Dear God, was Olivia Chow always this useless? I don't live in the ward she represented, so I never paid all that much attention to her before, but I assumed there must have been something of substance behind her up-till-now successful career in politics. I'm beginning to suspect that "something" was her husband.
Let's recap: the Fords have just pulled one of the sleaziest political stunts in this city's history - that's not debatable, that's downright demonstrable - and when the current frontrunner correctly blasts them for it, Chow stupidly leaps to their defense because...why, exactly? Taking the so-called "high road?" Bullshit. There's nothing principled in sucking up to a corrupt family of con artists and grifters who also happen to be far right extremists, and who've dragged Toronto through mud for the past 4 years. Many of us here correctly deduced some variation on what was going to happen as the Sept. 12th deadline approached, and events played out pretty much as predicted. There's simply no excuse for professionals directly involved in the political scene to have not seen this coming, and there's even less justification for not calling the bastards out on it. This little episode is beyond the pale, even by the Fords' usual scumbag standards, and they need to be slammed for it. End of discussion.
But possibly she's looking at Tory as her biggest threat right now, and is simply responding accordingly? All right, fine, but surely there's a way to do that without sucking up to the #@$%& Fords! Or perhaps she still thinks there's a chance to peel off some of Slob 'N' Thug's base of loyal meatheads with this posturing? If so, that's even more misguided than adhering to a ridiculous high-minded ideal while your opponents approach Election Day as if politics were a blood sport.
I do not particularly care for John Tory, and I approached this election with the assumption I'd be voting for Olivia Chow. Now, I have nothing but contempt for Chow based on her snivelling, insipid "campaign" and a grudging respect for Tory. That may change, but I doubt it.
