Rob Ford's Toronto

[pattycakes]

From Jeff Gray in today's GAM, writing about the condolence book:

"At its height, over the lunch hour a day after his death, more than 70 citizens stood quietly – rich and poor, old and young, of diverse backgrounds, men and women – waiting to sign, with a battery of TV cameras trained on them.

"By just the next day, the line was rarely more than a half-dozen people in length. The cameras were gone, and the snaking velvet ropes set up to keep the queue orderly were redundant. The crowds never came close to the hundreds who waited outside and filed through the rotunda during Mr. Ford’s term for a chance to buy a signed $20 mayoral bobble-head doll."

And from the same article:

"But some appeared to have little idea about Mr. Ford’s politics at all, attracted instead by his status as a celebrity. In an interview with local TV news channel CP24, One woman compared his effect on the city’s global profile to performers Drake and The Weeknd."

Yup, Drake The Weeknd and Rob Ford.

 

[pattycakes]

In addition to Doug, do you think they'd ask anyone else? Cherry? Chuvalo? Mikey? Dougie's a bit young but I wouldn't put it past someone (Doug) to tell Dougie to salute the casket.

Maybe Mikey will say a few words (written by Doug). No time like the present to begin public speaking, that's how Justin got his political start.

 

[JWBF]

What is with the Ford attempt to make "never give up" into some sort of family motto? "Winter is coming" it is not, but I might suggest "Shameless to the end" as appropriate "house words".

NON DEFICERE • AD FINEM INPUDICUS

 

[riffraff]

He doesn't need to keep his name out there. The voters in that ward will vote for anyone named Ford, so he won't even bother to do any camping. I don't know why they even bother with an election, we already know the results.

But Doug's not really talking to us, "the haters" or even Ford Nation. His sights are way higher, to those who have failed to notice that not only is Doug Ford the most prominent Torontonian, he's also the largest label factory owner in Etobicoke which qualifies him to run the country.

 

[JWBF]

I just had the thought that Levant and the other "journalists"at TheRebel will try to stream the spectacle.

 

[JWBF]

But Doug's not really talking to us, "the haters" or even Ford Nation. His sights are way higher, to those who have failed to notice that not only is Doug Ford the most prominent Torontonian, he's also the largest label factory owner in Etobicoke which qualifies him to run the country.

That's the Chicago way.

 

[riffraff]

The Fords put Tory in a horrible position. If he had said no to their request, he would have appeared to be cold and if he agreed, people like us would be furious. The Fords should never have asked, but as we know, they have zero class.

The Fords put the Tories in horrible positions federally and provincially. John Tory could have said No too. Its not like John doesn't know the rules the Fords play by. Maybe his position was "okay, I'll do it out of respect for your mom."

 

[JWBF]

Someone has to say it... The Ford Family played The Trump Card.

 

[pattycakes]

The Fords put the Tories in horrible positions federally and provincially. John Tory could have said No too. Its not like John doesn't know the rules the Fords play by. Maybe his position was "okay, I'll do it out of respect for your mom."

I think Tory might be a wee bit naive when it comes to the Ford family. Tory seems like a decent man, raised in a decent family, which is what the Fords take advantage of. The Fords on the other hand perceive kindness as a weakness, and like most bullies recognize people that are most likely to "bend over backwards" to their requests. Sociopaths, the lot of them.

 

[John_Dee]

"By just the next day, the line was rarely more than a half-dozen people in length. The cameras were gone, and the snaking velvet ropes set up to keep the queue orderly were redundant. The crowds never came close to the hundreds who waited outside and filed through the rotunda during Mr. Ford’s term for a chance to buy a signed $20 mayoral bobble-head doll."

This is another reason that Tory should have had the wherewithal to just say no to the Fords in this instance. If he was concerned about any kind of backlash against not letting Dofo highjack City Hall again, he needn't have worried. It looks like the projected outpouring of grief from the little people is going to be underwhelming as hell. The local media seems to be doing its part to drum up business, as evidenced by their attempts to hype the flowers left in Thug Senior Park, but the scarcity of tributes - there were maybe a dozen? - just made the whole enterprise appear more desperate than anything else.

 

[Jado]

So Renata's facebook page is .... Interesting.

 

[John_Dee]

And from the same article:

"But some appeared to have little idea about Mr. Ford’s politics at all, attracted instead by his status as a celebrity. In an interview with local TV news channel CP24, One woman compared his effect on the city’s global profile to performers Drake and The Weeknd."

Yup, Drake The Weeknd and Rob Ford.

And this is yet another reason that Tory should have turned the Fords down flat: All the attention currently being paid to this clan of jumped-up hillbillies has nothing to do with Ford's record as a civil servant, or even him being a former Mayor, and everything to do with his status as a tabloid tv "celebrity." Tory was elected in large part due to a desire to move past this kind of garbage and return sanity to City Hall. That being the case, I'd say it was his duty to block the Fords from any further carnival sideshows.

It's astonishing that we're still seeing this kind of nonsense not only after Rofo finally slithered out of the Mayor's office, but also after the man's death!

 

[Thinker]

Better check the clearance - wouldn't want him getting caught in those infernal streetcar wires.

Alternatively they could have Dave Haynes, Jerry and some of Rob's former football players hoist the casket onto their shoulders making for a solemn promenade . A caparisoned horse and caisson would be real classy, but probably too fancy for Rob (lying in repose at City Hall and a big church funeral in a big fancy church notwithstanding).

Here's hoping for a modest, sombre and restrained crowd with minimal wailing from Iola.

(Remember Khomeini. )

Sarah Thomson and her horse and wagon might just fit into the grand scheme of things....

 

[pattycakes]

And this is yet another reason that Tory should have turned the Fords down flat: All the attention currently being paid to this clan of jumped-up hillbillies has nothing to do with Ford's record as a civil servant, or even him being a former Mayor, and everything to do with his status as a tabloid tv "celebrity." Tory was elected in large part due to a desire to move past this kind of garbage and return sanity to City Hall. That being the case, I'd say it was his duty to block the Fords from any further carnival sideshows.

It's astonishing that we're still seeing this kind of nonsense not only after Rofo finally slithered out of the Mayor's office, but also after the man's death!

Our own Honey Boo Boo. We let him crap all over Toronto and then give a "state" funeral. Only in Toronto.

 

[JGHali]

This is another reason that Tory should have had the wherewithal to just say no to the Fords in this instance. If he was concerned about any kind of backlash against not letting Dofo highjack City Hall again, he needn't have worried. It looks like the projected outpouring of grief from the little people is going to be underwhelming as hell. The local media seems to be doing its part to drum up business, as evidenced by their attempts to hype the flowers left in Thug Senior Park, but the scarcity of tributes - there were maybe a dozen? - just made the whole enterprise appear more desperate than anything else.

The thing is, even better than not making a spectacle at all is allowing for a laughably failed attempt at spectacle. No better way to turn off the whole city than to allow full exposure of Doug's self-aggrandizing asshole personality.