[nfitz]

One thing about Rossi worth noting: way back at the Good Friday procession-of-the-cross, he was marching together with Art Eggleton--I suppose that counts as an endorsement, or something...

What were they cross about?

 

[GraphicMatt]

Hmm ... an interesting thought. I'm not sure the logic though - education is a provincial responsibility; there's little influence, if any, the mayor has on curriculum and policy. So if one is opposed to the teacher-centric system where they force-feed you curriculum every day until they brain wash you ..., the you wouldn't want them?

You'd prefer followers to thinkers?

I think any one who seeks to represent the public but feels that because they have money their children are entitled to 'better' education than the general public is - not to put too fine a point on it - scum.

 

[nfitz]

I think any one who seeks to represent the public but feels that because they have money their children are entitled to 'better' education than the general public is - not to put too fine a point on it - scum.

I think anyone who supports the current education system of brain-washing children is a child-abuser - and also scum.

Though most of the private schools - particularly the expensive ritzy ones, are the worst offenders in this! That would make them the scum of the scum!

 

[GenerationW]

That concludes another edition of point-counterpointless, thanks for watching.

 

[kettal]

You have to feel kind of bad for Rossi. His plan was to win by sweeping the suburbs, so he painted himself into a corner by pitting downtown against the suburbs. And then Rob Ford shows up.

 

[SimonP]

You have to feel kind of bad for Rossi. His plan was to win by sweeping the suburbs, so he painted himself into a corner by pitting downtown against the suburbs. And then Rob Ford shows up.

His response seems to be dumping a lot of money on radio and internet ads. Spending so much so soon might be necessary for him to stay in the game, but it makes it much harder for him to compete in the fall. Rossi has also been paying to rent and staff a campaign office since February. Smitherman has also been spending, with an office open since March and a few radio ads.

The big four campaigns will all be spending to the cap, so any money spent now means less to spend in the fall. Joe and Ford seem to be spending next to nothing at this point, and are also haven't been unveiling many policy announcements. This makes sense, as both have a firm base that will keep them relevant no matter what. Every campaign has about $1.2million to spend, and my guess is Joe and Ford are saving almost all of that for a media onslaught come September.

 

[Second_in_pie]

I think any one who seeks to represent the public but feels that because they have money their children are entitled to 'better' education than the general public is - not to put too fine a point on it - scum.

Well, they're not even getting a better education. With teacher's salaries in Canada, a teacher will actually get paid better in the public system than in private schools, meaning the best teachers will go public. What private schools give children is an unfounded superiority over others. When a parent sends their kid to a private school, they're really just buying their way into a better future life. The myth of meritocracy, they're not actually smarter coming out, just in a superior social position.
When you look at it like that though, it makes them seem a lot scummier.

 

[urbandreamer]

I warned Mr Rossi that he was gonna become the fringe candidate. He represents Mr and Mrs Uptown Toronto. No one else.

Re: Art Eggleton and Rossi marching together--what's so surprising about that? They've been buddies for years, often have dinner together....

 

[GraphicMatt]

Rossi's advertising slogans have been ridiculous. First it was "the only candidate who's not a political insider" which is insane coming from a guy who's worked in the political back room for decades. Now it's stuff like "a proven track record of getting it done" which, again, it doesn't seem to me like he's accomplished much beyond bring Ignatieff to Canada and nearly destroying the most successful federal political party in the history of the Western World.

 

[kettal]

Rossi's advertising slogans have been ridiculous. First it was "the only candidate who's not a political insider" which is insane coming from a guy who's worked in the political back room for decades. Now it's stuff like "a proven track record of getting it done" which, again, it doesn't seem to me like he's accomplished much beyond bring Ignatieff to Canada and nearly destroying the most successful federal political party in the history of the Western World.

Those were pretty bad, but I think he really went too far with this one:

 

[GraphicMatt]

Hah! That wins my Favourite Thing of The Day award.

 

[Prometheus The Supremo]

Rossi's advertising slogans have been ridiculous. First it was "the only candidate who's not a political insider" which is insane coming from a guy who's worked in the political back room for decades. Now it's stuff like "a proven track record of getting it done" which, again, it doesn't seem to me like he's accomplished much beyond bring Ignatieff to Canada and nearly destroying the most successful federal political party in the history of the Western World.

10-phrases-you-should-ban-from-your-resume

 

[adma]

Re: Art Eggleton and Rossi marching together--what's so surprising about that? They've been buddies for years, often have dinner together....

Except that it's not "commonly" known/played up--interesting because an endorsement by "ex-mayor" Eggleton ought to give Rossi a certain cred, shouldn't it? (Or maybe it's because it's been nearly 2 decades since Eggleton was mayor, ancient history.)

More amusing was my catching a glimpse of a LeDrew/Rossi (bald, four-eyed)tete-a-(bald, four-eyed)tete on TV today...

 

[js97]

ROssi must me making waves drawing all these spears from everyone.

 

[Eug]

Colour me surprised.

Ford catches up to Smitherman

The survey of 405 Torontonians was conducted by Forum Research Inc. between Friday and Sunday and provided exclusively to the Star. It found that, among decided voters, 29 per cent would vote for Smitherman, compared to 26 for Ford, 17 for Sarah Thomson, 12 for Joe Pantalone, 10 for Rocco Rossi, and 4 for Giorgio Mammoliti.

That gap between Ford and Smitherman, the former deputy premier, is within the poll’s margin of error — plus or minus 4.9 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

“It’s a dogfight between Ford and Smitherman — they are well ahead of the others,” said Forum president Lorne Bozinoff in an interview, adding that 44 per cent of respondents in the telephone poll were undecided.

But when offered a slate that added John Tory, a centre-right conservative who shocked his supporters by announcing in January that he wouldn’t run, respondents stampeded toward him and away from Ford.

Tory was way ahead with 38 per cent of decided voters, compared to 19 for Smitherman, 14 for Thomson, 13 for Ford, 10 for Pantalone, 4 for Rossi and 2 for Mammoliti. Also, the percentage of undecided voters plummeted to about 30 per cent.

-

Also remarkable, Bozinoff said, is the fact that Thomson, the Women’s Post publisher and recently a political unknown, is polling ahead of Pantalone, the deputy mayor, and Rossi, the former chief executive of the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario.

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A Globeandmail/CTV/CP24/Nanos poll, also released Sunday night, similarly had Ford and Smitherman in a dead heat, with Ford slightly ahead at 17.8 per cent compared to Smitherman’s 15.9 per cent. That gap is within the margin of error for that poll of 1,000 Torontonians between June 7 and 11.