Rob Ford's Toronto

[EagleEye]

When he comes back all the media outlets are going to make a BIG deal out of it, and really try to sell the comeback story. It's in all of their interests if he gets back in the game, so look forward to lots of skewed polls that make it seem like people are willing to forgive him, and lots of stories about how much fitter and calmer he seems now. It's going to be really gross.

I don't think they will be all over this in a positive way. I think they are going to do their darnedest to find him. In Dale's chat today he said he believes they should look for him and he doesn't sound convinced that Ford is or isn't in rehab.

 

[Dubster]

Still have to brace ourselves for the possibility the phone turns up jack.

 

[StatGeek]

Say it ain't so, Jenny James!

You know the famous saying, when you lose JJ, you lose the nation!

As for the media portraying Rob "come back story" There's a quote from Nate Silver (my favorite stat geek) During the elections the media isn't left or right wing. What they want is the best story and horse race and will spin the numbers to get the best story. Right now Ford numbers are flopping (approval and head to head) when he gets a slight bump from his return they will hype his "come back" even if his numbers are in the same position he was before and still show very little chance of winning. Just like the ice storm bump (that really wasn't)

 

[Jimmi T]

Still have to brace ourselves for the possibility the phone turns up jack.

True. The Star has sources close to Lisi and Ford who say they thought they were finished because if what's on the phone. But maybe it's not as bad as they feared

 

[pattycakes]

I don't think they will be all over this in a positive way. I think they are going to do their darnedest to find him. In Dale's chat today he said he believes they should look for him and he doesn't sound convinced that Ford is or isn't in rehab.

Rob's probably watching sports on Doug's really big screen TV in his non-elite home in Chicago. Wonder who's babysitting tonight? Mikey?

 

[VintagePunk]

I don't think they will be all over this in a positive way. I think they are going to do their darnedest to find him. In Dale's chat today he said he believes they should look for him and he doesn't sound convinced that Ford is or isn't in rehab.

I just finished reading the Dale chat, and at one point he said, paraphrasing, that Ford needs help, and he's not cynical enough to think that the primary motivation is anything but getting that help. It blows me away how kind and detached he can be, in spite of everything he went through.

 

[The Golem]

It's so true. This is guaranteed to be a main storyline when he returns. You can see it coming already and its sickening. If people really cared about Ford, they would be calling on him to sit out the campaign to get his shit together for real.

LOL. He's off work for 28 days in a spa, not trekking up a mountain for months of quiet reflection in a Tibetan monastery. There will be no redemption story from going without drinking for a few weeks.

 

[OSS 117]

I can sort of see that, perhaps? Maybe I'm reading more cynical media than you are, or maybe I have more faith in them than I should, not to turn on a dime and sell a redemption story to try and sell papers, but it seems that as of now, overall, not many are buying the genuine rehab-attempt story. I hope that continues. I think it's a case of "fool me once...fool me eighty six times..."



I'd like to echo everyone else's appreciation, Jimmi. Your contributions have gotten me through some very dark times. ; ) You obviously have connections to the media, (and more, I suspect but won't say, because I'm sure you value your privacy, and further speculation probably wouldn't help that!). But it would be amazing if you could somehow publish something after all of this were over. Anyway, thanks.

I'm thinking more of tv news than the papers, but I think it probably applies to print media too. The Star and The Globe are never going to ease up on him, but it will probably sell a few more papers if they can make it seem like Ford is still a legitimate threat, even if he isn't.

 

[VintagePunk]

I'm thinking more of tv news than the papers. The Star and The Globe are never going to ease up on him.

Okay, that makes perfect sense. TV reporting through all of this, with very few exceptions, has been abysmal. I don't think that will change.

 

[kbdid]

I just finished reading the Dale chat, and at one point he said, paraphrasing, that Ford needs help, and he's not cynical enough to think that the primary motivation is anything but getting that help. It blows me away how kind and detached he can be, in spite of everything he went through.

You know, I can believe that Ford himself is motivated by wanting help, it's Doug I have a hard time believing. Doug going on about yesterday being "the hardest day of my life"...if he was really on his brother's side, he'd be saying "today is the best day of my life". I've long believed that Rob wanted to do his best, but was just really not bright enough and then saddled with addiction, but always though Doug just wanted the power etc. I'm still not all that sympathetic to RoFo because he's a closed minded hick, but I don't think he's capable of being as devious as Doug.

