a fan of some of his policies (particulary on transit), but he has been a responsible manager of a very large corporation, and HE DOESN'T SMOKE CRACK IN DRUNKEN STUPORS.

There is NO equivalent amongst the leading and respectable fringe candidates to Ford. The only thing, THE ONLY THING, that 100% for certain has to happen in this election is that Ford must be defeated.

I have no issue with people being passionate for or against the other candidates. But you lose me every time you make a Godwin's Law reference to Ford -- Fordwin's Law?
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I was restricting my comments to their policy statements, such as they are. No doubt Tory is a decent guy, especially compared to Ford. Personal issues are by and large irrelevant, except when they reach the extreme levels of Ford's behaviour and its clear impact on his ability to do his job (which, even if he were totally straight edge, would I guess be very limited).

I was referring to the fact that both Ford and Tory seem to be trotting out the same worn-out ideas. Both have promised subways with no clue how to pay for them. Both are not keen on LRT, despite the evidence that there are places where it works: Ford has come out vehemently against it, while Tory has essentially pretended LRT does not exist, all the while concocting elaborate schemes such as this SmartTrack business (relying on highly speculative tax increment financing = if you build it, they will come and pay for it). Tory has not said a peep about buses. Apparently they're not as important or exciting as drawing big lines on a map.
 
I feel like this was a bad move regardless of the merits of the plan itself. He should avoid thinking out of the box platform items (like religious schools..) and just sell his competent, sane alternative brand.
 
I did see Sarah Thomson handing out literature around 5:00 at Bloor & Sherbourne today. Btw/her casual wear, her dreads, and her tan, she looked strangely "weatherbeaten"--like the kind of character you'd expect at *Dundas* & Sherbourne, perhaps.
 
The only thing missing from John Tory's transit plan is air-cushioned trains. They should be ready by 1974:

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(Toronto Star 29 May 1969)
 

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JasonParis said:
I suppose he's playing politics here and trying not to make "Ford Nation" feel TOO stupid for their 2010 vote. Nonetheless, his spineless 'benefit of the doubt' stance with Rob Ford, despite scandal after increasing scandal, left me with the feeling that he's not much of a leader whatsoever (or talk show host for that matter).
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Agree, talk radio callers are obviously is over-represented by Ford Nationists and he rather pander to them than go hard on Ford like a John Moore or a John Downs. Sure Moore & Downs are left leaning talk show host, but even right-wing talk show hosts like 640 Bill Carroll had the self respect to say "Ford has lied to me and my audience many times" and is critical of Ford constant lying and refused to have Doug on the air. Something Tory never had the guts to do, confront the Fords when they are on the air with him. That says everything you need to know about Tory

I always thought it's very easy to see who the Fords think are media shmucks, if they go to your show regularly, they think you're a shmuck because they would never go to a host who will ask them tough question.

I mentioned this on the Ford thread but probably should mention it here. I thought it was something that Tory was half an hour late to a mayor debate this week, because he was doing a guest radio co-host spot on CFRB. (To be fair Olivia did it as well a day or so later, but she wasn't late to a debate, but bad scheduling on Tory part )

Even though I don't think Thomson is perfect (oh god I sound like a Ford there lol) but I don't know why she gets ripped on so much. She was easily my favorite from the previous election, she was the only one who called Ford "Subway with pixie dust" as BS and she talked about building subway with revenue tools. She was the first to go in public and say it looks like Rob Ford was on drugs and she seems to have told the truth about being harassed while many others (including Fords themselves) called her every name in the book while the drugs and harassment now seems to be total truth (BTW not a single apology by the Fords or media/talk radio members who attacked Thomson) She could be a bit flaky at times but she's okay in my book. (She needs to stop with the Chow/community housing thing though)
 
i love how the title kinda disagrees with the first paragraph...

Morgan Baskin fights sexism on election trail
Young mayoral candidate says unsolicited advances from men are frustrating but won’t deter her from campaign for "digital, global, and green" city

If 18-year-old Morgan Baskin had known she would receive up to five unsolicited advances from men each day of her campaign, she might never have registered to run for mayor.
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http://www.nowtoronto.com/news/story.cfm?content=198252
 
evvabeing said:
Morgan Baskin fights sexism on election trail
Young mayoral candidate says unsolicited advances from men are frustrating but won’t deter her from campaign for "digital, global, and green" city
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this young woman has impressed me continuously since she registered last winter

my second choice is ari goldkind
 
If we had ranked ballots (and I hope we do soon), Ari Goldkind would be [edit: MY] number one. Everyone who's heard of him that I know has nothing but good things to say. Even David Soknacki likes the guy. Soknacki and Chow would be competing for number two spot. I wouldn't go beyond a third choice.

I went on Soknacki's walk along the route of the Scarborough LRT extension from McCowan to Sheppard/Progress today. It was an experiement on their part, but it had a mostly unscripted candidate talking in a small crowd, similar in format to a Jane's Walk, but more campaigning and politiking. I came away impressed.
 
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ShonTron said:
If we had ranked ballots (and I hope we do soon), Ari Goldkind would be number one. Everyone who's heard of him that I know has nothing but good things to say. Even David Soknacki likes the guy.
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I imagine that if Goldkind ever became a threat, his opponents would go after him for being a criminal defence lawyer. I can almost hear Doug Ford saying something like, "this guy protects rapists and pedophiles!" Unfair, of course, but potentially effective. Come to think of it, has there ever been a successful criminal defence lawyer turned politician?
 
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