[fiendishlibrarian]

Hmm. It's possible the cover artists at Now may have received some inspiration from Kenneth McMillan's portrayal of
Baron Vladimir Harkonnen in the movie Dune:

Assuming, of course, that you can get past the bursting pustules. Which is, admittedly, hard to do.

It's inspired by this.

 

[ShonTron]

I'm surprised a new parody of Bruno Ganz's brilliant performance in Der Untergang hasn't been created yet for Ford's bad week.

 

[canmark]

NOW's tweet re: their Ford "X" cover: "Our cover is not an intentional reference to the Time Hitler cover. Sometimes an X is just an X. Bye!"

https://twitter.com/nowtoronto/status/274708604681072640

 

[CDL.TO]

It's quite succinct and I think worth repeating... from the National Post's Posted Toronto panel today:

"It’s not fiscal conservatism that has been discredited here. It’s Ford."

 

[MetroMan]

Adam Vaughan ran against Olivia Chow's anointed successor when he first ran for council. She wasn't happy and I don't think he cared what she thought.

I'm not a big fan of Chow. Her running will likely steal votes from more capable candidates on the left and centre. I don't think she would be a good mayor as she is as politically polarizing as Ford is - and that's one thing the city does not need.

Adam Vaughan won't be running against Chow not because of any friendly "no you go first" arrangement but because he can't beat her. A loss would damage his chances for running for real next time. Right now, I'd gather that he's perfectly content as a councillor and focused on big changes on the John Street corridor, and Mirvish's huge plans for the entertainment district. The only thorn in his side is having to work with Ford as Mayor. I'm sure that he'll easily trade running for Mayor (and losing) for guaranteeing that Ford will be gone and he'll have a sympathetic left Mayor in Chow.

 

[gristle]

Adam Vaughan won't be running against Chow not because of any friendly "no you go first" arrangement but because he can't beat her. A loss would damage his chances for running for real next time. Right now, I'd gather that he's perfectly content as a councillor and focused on big changes on the John Street corridor, and Mirvish's huge plans for the entertainment district. The only thorn in his side is having to work with Ford as Mayor. I'm sure that he'll easily trade running for Mayor (and losing) for guaranteeing that Ford will be gone and he'll have a sympathetic left Mayor in Chow.

I didn't say that there was any arrangement. In fact I said otherwise. Check it out. Chow was not a particularly good councilor in my opinion, and other than her being well-known for her well-knowness, I can't think of anything she would bring to the table as a mayor. In fact, her strident left-wing approach would be divisive much along the same lines as Ford's right wing myopia. Unfortunately she is benefitting from having been married to a man deemed by some to be a political folk hero. That doesn't make her worthy to be mayor. Worse, her running will likely ruin the chances of people who would do better at the job.

Vaughan has very soft support in the suburbs where Ford's base lies. But then, so will Chow. Today's polls mean nothing. Vaughan would have a greater chance to be a much better mayor than Chow because he has the knowledge and the ability to do so. My guess is that if Vaughan does not run, it will be to not interfere with someone like Shelly Carroll - who would be a far more able and more informed mayor than Chow.

 

[js97]

I can't believe I'm saying this, but all these clowns are making Miller look like a genious right now.

 

[PinkLucy]

I didn't say that there was any arrangement. In fact I said otherwise. Check it out. Chow was not a particularly good councilor in my opinion, and other than her being well-known for her well-knowness, I can't think of anything she would bring to the table as a mayor. In fact, her strident left-wing approach would be divisive much along the same lines as Ford's right wing myopia. Unfortunately she is benefitting from having been married to a man deemed by some to be a political folk hero. That doesn't make her worthy to be mayor. Worse, her running will likely ruin the chances of people who would do better at the job.

Thank you for posting this. I completely agree, although when I have voiced these comments to friends, the reaction is akin to shock and horror that I would even think such a thing.

 

[Silence&Motion]

Chow was not a particularly good councilor in my opinion, and other than her being well-known for her well-knowness, I can't think of anything she would bring to the table as a mayor. In fact, her strident left-wing approach would be divisive much along the same lines as Ford's right wing myopia.

