At first debate, Rob Ford holds his own with tested strategy
- Thread starter Locutus
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The leadership one is interesting. I would have thought that would have taken a much bigger hit based on how things have played out.
I think once people here more of Olivia Chow, they will stop thinking of her as Mrs. Jack Layton and her support will fall off.
That is kind of what I have been expecting, but people on the left wing don't really have anyone else, so they may be almost as firmly entrenched as the Ford nation.
I would personally love to see Tory win it, but with stuff like that in the video, he seems to be positioning himself way too far right to win over the bulk of Chow's support.
The saddest part about this whole thing is that Tory is the best conservative guy and he's getting overshadowed by Ford's phony record.
It's so weird how people will support a complete buffoon because they are so afraid of splitting the vote on the right.
It's so weird how people will support a complete buffoon because they are so afraid of splitting the vote on the right.
You might enjoy this quote then from Henrik ibsen's An Enemy of the People:
The majority never has right on its side. Never, I say! That is one of these social lies against which an independent, intelligent men must wage war. Who is it that constitute the majority of the population in a country? Is it the clever folk, or the stupid? I don't imagine you will dispute the fact that at present the stupid people are in an absolutely overwhelming majority all the world over. But, good Lord! - you can never pretend that it is right that the stupid folk should govern the clever ones .
It works regardless of which side is in power.
It's going to be interesting to see how this turns out.
Despite the lead in trust and finances, it didn't translate to a lead in voters. That's probably not his own tested strategy... :lol:
One of them on the right has to bow out before the election. Still a tad of time for that to sort itself out though. Otherwise a split vote could elect Chow.
As it stands now, it is really only a three way race. Stintz and Sokniaki are not a significant factor in or out of the race. Ford and Tory are too different to realistically bow out for the other.
By 5:30 a.m. Thursday, over 3,000 voters had voiced their opinion online.
Chow led the survey, earning 44 per cent of the votes.
Rob Ford swooped in with 25 per cent of the votes in the Star survey, landing in second place, while John Tory, with 16 per cent of votes, rests in third.
Olivia Chow tops in Star debate survey | Toronto Star
Chow led the survey, earning 44 per cent of the votes.
Rob Ford swooped in with 25 per cent of the votes in the Star survey, landing in second place, while John Tory, with 16 per cent of votes, rests in third.
Olivia Chow tops in Star debate survey | Toronto Star
I didn't know they were having a second debate so soon..
Mayor Rob Ford’s drug and gang connections enter mayoral debate
Drug dealers, gangs, crack and Rob Ford’s personal life — issues that have dominated the Toronto news cycle for the past year, but were inconspicuously absent from debate number one — played centre stage at the second mayoral candidate face off Thursday night.
John Tory fired the first shot in his opening statement.
“It is no secret that I supported many elements of Mr. Ford’s fiscal plan when he was first elected. But we simply can’t go on the way things are going,” Tory began.
“It’s not acceptable to have a mayor who often shows up late and sometimes doesn’t show up at all. It’s not acceptable to see a spectacle of a mayor who refuses to answer questions,” he said. “And most troubling and unacceptable of all — a mayor who has eventually admitted to multiple and continuing relationships with convicted criminals and gang types. The various people he has pledged to keep off our streets.”
The student-heavy audience at Ryerson University cheered. Ford was the next to speak.
“I’d like to thank John for those kind words,” the mayor said dryly.
After Wednesday’s CityNews debate, many questioned why the major candidates seemed to dance around the drug question Olivia Chow came the closest, making references to “scandals,” but the only person to say “crack” was a reporter.
That was not the case on Thursday.
A student asked Ford directly about the recent video of him stumbling, slurring and swearing outside city hall on St. Patrick’s Day. When Ford said “You know what, I’m not perfect,” the crowd heckled him.
Even moderator Ralph Lean, who teaches a class at Ryerson and is a prominent Conservative fundraiser, went after Ford for his personal issues.
Lean asked each of the four candidates — Chow declined the invitation due to a “scheduling conflict and “concerns about the moderator’s neutrality,” said a campaign spokesperson — a “tough Ralph Lean question.”
He asked David Soknacki “why are you here?” since he’s polling so low and no one knows who he is. Lean asked Karen Stintz why she turned on Ford’s subway plan so soon after accepting the TTC chair position back in 2010.
And to Ford, Lean posed this question: “You appear to hang out with drug dealers. Drug dealers in my books are really bad guys . . . shouldn’t the mayor of Toronto have a higher standard? Shouldn’t the mayor of Toronto and the chief of police be looking up these bad guys?”
The mayor said “couldn’t agree with you more” and that he didn’t “condone drug dealers” or crack cocaine, “but you know what Ralph, I condone being the best mayor this city’s ever had.”
Lean’s “tough” question to Tory was about his losing record, despite his spectacular performance in the private sector. The complimenting dig earned a scoff from Councillor Doug Ford, who was standing along a side wall. He mimed an underhand softball pitch and shook his head.
In response, Tory came back with one of the best zingers of the night.
“The mayor’s taking joy in the fact that I lost. You’ll have the experience soon enough.”
Throughout the lashing, Ford stayed on script, touting his “proven track record,” which includes contracting out garbage and saving taxpayer’s “a billion dollars.”
Porter expansion, BMO field, Toronto Hydro, transit and the economy all got air time in the hour and a half long debate, but the most dramatic exchanges centred of Ford’s personal life.
After the debate, Tory was asked about his change of tactics.
