POLL: What do you think of Rob Ford’s apology?
The most embattled mayor in Toronto’s history has finally said he’s sorry—well, sort of. Yesterday, a sombre-sounding Rob Ford opened his weekly radio show with some contrite words:
Friends, I am the first one to admit, I am not perfect. I have made mistakes. I have made mistakes, and all I can do right now is apologize for the mistakes. I sincerely, sincerely apologize to my family, to the citizens to the taxpayers of this great city and to my colleagues on Toronto city council.
Unfortunately, I cannot change the past. I can just move forward and learn from the past, which I assure you I am doing. […] There’s no one to blame but myself, and I take full responsibility for it.
Later, the mayor got more specific about his misdeeds, citing his public displays of drunkenness at Taste of the Danforth this year and on St. Patrick’s Day 2012. “If you’re going to have a couple of drinks, you stay at home and that’s it, you don’t make a public spectacle of yourself.” (While Ford claimed he will “make changes” in his life, he also said it is “not realistic” for him to stop drinking entirely.)
The mea culpa contained a few notable omissions: Ford didn’t make any reference to drug use, didn’t say what substance he may have been smoking in the infamous video, and didn’t explain his many odd meetings with Sandro Lisi. (Nor, of course, did he offer to resign.) He did, however, finally cave and promise to hire a driver. Hopefully, he’ll choose a better candidate this time.
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![](http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https://torontolife.com/city/rob-fords-apology-poll/&title=POLL: What do you think of Rob Ford’s apology?&picture=https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/rob-ford-624x252.jpg&description=[caption id="attachment_244445" align="aligncenter" width="656"] (Image: The City with Mayor Rob Ford)[/caption]
The most embattled mayor in Toronto’s history has finally said he’s sorry—well, sort of. Yesterday, a sombre-sounding Rob Ford opened his weekly radio show with some contrite words:
Friends, I am the first one to admit, I am not perfect. I have made mistakes. I have made mistakes, and all I can do right now is apologize for the mistakes. I sincerely, sincerely apologize to my family, to the citizens to the taxpayers of this great city and to my colleagues on Toronto city council.
Unfortunately, I cannot change the past. I can just move forward and learn from the past, which I assure you I am doing. [...] There’s no one to blame but myself, and I take full responsibility for it.
Later, the mayor got more specific about his misdeeds, citing his public displays of drunkenness at Taste of the Danforth this year and on St. Patrick’s Day 2012. “If you’re going to have a couple of drinks, you stay at home and that’s it, you don’t make a public spectacle of yourself.” (While Ford claimed he will “make changes” in his life, he also said it is “not realistic” for him to stop drinking entirely.)
The mea culpa contained a few notable omissions: Ford didn’t make any reference to drug use, didn’t say what substance he may have been smoking in the infamous video, and didn’t explain his many odd meetings with Sandro Lisi. (Nor, of course, did he offer to resign.) He did, however, finally cave and promise to hire a driver. Hopefully, he’ll choose a better candidate this time.
[poll id="126"]){kind=link}
“Friends, I am the first one to admit, I am not perfect.”
No, Rob, you’re the last one to admit you’re not perfect. You’re the last one to admit anything.
tell us what you’re apologizing for, Mr. Ford. Just the texting while driving, and the drinking? Anything else? Also, why won’t you speak to the investigator in the case involving you and Sandro Lisi?
Rob Ford is “Dear Leader” in his own eyes.
Why does this poll have three different options for not accepting the apology, and just one for? Why not a simple “Do you accept his apology: Yes or No?” so the true opinion can be seen clearly?
Splitting the vote as you’ve done here makes it so it looks like the majority of votes say they accept it, when in reality it’s 50/50. It’s vote splitting like this that gets politicians like him elected in the first place.
Enough is enough. Sign the online petition asking this man to resign.
https://www.change.org/en-CA/petitions/city-of-toronto-government-of-ontario-mayor-rob-ford-must-resign-from-office
City held hostage by out of control addict in full-blown state of denial. We need some new laws so this can’t happen again. In the meantime, hold this slime ball’s feet to the fire!
negative nancy’s the poll above says it all ..lol
Boooooooo! What a buffoon. What a gong show. So everyone who has addiction problems and do their job under the influence, take heart – apparently you can be the leader of a major North American city, and people have such low expectations that you really don’t have to be sober to do your job.
We are all humans, and make mistakes. Even if he has issues, they have not affected his performance so far; just the opposite: Rob has been the very best mayor for taxpayers in whole mayor’s history of Toronto. We have to forgive him for the sake of our beloved Toronto!!!
