Rob Ford held his official campaign launch at the Toronto Congress Centre on Thursday night, and it was quite a party. Here, six things we learned while we were there. (Or, for the shorter version, click through the image gallery above.)
1. There are plenty of people still willing to overlook his mistakes
An interesting thing seems to have occurred in Ford Nation: people have gone from not believing in the mayor’s personal problems to not caring about them. “I think the journalists oversell it to sell more newspapers,” Jurgen Staerz, a 50-year-old Ford supporter from High Park, told us. “But I know there are some things he did do wrong.”
2. He’s really committed to that “billion dollars” line
The centrepiece of Rob Ford’s re-election pitch is the notion that he has saved taxpayers “a billion dollars” over the course of his term. This claim has been thoroughly debunked, but Ford evidently believes he’s entitled to his own facts. The billion-dollar line featured prominently in his launch speech, and there was even a fire truck parked inside the Congress Centre with a giant “saved taxpayers $1 billion” sign attached to its side. (Incidentally, Toronto firefighters were pretty annoyed by the presence of the truck.)
3. He knows how to draw a crowd
There were easily a couple thousand people at the event, making Ford’s the largest of any of the 2014 campaign launches we’ve seen to date. The room was the size of an aircraft hangar, though, and the round tables that had been set up for guests were never more than about a quarter occupied. It seemed as though the Fords were expecting a larger crowd than they got.
When the mayor entered the room to give his launch speech, he was preceded first by his security team, then by bagpipes, then cameramen. Trailing behind him was a column of dozens of sign-waving volunteers.
4. There’s serious money behind his campaign
Olivia Chow held her campaign launch in a small church. John Tory held his in a rented room in a Polish combatants’ hall and read his speech off a page. Rob Ford read his speech off a teleprompter on a stage in a convention centre, with good sound, lighting and video projection. Attendees were given tickets that entitled them to a free beer or glass of wine. A live band played covers of crowd-pleasing rock songs. The level of extravagance on display was beyond what any of the other candidates would be able to muster, and it couldn’t have been cheap.
5. People love the bobbleheads
Off to the side of the room, there was a table selling different types of Rob Ford bobbleheads. The line of buyers was long throughout the night—and not because the figurines were such a great bargain. They were $30 (or $100 for the “special edition,” with Ford wearing his crack-confession tie), and the profits went directly to Rob Ford’s campaign.
Jordan Paolucci, a criminal defense lawyer from Etobicoke, was one of the people waiting for his chance to buy. “It’s a moment in history,” he said, adding that he hoped to pass the figurine on to his kids.
6. He can get away with saying pretty much anything
From the perspective of an outsider, Ford’s launch speech was jaw-dropping. For one thing, it was remarkably well delivered. There were very few verbal stumbles, and he seemed to know exactly which lines would elicit cheers from the crowd. (One of the biggest cheers came when he said, “This is so much better than speaking to a wall of reporters.”)
Often, the most successful lines were exaggerations or outright lies. At one point, Rob Ford, the guy who misled the public about his substance issues, who doesn’t release his schedule and who frequently spends hours away from city hall with no explanation, called himself “the most open, honest, fair, hardworking mayor that this city has ever seen.” The most.
Like other Ford campaign speeches, this one dwelt upon his status as a champion of the little guy. He referred several times to “elites” who would “take money out of your pockets and put it in theirs.” He admitted to having made some personal mistakes, but appealed to the crowd’s “spirit of second chances.”
Says a lot about the character of the people that to continue to support him. Easier for them to support a pathological liar than it is to swallow their pride and actually believe the facts.
Ford will be re-elected. The media can’t hurt him. He will not be charged with anything. I know many millionaires – they and their families earned the money fair and square – and they are blue collar. Trying to pretend Ford is a inept elite millionaire will not work. Vote Ford and move this city forward.
What is interesting and pathetic about Ford is he’s fooling only his most rabid followers. The rest of us just roll our eyes and laugh at whatever lie comes out of his mouth, but he could kill someone in front of a Ford follower, tell them he didn’t do it and they’d believe him.
Maybe the Ford-haters should consider that the Ford-supporters have opinions that are also worthwhile. When people have different opinions than you, it is often worthwhile to put yourself in their shoes instead of calling those who have different views “idiots”.
Adam Vaughan – Federally, Julian Fantino – federally, Rob Ford – Municipally..wow Toronto is surely turning out some really good comic relief… god help us as to what we have become. How di Justin trudeau really decided to take on this deadbeat / angry Adam ? He has done such a disservice to his late Dad who I cherish.
