[Les Nessman]

His use of racist epithets to describe African Canadians and Italian Canadians, should be played over and over.....stay on point to teach fraud nation what he is about!

 

[jml]

This discussion has probably sailed off a few hundred pages ago, but I'm going to comment anyways: The thing which shocked me most over the last week is how deep his approval ratings dropped, with him going into rehab. At this point, him smoking crack while making crude commentary should not surprise anyone. However him stepping aside to get help increased my respect for the man.

Trying to understand the logic and reason behind Ford Nation undoubtedly a lost cause, but I would have thought him seeking treatment would have helped his approval. It plays into the narrative that he his human and makes mistakes, and in times of crisis they would band together to support their hero. It might even bring back some former supporters who left his side when he admitted to using while refusing to seek treatment.

Is there some kind of massive underground crack scene in Toronto's inner suburbs or something?!

I really do think there were some deluded supporters who didn't believe he had a problem because he told them he didn't. Some of these people won't believe the Earth is round unless Ford admits to it. He sets their reality. To them, until Ford admitted his problem, this whole story was just the story of a guy who likes to party on weekends once every couple of months, and on one of these unfortunate weekends he fell lips first onto a lit crack pipe.

 

[thisbusymonster]

Yes, but that's just indicative of the short term market and lifestyle preference of the dwindling middle class. Medium to long term, wealth is consolidating in fewer and fewer hands. We don't "make" enough stuff here, and that's not a trend that's improving. Ford Follies are appalling, and they're indicative of a resentful and uncomfortably large underclass, but (putting aside conspiracy theories for a moment) they're just a symptom of our social/institutional decay. Looks like all those boring lefty economics profs were actually on to something many decades ago.

That's a lovely bit of dramatic nonsense, but downtown Toronto was never much of a factory town in the way that Detroit was. That's Hamilton, London, Oshawa, and all kinds of smaller places. It' true they have had a rough time of it, but that's not really an argument in favour of the kind of urban decay that happened it the core of Detroit. More and more companies (like Google for instance) are moving jobs into downtown because it's a desirable place to be. We are adding corporate space, not just condos, downtown. Also, we have a film industry, two growing universities downtown, etc...

In short, this is a stupid claim to make about downtown Toronto. There is no parallel to Detroit at all. Also, Dutch disease is about to be cured. The dollar is plummeting, and guess who that benefits.

 

[basic]

They are all nice. I particularly like the one of big Rob holding baby Rob.

I'd never seen that. It was my favourite as well. I feel like that could be a show on it's own. Celebs holding photoshopped adult-faced toddler versions of themselves.

 

[jje1000]

This discussion has probably sailed off a few hundred pages ago, but I'm going to comment anyways: The thing which shocked me most over the last week is how deep his approval ratings dropped, with him going into rehab. At this point, him smoking crack while making crude commentary should not surprise anyone. However him stepping aside to get help increased my respect for the man.

Trying to understand the logic and reason behind Ford Nation undoubtedly a lost cause, but I would have thought him seeking treatment would have helped his approval. It plays into the narrative that he his human and makes mistakes, and in times of crisis they would band together to support their hero. It might even bring back some former supporters who left his side when he admitted to using while refusing to seek treatment.

Is there some kind of massive underground crack scene in Toronto's inner suburbs or something?!

I still wonder how sincere his stepping aside is. With Doug in control, you could never know if this is a just another election ploy (Rob Ford the Redeemed, come again moments, praise the Lord!), or if he's actually seeking help. In fact, who knows if he's actually in a rehab clinic right now? He could be in Florida right now waiting for the heat to die down.

 

[cmotors]

Trying to understand the logic and reason behind Ford Nation undoubtedly a lost cause, but I would have thought him seeking treatment would have helped his approval. It plays into the narrative that he his human and makes mistakes, and in times of crisis they would band together to support their hero. It might even bring back some former supporters who left his side when he admitted to using while refusing to seek treatment.

