Yet another mayoral debate: Mammoliti is sensible, Pantalone is lonely and Tory’s Hamlet act gets old
The latest debate featured Rob Ford and George Smitherman sniping at each other—what else is new? We’re turning our gaze to some of the less bombastic candidates—like Joe Pantalone, the sole member among the current crop who is not running as fast as he can from David Miller. In this case, Pantalone found himself alone in defending a requirement that developers provide new condo owners with a year’s supply of Metropasses. All of his rivals for the Clamshell Crown were against it, though Giorgio Mammoliti had a surprisingly nuanced take on the issue (and that’s the first time that sentence has ever been written), saying developers might prefer to pay “little things” if they could get city hall approvals in six months instead of six years.
One last thing that made last night’s debate (the second of the week) interesting was that it was moderated by John Tory. He maintained his policy of strategic ambiguity on his mayoral ambitions, saying only that Web petitions and newspaper articles don’t sway him, but “personal entreaties” do. So what would a person have to say to Tory for him to come off the fence? And if Tory is a sorta-maybe candidate, when does he become disqualified from moderating a candidates’ debate?
I’m a long time John Tory fan who voted for him vs. Miller way back. But, I am very disappointed in his behaviour in this mayor’s race. He had a chance to get in the race from the get go, and he said no. Disappointing for me then, but fine. That was his decision and I respected it.
But now… he’s clearly loving all the speculation and media sucking up to get him to run for mayor… you can see him eating it up on Breakfast TV and on the radio. Big ego boost for a man I admired because he didn’t seem to be all about ego. Maybe I was wrong. Maybe it’s a necessary condition for politicians. Maybe Tory is just as bad as all the others.
All this while, though, he’s moderating every mayoral debate and offering “advice” to the candidates on his radio show. As if he’s “impartial.”
Is he waiting for such an upswell from the public that he can just “crowned” mayor? Is campaigning beneath him now? Is he too good for such pedestrian pursuits as asking for votes?
If he jumps in after labor day as people are hinting, it would be the height of arrogance and opportunism: two despicable traits I never thought I could possibly associated with him.
Tory, I’m sorry. You disappoint me.