Olivia Chow leads the race...in deletions of hateful Facebook comments

Olivia Chow has taken an early lead in at least one aspect of the 2014 mayoral election: according to the Star, she has deleted far more inappropriate posts to her official Facebook page than all the other major candidates combined.

An analysis by the Star determined that Chow’s campaign had deleted 312 Facebook comments since she filed her nomination papers on March 12. Many of the removed comments have been racist or misogynistic—which is disappointing, but not surprising. Internet comment boards have a way of channeling idiotic hatred. (But not among Toronto Life commenters. You guys are great. Most of you are, at any rate.)

By the Star’s estimate, which it arrived at by using a piece of software to track activity on campaign pages, the only campaign Facebook page to approach the level of moronic vitriol on Chow’s is the one run by Rob Ford’s staff, which has shed 51 comments since March 3. There’s some speculation that Ford may be refusing to delete certain derogatory comments in order to bolster his image as a victim of leftist elites. It seems equally possible that he just has other things to worry about right now.