As for rehab, why isn't the Ford family carting off Renata and Kathy? If Ford returns and his wife's still struggling, he'll have a hard time keeping clean (even if the whole campaign/media storm doesn't drive him to relapse).

 

[StatGeek]

Agree print has been decent to very good, even Peat at the Sun does a nice job. TV on the other hand has been awful, with the exception of Jackson Proskow of Global, who's awesome.

 

[Jimmi T]

You know, I can believe that Ford himself is motivated by wanting help, it's Doug I have a hard time believing. Doug going on about yesterday being "the hardest day of my life"...if he was really on his brother's side, he'd be saying "today is the best day of my life". I've long believed that Rob wanted to do his best, but was just really not bright enough and then saddled with addiction, but always though Doug just wanted the power etc. I'm still not all that sympathetic to RoFo because he's a closed minded hick, but I don't think he's capable of being as devious as Doug.

As for rehab, why isn't the Ford family carting off Renata and Kathy? If Ford returns and his wife's still struggling, he'll have a hard time keeping clean (even if the whole campaign/media storm doesn't drive him to relapse).

Renata got help last summer. Might have fallen off the wagon a few times since.

 

[VintagePunk]

You know, I can believe that Ford himself is motivated by wanting help, it's Doug I have a hard time believing. Doug going on about yesterday being "the hardest day of my life"...if he was really on his brother's side, he'd be saying "today is the best day of my life". I've long believed that Rob wanted to do his best, but was just really not bright enough and then saddled with addiction, but always though Doug just wanted the power etc. I'm still not all that sympathetic to RoFo because he's a closed minded hick, but I don't think he's capable of being as devious as Doug.

As for rehab, why isn't the Ford family carting off Renata and Kathy? If Ford returns and his wife's still struggling, he'll have a hard time keeping clean (even if the whole campaign/media storm doesn't drive him to relapse).

There have been times in the past that I have felt a twinge of sympathy for Rob. And then every time I did, those feelings were quickly extinguished by the next horrible thing he'd done. I think I'm past any sympathy for him. I don't see this as any more than a "my-back's-against-the-wall" move of political desperation. He basically had no other options. On a purely human level, I hope he gets well for his kids, who are innocent in all of this. Other than that? With all the collective and individual people he's poisoned, I don't really care.

 

[VintagePunk]

Renata got help last summer. Might have fallen off the wagon a few times since.

Good for her. I hope she finds the strength to make it stick.

 

[John_Dee]

Good gosh if you don't think Ford can sink any lower, today story of his threatening staff is actually just so predictable. Remember this is the guy who runs to the media (which I never see any other politician do) and call authorities because he claims there are threats to him. But he has no problem doing it to others and of course nothing happens to him.

That's a fair point. Rofo's constant shrieking about all the threats he's supposedly received - assuming there's any truth to those claims at all - is another example of his open and unashamed projection: It's fine for him to do it, but it's evil when done to him. If it ever really has been done to him. Utterly frickin' shameless.

Ford thinks public workers are lazy... Ford show up for work after noon and goes off drinking during the middle of the work day

He's also been caught napping on the job himself: http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/10/17/rob-ford-sleeping-photo_n_4117738.html

I don't think they will be all over this in a positive way. I think they are going to do their darnedest to find him. In Dale's chat today he said he believes they should look for him and he doesn't sound convinced that Ford is or isn't in rehab.

Chances are the National Enquirer and its ilk will be all over this along with many other, more reputable, news agencies. I don't doubt they'll track him down. Heh, heh, heh.

I just finished reading the Dale chat, and at one point he said, paraphrasing, that Ford needs help, and he's not cynical enough to think that the primary motivation is anything but getting that help. It blows me away how kind and detached he can be, in spite of everything he went through.

Oh, I entirely agree. Honestly, it's really quite impressive; If I was Dale, I wouldn't think there'd be a pit in hell hot enough for Ford. That's pretty close to what I do think about Mayor Assclown, and he's never personally fucked me over the way he did to poor Dale.