People are entitled to their own opinions, but not their own facts.
It is not unfair to criticize Ford Nationals who still believe he saved taxpayers $1 billion, or that the airborne Scarborough LRT would “run down the street”, or that there were no labour strikes during his term, or that Toronto’s taxes are (variously) the lowest in “the world”, “North America” or “Canada”… or any of dozens of factual lies.
Should be noted that to receive the free food and/or booze, one had to fill in a card with their name, address, telephone number, etc.. If I had gone, I would have used a 555 telephone exchange (used in movies & television shows).
You have made the assumption that the facts you speak of are the issues that Ford supporters will vote on. Each voter makes up his own mind on whatever blend of things that works for them. Just because they are not the same issues you find important doesn’t mean that others should consider their reasons inferior. Just different.
Not really.
People are entitled to SHARING their opinions, not to having them. If you’re wrong, you’re wrong.
“Pretend”!?!? Whose pretending? That’s exactly what he is. Inept and, dishonest, disgraceful, untrustworthy, lacking in leadership skills, incapable of seeing the big picture, ignorant,…
What about what’s best for the city? Surely the facts come into play there.
if they believe the earth is flat, they are indeed inferior – not to mention either ignorant or intellectually dishonest
In every election the opinion of what is best for city,province or country is different for different voters. That is my basic point. One may believe that his opinion is the best one but you have to accept that others have theirs and that in a democracy their opinion counts too. In your opinion they may be wrong but in their opinion you are wrong. That’s all I’m saying.
But you are using the word “facts” in a different context. You are talking about scientific facts versus opinions.
Dishonest is putting it mildly. He’s an out and out liar, who repeats his lies so often and so loudly that the sheep begin to believe him.
And all I’m saying is the facts, the scientific and mathematical facts say overwhelmingly that RoFo is unworthy and a disgrace to the chain of office. If one is going to voice an opinion that affects millions of one’s neighbours one should do so responsibly. If one is choosing a personal friend, they may choose whoever they like, Don’t inflict RoFo on us. We’ve done nothing to deserve such punishment.
LMAO! Neil Flagg knows ^^ …
take the billion dollars line, for example – that either happened or it did not – that is not an opinion – that is why they are flatearthers
What’s interesting and pathetic is that he has enough rabid followers to win.
I see your point, and i think it’s relevant. (It gets brought up a lot when discussing why poor americans vote republican.) But i’m curious: what are the opinion-led issues that ford supporters are prioritizing over the fact-led issues? (I can’t think of any, other than around Ford’s own behaviour with drugs etc, but even Ford’s own fans seem to consider that an issue they forgive rather than an issue that draws them to him.)
Lumpenproletariet
Roughly translated as slum workers or the mob, this term identifies the class of outcast, degenerated and submerged elements that make up a section of the population of industrial centers. It includes beggars, prostitutes, gangsters, racketeers, swindlers, petty criminals, tramps, chronic unemployed or unemployables, persons who have been cast out by industry, and all sorts of declassed, degraded or degenerated elements. In times of prolonged crisis (depression), innumerable young people also, who cannot find an opportunity to enter into the social organism as producers, are pushed into this limbo of the outcast. Here demagogues and fascists of various stripes find some area of the mass base in time of struggle and social breakdown, when the ranks of the Lumpenproletariat are enormously swelled by ruined and declassed elements from all layers of a society in decay.
http://www.marxists.org/glossary/terms/l/u.htm
But what issues will they vote on, then? Practically everything of substance that comes out of Rob Ford’s mouth is a lie. He lies as a reflex. His supporters are easily led and/or willfully ignorant. For that, yes, they can and should be criticized.
Lumpenproletariet
Roughly translated as slum workers or the mob, this term identifies the class of outcast, degenerated and submerged elements that make up a section of the population of industrial centers. It includes beggars, prostitutes, gangsters, racketeers, swindlers, petty criminals, tramps, chronic unemployed or unemployables, persons who have been cast out by industry, and all sorts of declassed, degraded or degenerated elements. In times of prolonged crisis (depression), innumerable young people also, who cannot find an opportunity to enter into the social organism as producers, are pushed into this limbo of the outcast. Here demagogues and fascists of various stripes find some area of the mass base in time of struggle and social breakdown, when the ranks of the Lumpenproletariat are enormously swelled by ruined and declassed elements from all layers of a society in decay.
