^ Of course it will but the question is not if but when. The Tories have shot themselves in the foot again and in the last 10 years seem to be doing everything in their power to NOT get elected. Running for councillor in a little riding and running for Premier are too very different things. Ford's "ah, shucks" conservatism may play well at the local McDonald's in Etobicoke but won't help him in a debate where he has to answer real questions and isn't in control of the media. He will have to have to provide real, clear, and well articulated answers to a residence of every part of the province from different ages, races, incomes, geographies, etc unlike his monolithic little riding in Etobicoke.
Specifically on the transit file he is going to have to provide policies and fundings that go beyond "subways, subway's subways". He has already landed in hot water on the issue. He has stated he wants underground transit for Toronto but then what of RER, will he then tell those needed 416 & 905 voters that RER is off because it's not underground? How is he going to pay for all this underground transit and how will he reconcile it with him wanting to get rid of government waste? What other services is he willing to cut to build underground?. Why will LRT be OK for Hamilton but not for Miss/Brampton? Will he kick in more money so London can get the downtown tunnel or conversely pull funds from it's BRT because in his view buses are worse than LRTs? Will Ottawa get it's West LRT also underground?
Talking in simple platitudes at the suburban home-town Timmy's is one thing, explaining coherent policies to 14 million Ontarians in a televised debate is quite another.