The tea party movement got an early victory this final week of campaigning. It was a “shock” victory for a no-nonsense kind of guy. The only thing is that it happened in socialist-leaning Canada, Toronto to be exact. Rob Ford is now mayor elect of that city.
He had a fraught relationship with the press, thought no reports of his ever threatening one of them. He even conducted an interview while coaching a footbal team. As reported on Now Public in sneering style.
“As the CBC audio tape reveals, Rob Ford was on his cell phone running football practice while being interviewed by Carol Off. A true pro, Carol Off soldiered on, asking Rob Ford about similarities between his campaign and the current Tea Party and GOP campaigns underway in the USA mid-term elections. He dismissed such comparisons outright, preaching the mantra of reducing government spending as Toronto grapples with a whole host of issues from public transit, to taxes, crumbling infrastructure.”
Needless to say the media were not happy with the result. One paper had to admit they failed in their bid to make sure Ford lost. The National Post describes the hand-writing.
“In the unhappy recesses of Star headquarters, perplexed editors were forced to accept that the unthinkable had happened: Rob Ford had been elected mayor. The voters of Toronto, who exist in the Star’s imagination as a cheerful, “progressive,” multicultural group of bicycle-loving, environmentally aware supporters of mushy Canadian liberalism, had cast their votes overwhelming for a man whom Star columnists had smeared as a neanderthal.”
While Ford may claim not to be a tea party type candidate his ideas as reported by The Star certainly would be music to their ears.
“Targeted tax cuts. Getting tough with the city’s unions, including a hard look at contracting out services, starting with garbage collection.The construction of new subway line and stops.The hiring of more police officers. A tough review of Toronto’s $9.2 billion operating budget and significant cuts in spending.A reduction in the ranks of city workers by the thousands through attrition over the four-year term. The end of council’s aggressive expansion of bike lanes on arterial streets. An escalation in Toronto’s program to sell off unused assets, mostly real estate. Reform the city’s procurement practices to save money.”
The National Coalition blog has figured out why Ford won against the percieved wisdom.
“Rob Ford, warts and all, won because he stayed on message. The gravy train at City Hall had to stop. When some councillors threatened that they would not work with Ford if he won – that just put more voters in his camp. It will be interesting to see what they say now because some of the incumbents lost – which is great because they were mostly from the big spending, ‘entitled’ group.”
It might be called something different, but the voters in Toronto are chanelling the same angst as their Southern neighbors.
