[expat]

karen stintz apparently just showed up at ford fest. i'm damned if i understand that woman, but it's looking more and more like the election strategy predictions made here might be panning out.

 

[zang]

I thing I don't get about this guy is that he's all over Facebook calling his potential opponents pigs, drunken sailors, terrorists and psychopaths amongst other things. In a campaign, why wouldn't you put your good foot forward instead of your crazy foot?

Because he's only got crazy feet?

 

[Videodrome]

TY!

Not a problem!

karen stintz apparently just showed up at ford fest. i'm damned if i understand that woman, but it's looking more and more like the election strategy predictions made here might be panning out.

Baffling, after his comments and all.

 

[Scarberian]

Word. A whole segment of the population isn't going to show up at Ford Fest or any campaign rally, or even discuss politics on social media. Some won't follow politics enough to even know what the issues are, let alone his or any of the candidates stand is on them.

This. Retail politics to me is more perception, and emotion based, not all of it positive. It's something Rofo still plays on. If an opponent is intelligent, and well spoken, Rofo can and has turned it into, 'they're condescending, and elitist'. Maybe it's wearing thin by now, but there are people who view others who speaks 'too well', to be too slick, and suspicious. And they may not be entirely wrong all the time with that suspicion.

Looking at that clip where Rofo was talking to people re: garbage pile. To me he still demonstrated a pretty good ability to do his retail charm schtick. Maybe he wasn't as hungover. But he spoke in short sentences. He says 'sir'. He adopts a 'how can I help you today, I will move heaven and earth to fix your problems' personality. And he shows up in person, with a camera crew. Like it or not, it can leave a strong impression with people.

Rofo's actual record and competence is 99% dismal. He has shown little to no ability to grasp a bigger picture beyond himself. But, the perception of him personally caring about your problems, may still hold among some people. That's how he built his myth, and it didn't happen overnight. I thought his scandals would dismantle that right quick, yet here we are.

However, they are likely to quietly go vote, if a candidate represents something to them that makes it important. Making them feel as though he alone is on their side and looking out for their interests (or at least, to curb the dollars spent on things they don't care about) may be enough. Hard to say how many of the votes he got that way last time, would be turned off by the notoriety and criminal behavior this time 'round, or realize that he didn't act in their interest after all. Whether he'd pull any new 'sympathy' vote or 'better the devil you know' votes is also unknown. So can't count him out, no. Alas.

Absolutely. I think his numbers are stuck, but with this circus, I can't discount any potential bizarre and nasty surprises. And it's tiring I tells ya. I kinda miss the old days of Toronto the Good and Boring.

 

[Expatriot]

karen stintz apparently just showed up at ford fest. i'm damned if i understand that woman, but it's looking more and more like the election strategy predictions made here might be panning out.

... and in that picture posted a page or so back she's wearing a "Karen Stinz For Mayor" t-shirt. The city should just straight-up admit that they don't care where or when anybody campaigns. Everyone does it everywhere from city hall to public parks and every spot in between. No one enforces anything, they just parse the language so finely the intent of the rules are ignored completely. The city enforces these bylaws like Nunziata enforces council.

 

[casita]

I kinda miss the old days of Toronto the Good and Boring.

And we could always take the train to Montreal the not so good.

 

[Scarberian]

He was invited by one of the candidates running in the ward, as were Tory, Chow, Stintz and Soknacki, to "come out and listen to the people of Ward 36" per Masihullah Mohebzada's twitter: https://twitter.com/mmohebzada/with_replies (July 22/23). Only Ford showed up, the others sent their regrets (except possibly Chow - sounds like she may have confirmed but didn't show).

Jeeesus. Half the battle is just showing up. If only Ford shows up especially with cameras around, he scores a point by default. Does the rest of the candidates understand this? Don't send regrets, be there to challenge his Oafship! This kind of ground game can still matter.

edited ps to casita:

And we could always take the train to Montreal the not so good.

In an alternate universe where he's not merryl, Rob would be the perfect buddy to go Montreal with. Rob knows how to partay!

 

[Kat_YYZ]

... I recorded and uploaded video of the interview.

Of all the questions they could ask. I guess they're okay with his drug use and hanging out with thugs and drug dealers.

nice catch, thanks for posting.

I wonder if that woman even knows what "innuendo" means? The negative things about Ford are no longer "hints" "rumours" or "allegations."

