[condovo]

Really? Strong words. I know nothing about her, but her background looks inspiring.

Dig a little deeper. The 'beautiful,' urban left scored some bigoted, intolerant points tonight too. Shameful. Sh*t smells the same whether it's from the sanctimonious left or the reactionary right.

 

[GraphicMatt]

I really don't think the Ford-supporting mentality goes that deep. Remember that most people don't pay attention to politics at the same level that we do. Ford offered simple solutions to complex issues.

It's a bit, like, and I understand this is a dumb and strained analogy, but remember the movie 'Armageddon'? Remember how Bruce Willis and crew had this big plan to carefully drill into the asteroid and then carefully detonate a small explosion to knock it off course? But then there was some evil astronaut guy who had an alternative plan which was simply to use a nuclear bomb to blow up the whole damn asteroid?

That I'm even saying this is weird because I didn't much care for Armageddon but I bet a lot of Ford voters loved it. But there it is: it's nuanced strategy versus just blowing shit up. Sometimes the latter is appealing, especially if you just lost your job, struggle to pay bills, and have to listen to politicians ramble on about boring shit like 'mill rates' and 'avenue plans' and whatever else. Ford offers a path to feeling engaged with politics that doesn't require a deep understanding of the issues.

 

[urbandreamer]

An amusing line I just heard from someone who voted for Rob Ford:

"I wanted to stop the gravy train so I could get on board."

lol.

 

[Coltaine79]

Actually, given that we're discussing this in Urban Toronto--a context that deals a lot in aesthetic, design, and planning issues: let's get to the nub: it's the philistine vote. It's those merchants in and undiscriminating clients of gross McMansion teardowns, alterations, main-street EIFS-ifications (or condoners of the same in the name of "free will") saying: "we're all right, Jack".

And, hate to say it...but that can't exactly be painted as a holus bolus "white trash redneck" market. Indeed, more often than not, the perpetrators/clients are the, uh, "multikultis", if I may use that Angela Merkel-ism--and they're an ironic secret foundation of Ford's support, I suspect (as that last-poll implication of a massive Ford advantage among immigrants indicates).

But of course, it's a "loaded" issue to knock them for their urban/suburban philistinism. And given this, I suspect what the Fordites would love to do is to "break" the urban left until they can be framed as the ugly/bigoted ones, a Hogtown version of, say, Pim Fortuyn or Geert Wilders seeking to banish those "degraded" cultures who disagree with homosexuality or other snotty Western-liberal idee fixes.

The true "white trash", according to Ford's "grand coalition". Tim Horton's rools, Manic drools.

Yes, a portion of the philistines are the "multikultis", sure. But you failed to acknowledge the distinguishing mark of PET's multicultural Canada vs. monocultural Germany/Netherlands - the through-and-true integration of non-whites into the cultural and intellectual (if not economic) elite of this country.

I'm therefore not quite as pessimistic as you... despite the best efforts of those like Stephen Harper and Rob Ford, this particular aspect of Canadiana will persevere. With difficulty, but persevere nonetheless.

After all, when you consider the prevalent mood on twitter (which was decidedly anti-Ford), there's still hope for progressivism...

 

[Eug]

It's a bit, like, and I understand this is a dumb and strained analogy, but remember the movie 'Armageddon'? Remember how Bruce Willis and crew had this big plan to carefully drill into the asteroid and then carefully detonate a small explosion to knock it off course? But then there was some evil astronaut guy who had an alternative plan which was simply to use a nuclear bomb to blow up the whole damn asteroid?

That I'm even saying this is weird because I didn't much care for Armageddon but a bet a lot of Ford voters loved it. But there it is: it's nuanced strategy versus just blowing shit up. Sometimes the latter is appealing, especially if you just lost your job, struggle to pay bills, and have to listen to politicians ramble on about boring shit like 'mill rates' and 'avenue plans' and whatever else. Ford offers a path to feeling engaged with politics that doesn't require a deep understanding of the issues.

Worst analogy ever. Even worse than a car analogy.

P.S. I found Armageddon stupid yet amusing, but I voted for Smitherman.

 

[GenerationW]

There's simply no excuse for this. I don't care how bad times have been on Toronto, Rob Ford had NOTHING going for him. His platform was simple, he had no vision, his arguments defied basic logic, his image had been tarnished by the media, his personality is disgraceful.

And with all that, more than enough people voted for him. That ultimate excuse trumps everything.

that's just one community, i'm pretty sure the other communities bought into the whole "gravy train" thing too

I guarantee most of the other immigrant communities bought into it.

 

[Observer Walt]

As usual, adma offends to the max. ...

Well unfortunately, I have to agree. Adma has the right to his opinions of course, but he doesn't seem to "get" it. He has left a lot of valid and erudite posts here, but at the same time I've wondered more than once if he is a closet troll.

 

[Coltaine79]

Dig a little deeper. The 'beautiful,' urban left scored some bigoted, intolerant points tonight too. Shameful. Sh*t smells the same whether it's from the sanctimonious left or the reactionary right.

Elaborate... else we may have to assume you're an anti-Palestinian Zionist or something.

I found nothing anti-semitic on her after 10 minutes of googling.

 

[Eug]

Hmmm… Voter turnout 49.32% so far.

 

[condovo]

Yes, a portion of the philistines are the "multikultis", sure. But you failed to acknowledge the distinguishing mark of PET's multicultural Canada vs. monocultural Germany/Netherlands - the through-and-true integration of non-whites into the cultural and intellectual (if not economic) elite of this country.

I'm therefore not quite as pessimistic as you... despite the best efforts of those like Stephen Harper and Rob Ford, this particular aspect of Canadiana will persevere. With difficulty, but persevere nonetheless.

After all, when you consider the prevalent mood on twitter (which was decidedly anti-Ford), there's still hope for progressivism...

There's no hope for progressivism when it proves just as bigoted and narrow-minded as the so-called philistines (see Ward 27). In fact, this is what drives the philistines to distraction and right into the arms of the Fords of this world; this breathless assumption by 'progressives' that god, figuratively, of course, is always on their side. Tonight, both the left and the right make me sick. The true orphan's the centre.

 

[Roy G Biv]

Elaborate... else we may have to assume you're an anti-Palestinian Zionist or something.

I found nothing anti-semitic on her after 10 minutes of googling.

She was a prominent member of Queers Against Israeli Apartheid.

Translation: If you're not a Zionist, who cares.

 

[Coltaine79]

BTW, did Rob Ford say who he wanted as Deputy? I'll be sick if it's Doug.

 

[CN Tower]

Congratulations Mayor Ford. I support you.

As an aside, I find those who mistake Ford's ignorant comments regarding race as bigoted to be themselves ignorant. He has shown no racist behavior whatsoever nor homophobic.

Please try and keep and open mind people.

 

[CN Tower]

Well, it's pretty damn close. The backlash vote is pretty clear. And so far it's 44.5% voter turnout.

P.S. If by some miracle he does manage to build a subway along Eglinton (and no I don't see it), he could be mayor for several terms.

That is exactly what I see. A very successful Eglinton subway and a resurgence of development in North Toronto.

 

[Eug]

That is exactly what I see. A very successful Eglinton subway and a resurgence of development in North Toronto.

I'm not saying subway is bad idea. I'm saying that Ford likely won't accomplish that task. He'd probably just decide it's too expensive to go subway now, and let the previous plans take their course.