A certain type of people will buy into the narrative of a strong talker, and will continue to be taken in even when presented with evidence that goes against the narrative. This, so long as the narrative keeps getting presented over and over as solid fact. Even if everything has gone to hell, as long as the talker keeps talking and refuses to acknowledge or concede that problems exist, those people will continue to only buy the one official story that matters to them. If Ford had kept pressing forward and refused to concede anything, the Ford story would continue to be true for those that have bought into it. However, by conceding that he has a problem enough to step away, his story starts to lose some of what was carrying it in the first place.. conviction. When someone delivers great conviction on everything they say, a fair number of people believe it. If the speaker is so convinced of what he says, then it must be true.... Simple minds tend to fall for it easier.

Some think this is a ruse, or a way to dodge the bullet. I say it is the most politically damaging thing he has done so far, since the time he first admitted to having smoked crack.

 

[SunriseChampion]

I still wonder how sincere his stepping aside is. With Doug in control, you could never know if this is a just another election ploy (Rob Ford the Redeemed, come again moments, praise the Lord!), or if he's actually seeking help. In fact, who knows if he's actually in a rehab clinic right now? He could be in Florida right now waiting for the heat to die down.

I said the same thing to a friend yesterday with the addendum that he's probably getting right krunk. Who knows? What I do know is that someone as fucked up as him needs a lot more than a paltry 30 day stint in rehab. I had a friend who was not quite as neuronally damaged as him who needed almost 3 years of top private clinics to get over her addictions. She's now a very wise young lady albeit with a highly reconfigured neuron structure in her brain, but if she had only tried a 30 day stay it would be a lot different.

Anyone who thinks 30 days in rehab will cure this man is highly ignorant of how the brain works.
It's not a coincidence that only simple-minded people find the man appealing.

 

[casita]

Those programs work wonders for some. Not so much for others. I wish him luck, but Ford will really have to work at it.

Not just drying out, but his social graces as well.

 

[tiffer24]

Doug will be a no-show-council is now useless to him.

GraphicMatt 9:36pm via Echofon
Only real bit of Ford-related intrigue for this month's council meeting: will Doug Ford bother to show up?

 

[SunriseChampion]

Those programs work wonders for some. Not so much for others. I wish him luck, but Ford will really have to work at it.

Not just drying out, but his social graces as well.

I repeat: 30 days will NOT fix Rob Ford. I don't care if he goes to God's own clinic....it just won't happen.

 

[SunriseChampion]

Doug will be a no-show-council is now useless to him.

GraphicMatt 9:36pm via Echofon
Only real bit of Ford-related intrigue for this month's council meeting: will Doug Ford bother to show up?

No doubt citing "family issues" as his reason for staying at home.

 

[tiffer24]

At least we know that Rob won't be around to make some idiotic comment--

reporterdonpeat 3:05pm via Twitter for iPhone
Deputy Mayor Norm Kelly having 9 a.m. presser Monday to "invite Canada and the world to Celebration of Love: A Grand Pride Wedding"

 

[casita]

I repeat: 30 days will NOT fix Rob Ford. I don't care if he goes to God's own clinic....it just won't happen.

I'm sure you are right. Just wishful thinking.

 

[newearthling]

The fact that RoFo has admitted that he needs help could also make him weak in Fraud Nayshun's eyes. He won't be able to 'stick it to the man' if he admits weakness and needs help. His vulnerability also might make them contemplate, even briefly, their own addictions. Holding up a mirror to someone's own demons is not going to win any votes.

 

[CalgarianExOntarian]

View attachment 25704
<facetious> A unique perspective from Global's registered psychologist, who's been recognized as an expert witness in Ontario courts! </facetious>

Wow. If you're looking for an example of why the whole "if you're in a hole the first thing to do is stop digging" idea is so, so right, check out the @docamity twitter feed.

Daniel Dale, class act that he is, tweeted some perfectly sane and calm rebuttals. Then he apparently deleted them for some reason, but a few of them are still on my tablet until I hit refresh. Best one, IMO: "Usually when you capitulate, you do not get everything you asked for. I did."

I truly believe that no good and thoughtful person could criticize Dale in his response to the Rob Ford libel and retraction.