...
Looking at that clip where Rofo was talking to people re: garbage pile. To me he still demonstrated a pretty good ability to do his retail charm schtick. Maybe he wasn't as hungover. But he spoke in short sentences. He says 'sir'. He adopts a 'how can I help you today, I will move heaven and earth to fix your problems' personality. And he shows up in person, with a camera crew. Like it or not, it can leave a strong impression with people.

Rofo's actual record and competence is 99% dismal. He has shown little to no ability to grasp a bigger picture beyond himself. But, the perception of him personally caring about your problems, may still hold among some people. That's how he built his myth, and it didn't happen overnight. ....

yep, and the fact that he might not solve their problem doesn't matter -- it's the thought that counts.

I STILL feel that other mayors and councillors should do more of this -- not on the Ford scale, where it's pretty much all he does & so that he doesn't have time to show up to Waterfront TO meetings or other things he's supposed to be doing -- but it's good to show your face in your ward for 'little things' now and then, not just speak on TV from City Hall or some expensive Board of Trade dinner or conference.

 

[Kat_YYZ]

This guy is just an opportunist hoping he hitched his campaign to the right wagon.

I thing I don't get about this guy is that he's all over Facebook calling his potential opponents pigs, drunken sailors, terrorists and psychopaths amongst other things. In a campaign, why wouldn't you put your good foot forward instead of your crazy foot?

maybe that is his good foot... yikes.

 

[khris]

nice catch, thanks for posting.

I wonder if that woman even knows what "innuendo" means? The negative things about Ford are no longer "hints" "rumours" or "allegations."
.

It's more obvious to me now that because the police haven't done anything about Rob Ford yet, they think it's all just the media making things up. Police is real, media is just gossip to them. It won't be real to these people until he's behind bars facing real charges.

 

[basic]

The Integrity Commissioner is going to have a busy day on Monday, that's for sure. She'll need the day off she took today.

 

[Kat_YYZ]

Boystown? I've never heard it called that before. Looking online, I see it used in connection with Church and Wellesley, but it's not that common. You say Boystown to me, and I think of Chicago. I think potential confusion is why Church and Wellesley/The Gay Village are much more commonly used terms.

It's actually quite a sexist nickname that should be done away with. What about the women who live there (whether they are lesbians or not)? I'm sure they love being lumped in with the "boys" -- And yeah, like there aren't enough jokes about how lesbians aren't really women already. Just my opinion, but I'd do away with that nickname.

 

[expat]

It's more obvious to me now that because the police haven't done anything about Rob Ford yet, they think it's all just the media making things up. Police is real, media is just gossip to them. It won't be real to these people until he's behind bars facing real charges.

bingo - a lot of people with a serious victim complex who are convinced that it's just "the media picking on him."

 

[christiesplits]

i share the concerns about the LGBT demonstration at ford fest tonight. things were already pretty heated at the last debate - i hope everyone stays safe.

I am concerned too. In the last provincial election I worked in York-South Weston and had many direct encounters with Ford Nation.

One of the most consistent traits of the Ford Nation Flock is that they are unpleasant people. They tend to be bitter, cruel and hold deep resentment towards particular communities.

I met an unabashed Ford supporter, dipping in-and-out of unintelligible Patois, actually tell me that she doesn't like Olivia Chow because "she can't speak English." She claimed that Chow was hiding a "gay agenda" because she supported flying the Pride flag at City Hall. When I calmly started to refute her claims she became physically intimidating and started yelling claiming I was being fed lies.

Another time during the campaign I met a cocky, 20-something Portuguese labourer who claimed he "didn't care if Ford was fucking whores twelve hours a day, he is saving me money."

On a separate occasion I chatted with a burly, unpleasant Greek cab driver who claimed that the Toronto Star, OPP and Toronto Police were conspiring against Ford because he is "derailing the gravy train."

 

[John_Dee]

It's the fact that Ford always shows up with a camera crew in tow that really ought to clue people in that he might be somewhat less than sincere in his stated intentions. That things never change for the better in the aftermath of every single one of his self-promoting exercises is another hint that maybe, just maybe, he's simply using the people he claims he's trying to "help." Honestly, I want to sympathize with the poor bastards who are taken in by this schtick, but the Fords are so crass and obvious and just plain transparent in their motives that it's mind-boggling anyone could be dumb enough to fall for it.

Meanwhile, the two thugs are in the process gleefully breaking the rules yet again with their latest Thug Fest, and all of City Hall collectively shrug their shoulders and say, "So what?" This is positively sickening to witness.

Edited to add: Karen Stintz is beneath contempt, IMO. I truly hope she gets her head handed to her in the upcoming election.