Not idiots, Lumpenproletariet
Roughly translated as slum workers or the mob, this term identifies the class of outcast, degenerated and submerged elements that make up a section of the population of industrial centers. It includes beggars, prostitutes, gangsters, racketeers, swindlers, petty criminals, tramps, chronic unemployed or unemployables, persons who have been cast out by industry, and all sorts of declassed, degraded or degenerated elements. In times of prolonged crisis (depression), innumerable young people also, who cannot find an opportunity to enter into the social organism as producers, are pushed into this limbo of the outcast. Here demagogues and fascists of various stripes find some area of the mass base in time of struggle and social breakdown, when the ranks of the Lumpenproletariat are enormously swelled by ruined and declassed elements from all layers of a society in decay.
I don’t think I can speak for Ford supporters as to why they choose to support him, but I am glad that you see my point. I am not debating whether to vote for Ford or not. I only commented here because of this type of comment:
“Says a lot about the character of the people that to continue to support him.”
Deanna, I agree that those who support Ford don’t do so BECAUSE of his failings but IN SPITE OF his failings.
I don’t see the relevance of ” Lumpenproletariet” to this discussion.
Maybe Ford supporters are the same people that voted for other lying politicians eg McGuinty.
Fraud Nayshunals are not voting FOR Ford. They are voting AGAINST everyone they see as different from them and their elitist (aka ‘smart’) view point. So many pro-Ford comments are more about screwing the downtown bike-riding ‘lefties’, than supporting his crazy train agenda. They don’t seem to realize that they are screwing themselves along with those smart downtown types, when they vote for him.
The Politics of ignorance: Rob Ford is Pissed-Off and Anti-Elite, Just Like You. The difference is, he is not you. Not unless you inherited millions of dollars and never had to scrape to get along. He is an entitled rich kid who wants to cut anything that he may be taxed for; better schools, better roads, better social or city programs. While promoting this anti-middle class agenda and the victimization of the poor he has simultaneously convinced you that he is on your side. How did he do this? In the media he looks just like us. More…http://humblingbanality.blogspot.ca/2014/04/the-politics-of-ignorance-rob-ford-is.html
Chow as Mayor is that contemptible a thought, it’s scaring people back into Ford’s waiting arms.
Except polls are showing the opposite. Ford is losing momentum and Tory is gaining.
The precedent has already been set. The council has plenty of practice working around Rob Ford. On the small chance Ford is reelected, with a smaller mandate, with his single vote, inability to work with others and a talent for alienating his allies, he will demoralize the right, energize the left and drive the center to ally with the left. Having Ford in power is as good as electing Olivia. Voting for Ford or Chow and you will have the same results.
“4. There’s serious money behind this campaign”
I don’t know about this. Just because they decided to blow a bunch of cash throwing a party for more people than actually showed up, it does not signify plenty of financial support, and selling bobbleheads seems pretty amateurish.
Both Chow and Tory raised hundreds of thousands within the first couple of weeks, and a campaign launch seems like a silly thing to blow your money on, particularly when it fails to meet expectations, given how long the campaign is.
Ford supporters also tend to have the least money. Eventually, they’ll have to disclose their donor list, so we’ll see.
There is a big difference between self made millionaire and those born into wealth like Rob Ford and take that wealth for granted. Wealth has allowed Robbie to be a spoiled kid who never has to face the consequences of his actions. Ford gives up on his dream of playing professional football by dropping out of Carlton U after 1 semester. For an average person that would have had negative consequences for the rest of their lives but Ford gets a managerial position at his family company with few responsibilities. Ford gets arrested for DUI and weed possession in the US. Again, the consequences would have been different for an average person who would have never been allowed back into US. But Robbie faces no consequences since his family can afford expensive lawyers. So, once again Robbie never learns his lesson and is eventually caught on video smoking crack. Since his followers do care about his latest transgression, there is very little incentive to grow up and take his job seriously.
Let’s see what the draw is in Vaughan before looking at it one way or the other…
Lol Chris Rock should do a comedy about this “George Bush has fucked up so bad, he made it hard for a white man to run for president! People are like “give me a black man, a white woman, a giraffe, a zebra…anything but another white man! That last one fucked up my roof!”
source: http://www.jokes4us.com/peoplejokes/comedianjokes/chrisrockjokes.html
Kind of my point. Using the campaign launch as a barometer of Ford’s funding isn’t appropriate. Just because the Fords chose to spend foolishly on an extravagant campaign launch, doesn’t mean they’re well funded, just foolish.