“Last night (at the CityNews debate), while I said he disrespected his office, a lot of people seemed to think that that wasn’t clear and so I made it clearer tonight.”
Mayor Rob Ford’s drug and gang connections enter mayoral debate
Mayor Rob Ford’s drug and gang connections enter mayoral debate
Drug dealers, gangs, crack and Rob Ford’s personal life — issues that have dominated the Toronto news cycle for the past year, but were inconspicuously absent from debate number one — played centre stage at the second mayoral candidate face off Thursday night.
John Tory fired the first shot in his opening statement.
“It is no secret that I supported many elements of Mr. Ford’s fiscal plan when he was first elected. But we simply can’t go on the way things are going,” Tory began.
“It’s not acceptable to have a mayor who often shows up late and sometimes doesn’t show up at all. It’s not acceptable to see a spectacle of a mayor who refuses to answer questions,” he said. “And most troubling and unacceptable of all — a mayor who has eventually admitted to multiple and continuing relationships with convicted criminals and gang types. The various people he has pledged to keep off our streets.”
The student-heavy audience at Ryerson University cheered. Ford was the next to speak.
“I’d like to thank John for those kind words,” the mayor said dryly.
After Wednesday’s CityNews debate, many questioned why the major candidates seemed to dance around the drug question Olivia Chow came the closest, making references to “scandals,” but the only person to say “crack” was a reporter.
That was not the case on Thursday.
A student asked Ford directly about the recent video of him stumbling, slurring and swearing outside city hall on St. Patrick’s Day. When Ford said “You know what, I’m not perfect,” the crowd heckled him.
Even moderator Ralph Lean, who teaches a class at Ryerson and is a prominent Conservative fundraiser, went after Ford for his personal issues.
Lean asked each of the four candidates — Chow declined the invitation due to a “scheduling conflict and “concerns about the moderator’s neutrality,” said a campaign spokesperson — a “tough Ralph Lean question.”
He asked David Soknacki “why are you here?” since he’s polling so low and no one knows who he is. Lean asked Karen Stintz why she turned on Ford’s subway plan so soon after accepting the TTC chair position back in 2010.
And to Ford, Lean posed this question: “You appear to hang out with drug dealers. Drug dealers in my books are really bad guys . . . shouldn’t the mayor of Toronto have a higher standard? Shouldn’t the mayor of Toronto and the chief of police be looking up these bad guys?”
The mayor said “couldn’t agree with you more” and that he didn’t “condone drug dealers” or crack cocaine, “but you know what Ralph, I condone being the best mayor this city’s ever had.”
Lean’s “tough” question to Tory was about his losing record, despite his spectacular performance in the private sector. The complimenting dig earned a scoff from Councillor Doug Ford, who was standing along a side wall. He mimed an underhand softball pitch and shook his head.
In response, Tory came back with one of the best zingers of the night.
“The mayor’s taking joy in the fact that I lost. You’ll have the experience soon enough.”
Throughout the lashing, Ford stayed on script, touting his “proven track record,” which includes contracting out garbage and saving taxpayer’s “a billion dollars.”
Porter expansion, BMO field, Toronto Hydro, transit and the economy all got air time in the hour and a half long debate, but the most dramatic exchanges centred of Ford’s personal life.
After the debate, Tory was asked about his change of tactics.
“Last night (at the CityNews debate), while I said he disrespected his office, a lot of people seemed to think that that wasn’t clear and so I made it clearer tonight.”
Mayor Rob Ford’s drug and gang connections enter mayoral debate
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uh oh. :lol:
Forum Research poll shows Ford approval spiked after City debate | CityNews
Rob Ford’s approval rating went up after the first televised mayoral debate at City, according to a poll conducted by Forum Research.
The poll, a random sampling of 634 Toronto voters, shows Ford’s approval rating at 46 per cent, up from 42 per cent a few weeks ago.
The poll was conducted immediately after the debate at City on Wednesday night.
When it comes to voter preference for mayor, Ford and Olivia Chow are in a neck-and-neck race, with each taking a third of the vote (Chow 33 per cent, Ford 32 per cent).
Young males represent the core of Ford supporters, while young females are drawn to Chow.
Tory has the support of 21 per cent and Karen Stintz and David Soknacki “cannot be seen to be contenders” the poll found.
The race for mayor may be a tight one at this stage, but the poll found Ford was the “clear winner of the debate.”
“Among the three quarters of Toronto voters who recall seeing or hearing anything about the City debate, close to 4-in-10 agree Rob Ford won,” Forum Research said in a release.
Forum Research poll shows Ford approval spiked after City debate | CityNews
Rob Ford’s approval rating went up after the first televised mayoral debate at City, according to a poll conducted by Forum Research.
The poll, a random sampling of 634 Toronto voters, shows Ford’s approval rating at 46 per cent, up from 42 per cent a few weeks ago.
The poll was conducted immediately after the debate at City on Wednesday night.
When it comes to voter preference for mayor, Ford and Olivia Chow are in a neck-and-neck race, with each taking a third of the vote (Chow 33 per cent, Ford 32 per cent).
Young males represent the core of Ford supporters, while young females are drawn to Chow.
Tory has the support of 21 per cent and Karen Stintz and David Soknacki “cannot be seen to be contenders” the poll found.
The race for mayor may be a tight one at this stage, but the poll found Ford was the “clear winner of the debate.”
“Among the three quarters of Toronto voters who recall seeing or hearing anything about the City debate, close to 4-in-10 agree Rob Ford won,” Forum Research said in a release.