That’s his biggest lie. If you look at the numbers, he’s raised taxes and the budget at city hall. He is hundreds of millions above Miller and the apparent gravy train. I agree we are all human and make mistakes, but this man has not uttered an honest word while in office.
Makes me physically ill to see 50% of poll voters on this website accept everything he’s done and decide to move on. This porcine, homophobic, abusive, chauvinistic idiot needs to resign and have another Twinkie. He’s not sorry he did it, he’s sorry he got caught.
Anna, you’re as delusional as Ford. He’s been the worst mayor this city has seen in the last 50 years, at least, if not the worst ever.
He’s supposed to LEAD council and represent this city, he’s been divisive and a horrid representative for anyone who isn’t a criminal.
His accomplishments are fabrications, such as his saving a billion dollars. Do you really believe that considering property taxes still went up? One billion is nearly 10% of the budget, we should have seen a decrease!
I challenge you to examine the FACTS, not the Ford brothers’ lies and come to the truth most of Toronto has known for some time. Ford nation is a fraud.
Oh was that what it was…an apology? He needs to resign now.
You must be smoking the same stuff Rob the Fraud smokes with this comment
His so called “saving the city money” is all smoke and mirrors – its moving monies from one pile to another. It is one big gigantic lie and anyone working for the city would attest to that!
I agree with the poll results, I accept his apology, this is obviously a very embarrassing and shameful time for him, and I desperately want to move on. He still has my support.
See now, smoking crack and drinking aside, I think he is the best mayor this City has ever seen. So I guess this is a matter of opinion.
Crack and drinking not aside what do you really think?
You enjoy being lied to, money being wasted, and a circus at city hall.. good on you.. I’m glad your standards are so low, you’ll be easy to please with the next mayor.
Let’s see why I will still vote for him:
1. Got rid of vehicle registration tax
2. Proposed 10% reduction on land transfer tax
3. Get tough on Union by doing:
* Made TTC an essential service to the city, which means they can’t go on strike like they did before.
* Contracted out some of city’s garbage collection service, again, no more stinking garbage due to strike.
4. Extending subway to the east.
5. Proposing to get rid of streetcar (part of so called Toronto heritage, which is responsible for traffic jams in downtown)
All the above looks like pretty good jobs to me. The folks hurt are the Union people and their buddies; which makes you wonder why the media is hammering him so hard.
Sick of the toronto star..lets move on. Plus I would still vote for ford.
NO ONE IS PERFECT
OKEY WE BELIEVED THIS POLL IS PERFECT WHEN 3 OF THE CHOICES ARE OKEEEEEY WITH HIM AND ANYONE CAN PARTICIPATE AS MANY TIMES AS SHE/HE WANTS.
FUCK YOU LIAR, YOU ARE THE GREATEST DRUG DEALER OF ALL TIME IN TORONTO.
LEAVE THIS CITY BASTARD. LEAVE THIS CITY
OKEY WE BELIEVED THIS POLL IS PERFECT WHEN 3 OF THE CHOICES ARE OKEEEEEY WITH HIM AND ANYONE CAN PARTICIPATE AS MANY TIMES AS SHE/HE WANTS.
LIAR
FUCK YOU LIAR, YOU ARE THE GREATEST DRUG DEALER OF ALL TIME IN TORONTO.
LEAVE THIS CITY BASTARD. LEAVE THIS CITY
LIAR LIAR LIAR
Remember John Turner and John A. Macdonald? Yes, corrupt and ruthless leaders known for their corruption.
Doesn’t make it acceptable and we know better now, anyways we keep saying as a civilization we do (unless it’s becoming true that we aren’t learning from our collective mistakes ie beating your wife is no longer accepted)…and imagine how much BETTER these men could have led, if not under the influence. By they way, I never said corrupt…or ruthless…that’s your add-in…your correlation and of which Ford is neither.
Anyone who thinks Rob Ford’s behaviour is acceptable must either have issues themselves, or are involved as an enabler in their own dysfunctional relationships. It’s just NOT the best way to lead. I want to look up to my leaders, think they are better than I and that’s why they have been chosen to lead….it’s only really an American populist idea that one should relate to their leader…so strange. Don’t we want the strongest, the best, most able, most intelligent people to be handling our lives, our money, our communities?
How can Toronto get the city’s business done in the current atmosphere? Regardless of right and wrong, good or bad, or who did what, does anyone truly believe that the city can have “business as usual” so long as Rob Ford continues to be Mayor?