One major, major difference between Chow and Ford is that Chow, as a councilor, was known for making deals. During the Lastman era, she was pretty effective in getting across parts of her own agenda (mostly around childcare). Not that her left-wing ideology wouldn't be divisive, but she'd definitely be more pragmatic about it than Ford is about his ideology.

 

[TrickyRicky]

Ford's primary problem is that he is useless as a leader. He has zero leadership skills. Even if he is voted in again the rest of council will just ignore him. But as others have said, don't mistake this problem of leadership for the notion that his underlying stance on the issues aren't popular.

Freshcut, I don't think your are helping your cause here. A huge segment of the poplution feel equally the things you feel about conservative ideology, but their target is the left. Also, Ford is being targetted personally in ways that we should have left in the sand box when we graduated from public school. I say this, and I reiterate, that I never have, nor ever will vote for Ford. Knowing something about council before his election I was aware of how he lacks the fundamental skills to be a leader for any political cause. He is at best suited as being a maverick fringe councillor, or better yet just sticking to coaching football. His dedication and work in the latter occupation he should be commended for.

 

[RC8]

Ford is not divisive because of his right wing agenda. Ford is divisive because he is a violently illogical buffoon.

A true fiscal conservative would never suggest replacing streetcars with buses where the cost of passenger transport per capita would be higher through the latter. The clarity of such an argument would not deter the Fords from spending more money to accomplish less things in a way they happen to prefer.

Car infrastructure is ridiculously inefficient and is in fact the product of a horribly misguided pseudo-socialist agenda from the 50s and 60s. Anyone who defends that and praises fiscal responsibility is just being opportunistic and selfish.

 

[W. K. Lis]

Back in July, 2012, The Star ran a story on Ranked ballots for 2018? Toronto city council may vote on changing its election system, at this link.

This paragraph:

At the request of Mayor Rob Ford’s executive committee and council’s government management committee, city elections officials are now studying a proposal to switch to a ranked ballot system. Councillor Paul Ainslie, the government management chair and a Ford ally, said he plans to bring the proposal to the council floor in November.

caught my attention. What became of it?

This could be a "good" opportunity to test out ranked voting. If we should have a by-election for mayor of Toronto, why don't use it as a test for the ranked (instant runoff) ballot voting? Vote-splitting would become a non-concern. If a voter's pet candidate does not get in, the second or third choice may.

Of course, candidates who gave up their current seats to run, could lose and end up with no seat on city council...

 

[dt_toronto_geek]

Brilliant NOW cover? It's hyperbolic to an insulting degree.
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/1296404--now-magazine-cover-featuring-rob-ford-compared-to-time-s-cover-of-hitler

A goofy picture of Ford laughing (plenty of photos or graphics of an angry or pouting Ford could be found in seconds) compared to a stern photo of Hitler are not comparable, and having his face tagged with an "X" (referring to his failed attempt at eliminating graffiti in the city) is NOW's celebratory message. I take away no comparison to what Time has done with bloody "X" slashes and I have a feeling that NOW wasn't thinking of comparing Ford to beasts like Hitler, Hussein, Bin Laden or the like.

Ford is not divisive because of his right wing agenda. Ford is divisive because he is a violently illogical buffoon.

Precisely, and as noted above, lacking any type of leadership skills.

 

[MetroMan]

Back in July, 2012, The Star ran a story on Ranked ballots for 2018? Toronto city council may vote on changing its election system, at this link.

This paragraph: caught my attention. What became of it?

This could be a "good" opportunity to test out ranked voting. If we should have a by-election for mayor of Toronto, why don't use it as a test for the ranked (instant runoff) ballot voting? Vote-splitting would become a non-concern. If a voter's pet candidate does not get in, the second or third choice may.

Of course, candidates who gave up their current seats to run, could lose and end up with no seat on city council...

This is indeed a very good opportunity to introduce this. It would justify spending the $7M as part of making our democracy more fair and inclusive. I think it could work. Time to lobby City Council.

 

[Silence&Motion]

Ford is not divisive because of his right wing agenda. Ford is divisive because he is a violently illogical buffoon.

I wouldn't be so sure. Closing libraries and zoos, cutting funding for daycare, "cracking down" on the homeless, and privatizing public services are all divisive issues, even if they were proposed by a Mayor Holyday, Minnan-Wong, or Tory.