The upcoming fundraiser will certainly shed some light on the financing, and who’s doing it. Mario Cortelluci owns the hall that it’s being held at, and his company controls a long term lease on the Port Lands’ Hearn Generating station, which the Fords want to sell off.
The Cortelluci’s also donated $30k to Ford’s 2010 campaign, and no doubt will again in an effort to secure the Port Lands for development.
As a fund raising event, opening last week doesn’t count again expense limit.
There are definitely some grey areas around campaigning and fundraising, but last week was clearly campaigning since it was the campaign launch. It was not billed as a fundraiser, and it will count against his limit.
Doug made a big point on TV saying it was a fundraiser.
Good for him, he says a lot of things. I don’t think they’ll get away with saying every event they have is a fundraiser, particularly the campaign launch. No doubt each candidate was willing to accept donations at their launches, but it doesn’t make everything they do a fundraiser and exempt from the limit.
From s 1(1), 67(2.1), 73 of the Municipal Elections Act:
“What is not a fund-raiser:
– Events or activities that are held to promote public awareness of a candidate, even though the candidate may receive contributions from them
– Promotional materials where seeking contributions is secondary”
Remember as far the Hearn is concerned it is still owned by OPG (to the best of my knowledge) and Studios of America (Cortellucci part of that group) hold the lease to as far out as 2041….It really doesn’t make a difference what the Ford’s want down there they are bit players at this time… it is the Province that will make a decision to sell if and when they ready….as a mattter of fact Paul Vaughan Pres of SoA has expressed a preference in refitting the building for alternate purposes but then again it is a timed lease….Corundrum?
Blinders?
“It really doesn’t make a difference what the Ford’s want down there they are bit players at this time…”
Few, if any politicians can make unilateral decisions about anything. It’s a matter of buying influence within government. No doubt the Fords’ influence has waned since 2010. Guaranteed they were hoping that there would have been an election right after McGuinty resigned and for a PC win provincially, but the best laid plans etc.
It will be interesting to see if the CNE decision regarding EDM events will be overturned. Clearly “Z” bought himself some influence there.
I’m expecting that Gloria Lindsay-Luby will bring in a Members Motion at the next City Council regarding EDM and Muzik…she had asked that discussion about Muzak Exclusivity during the April 11 meeting be delayed to the next meeting as she had a commitment to attend a TRCA meeting that day…..and while the EDM decision is not specific to Muzak exclusivity I think it is close enough to get her back up that the Board ignored her request…
I hope so. Perks was upset too. Stupid decision, needs to be fixed.
He doesn’t. The media is over-selling his level of support because the fear the idea of his re-election generates sells papers.
Calling him a liar is putting it mildly. He’s a full-on psychopath.
You really should.
Has Ford Nation not heard of the concept of ‘wilfull blindness’? Attention: Rob Ford does not give a damn about anything except Rob Ford. That’s it.
My comment has to do with fundraising. The idea of selling the bobbleheads is a brilliant idea. I think the spending limits are 1.3M for the mayoral campaign. He is probably completely financed because of this event and selling those dolls (which are considered donations and can be partly subtracted from your taxes).
Ford knows what he is doing. Don’t be fooled by the local media.
I was there and talked to a lot of different types of people – general answers were They don’t like the Unions and don’t like the media attacks which started before he even took office. He never attacked Chow, or Tory or anything other candidate in his speech. A couple also pointed out that Chow smoked weed while she was a school trustee and Smitherman admitted to Meth use as Health minister and no one attacked them His campaign handout says ” a billion in tax and budget savings” – whether its a billion or short of a billion , people feel he spends tax money on things they support and votes against things they don’t support. 39 days of no service in 2009 with no access to parks was not spending it well. Miller also missed 48% of votes according to Daniel Dale and Chow missed nearly 50% of Transit committee meetings as an MP- They both had high expenses – No one has attacked them. Honestly. if the media would just ignore him and we had other candidates that were actually strong enough to run a campaign without attacking Ford – He might lose
Just curious why LRT’s are best for Scarborough but Dont work in North York / Vaughan ? Chow and Miller voted yes to 2.4 billion Spadina extension in 2005 against Metrolinx recommendation of LRT ? weird must be the wind or something
Lets be honest, Ford has cornered the uneducated vote.
“Jordan Paolucci, a criminal defense lawyer from Etobicoke, was one of the people waiting for his chance to buy. “It’s a moment in history,” he said, adding that he hoped to pass the figurine on to his kids.
JORDAN PAOLUCCI IS THE SCUM BAG LAWYER WHO WAS CAUGHT LURING YOUNG BOYS INTO DOING PORNOGRAPHY!
http://www.torontosun.com/2013/05/31/toronto-basketball-coach-charged-with-making-child-porn
Some of his most ardent supporters are criminals too; well played Mr Kuperferman.
When you look at these images and the crowd he draws, the one thing that comes off of all this is “he’s fun” .. give the crowd booze, music and tell them you love them and they won’t care. Why should they? Unless you have a strong leader whose willing to speak to every crowd, not just the ones they hope to cull votes from and will dress down politics to a much more informal level, then such hopefuls may well lose to Rob Ford or politicians like him every time. There are a lot of pissed off, underpaid, overworked people out there who will never identify with a well spoken, clean dressed, “upstanding citizen”. They’re hateful and very jealous of that person’s privilege in life and anyone who messes up the scene is their shining savior and hero. It’s not how much Ford claims to save people, it’s that he claims to save people money in the first place. Thank you Mike Harris for making all this possible. In a strange way, this is all a good thing but perhaps with the wrong man at the front of it.
I’m weary of reading about Rob Ford, hearing about Rob Ford and thinking about Rob Ford. I don’t support him, like him or hope for his re-election. I’d prefer to ignore him entirely and focus, instead, on the other candidates.
start with being honest with yourself….
Remember when everyone said that George Bush Jr. would never win a second term?
Bush always had the numbers, though. Rob doesn’t. He hasn’t won a poll, even against hypothetical candidates, in a couple of years.
A vote for Ford doesn’t make a person ignorant, YOU calling another person ignorant for having a different view than you is ignorant.
Think on this…maybe they are voting for Ford NOT because they like or believe everything he says or does, BUT because they DISLIKE what the other candidates stand for even more. We don’t always choose something because we think it’s the best choice, sometimes we choose it because it’s the lesser of two evils.
Show me the facts that say ANY politician is GOOD for us….there are no good/bad politicians, they will all end up doing something you don’t agree with eventually. Right now the media attention is on Rob Ford. If you want to jump on the media bandwagon and be a Ford hater, so be it. Soon the focus will be on someone else and you can jump on the media bandwagon again and hate that person.
You talk about facts, and I guarantee you, like most people get their so-called ‘Facts’ from the media. Congratulations, your being controlled by what you read in the papers. You deserve whatever the media has pushed upon you, whether you are Ford supporter or not.
Jordan Paolucci is not a lawyer, just someone who did a year at law school before being charged criminally for allegations involving minors.
Sitting here months later, it is interesting to return and reflect upon the difference from now and then
Firstly, and sadly, Mayor Ford’s health has not allowed his to continue his bid for mayor, but rather, has resulted in his brother taking his place, and Mayor ford deciding to run for council instead.
Secondly, Olivia Chow’s initial overwhelming support has virtually disappeared. Though polls continue to dispute whether she is in second or third, undoubtedly this has become a two horse race between Tory and Doug Ford
Thirdly, it reminds us to now, one month out from the debate, reconsider the possibility that ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN over time, especially one month. Last election, Rob Ford was significantly down in the polls, even up to the night before the election. Same thing happened with Kathleen Wynne in this past provincial election: initially, she was supported to lose. Then, maybe the long-shot possibility of a minority existed. Ultimately, she won a majority in a landslide, something that NONE of the polls, even to the minutes before the election, predicted. POLLS ARE UNRELIABLE.
If we are lucky, Toronto will get FORD MORE YEARS with Doug at the helm. He will represent the best in Rob Ford’s policies, and bring several years of experience as a manager, to attempt to steer the ship at City Hall. And, hopefully, will not bring much of the “baggage” that Rob had with him over the final years of his term. But, knowing Toronto media, they will still do all that they can to dig up garbage relating to his past, or when that doesn’t work, just claim “he is another Rob” and do nothing to substantiate that fact.
haha…I forgot Rob Ford hosted this event…my how the times change. I remember watching the news that night and seeing jubilant people parading in behind him. Hope his health holds up, sincerely, but it may be a sign of new things to come for T.o.