Ford: A real "cracker"?

[manny_santos]

I'm so tired of this story already. I listened to CBC's The World at Six tonight as I usually do when I'm driving at that hour, and shut it off after they spent the first six minutes of the newscast on Rob Ford and still going. I'd rather hear about something important of national interest.

[Innsertnamehere]

Drug allegations for one of the country's most important politicians (believe it or not, only 5 politicians in Canada "rule" over a larger population) should justify it. When the corruption charges were laid on the Montreal area mayors, it made headlines for quite a while and nobody complained.

[Black Box]

The fact that it's in Canada is more shocking to me than a mayor of a major city doing crack. Well, that is, if it is a fact.

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by rousseau

Ford is rightwing douche suburban and rural white Ontario. Wherever you find the Sun sitting on an empty table in Tim Hortons you'll find Ford and his ilk. Not all that common downtown....

It is exactly that kind of smug, condescending attitude that led me to root for Ford when he first came to power.

However, he has proven to be a walking disaster, a buffoon who has no understanding of ethics or the honest commonsense you'll find in most of the people you disparage. I have no doubt this latest escapade is true, and it indicates a severe lack of judgement in addition to substance abuse issues. Does the city or province not have the power to remove him from office?

[manny_santos]

Originally Posted by Innsertnamehere

Drug allegations for one of the country's most important politicians (believe it or not, only 5 politicians in Canada "rule" over a larger population) should justify it. When the corruption charges were laid on the Montreal area mayors, it made headlines for quite a while and nobody complained.

The thing is though, the allegations are shaky at best. CBC even admits they have not seen the video. I have no problem with CBC running a report about this, but they spent at least the first 6-8 minutes of a 28-minute national newscast on unsubstantiated gossip. I guarantee it wouldn't have gotten this much attention if it was any other city, even Mississauga.

Municipal corruption is a lot more newsworthy than whether the mayor may have used drugs. That's why nobody complained about the Montreal mayor getting national news coverage. And when Rob Ford was involved in a court case a few months ago, that was newsworthy. CBC, nationally, takes every little Rob Ford story and rumour and makes it one of the top national stories of the day, such as the time he fell during one of his football games. Then we hear all about it again on the CBC Toronto news.

By the way, CTV National News led with Mike Duffy and Pamela Wallin (though they are both former CTV employees, which fortunately they didn't point out). Rob Ford came in almost a third of the way into the newscast and it didn't get the amount of obsession that CBC gave it.

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by manny_santos

The thing is though, the allegations are shaky at best. CBC even admits they have not seen the video. I have no problem with CBC running a report about this, but they spent at least the first 6-8 minutes of a 28-minute national newscast on unsubstantiated gossip. I guarantee it wouldn't have gotten this much attention if it was any other city, even Mississauga.

Municipal corruption is a lot more newsworthy than whether the mayor may have used drugs. That's why nobody complained about the Montreal mayor getting national news coverage. And when Rob Ford was involved in a court case a few months ago, that was newsworthy. CBC, nationally, takes every little Rob Ford story and rumour and makes it one of the top national stories of the day, such as the time he fell during one of his football games. Then we hear all about it again on the CBC Toronto news.

By the way, CTV National News led with Mike Duffy and Pamela Wallin (though they are both former CTV employees, which fortunately they didn't point out). Rob Ford came in almost a third of the way into the newscast and it didn't get the amount of obsession that CBC gave it.

If you watched the CBC National piece, it was made clear that the Star had been working on a piece detailing Ford's substance abuse for weeks. None of the journalists on the CBC panel really questioned the authenticity of the video and as the Gawker president said, they have no axes to grind against Ford, it is just a good, solid story.

[kool maudit]

this is pretty funny though. toronto needs to own its rob ford-iness a little more. it's not all glenn gould and margaret atwood.

every polity needs its peasantry, as rough-hewn as they might be.

not that they should be mayor.

[blueandgoldguy]

Originally Posted by manny_santos

The thing is though, the allegations are shaky at best. CBC even admits they have not seen the video. I have no problem with CBC running a report about this, but they spent at least the first 6-8 minutes of a 28-minute national newscast on unsubstantiated gossip. I guarantee it wouldn't have gotten this much attention if it was any other city, even Mississauga.

Municipal corruption is a lot more newsworthy than whether the mayor may have used drugs. That's why nobody complained about the Montreal mayor getting national news coverage. And when Rob Ford was involved in a court case a few months ago, that was newsworthy. CBC, nationally, takes every little Rob Ford story and rumour and makes it one of the top national stories of the day, such as the time he fell during one of his football games. Then we hear all about it again on the CBC Toronto news.

By the way, CTV National News led with Mike Duffy and Pamela Wallin (though they are both former CTV employees, which fortunately they didn't point out). Rob Ford came in almost a third of the way into the newscast and it didn't get the amount of obsession that CBC gave it.

Yes, not surprising. A left-leaning news broadcaster spending an inordinate amount of time on the actions of a right wing mayor - I'm sure it's just a coincidence though.

Other than the Sun Network, the CBC has to be the most bias network out there. There's a reason it has the lowest ratings for the evening news broadcast in Canada.

[Doady]

CBC is Canada's left-wing version of Fox News. If they reported this, then it's probably bullshit.

[MolsonExport]

There are retarded politicians, there are embarrassing politicians, there are total buffoons, racists, misogynist and gay-hating turds, devil-may-care total asswipes. Rob Ford is all that, and a crackhead. Give the man a peameal bacon sandwich. Or five.

[MolsonExport]

Originally Posted by rousseau

What we really need is high resolution footage of Ford in his office vacuuming up cocaine from the belly of a naked skank while getting wanked off by a dwarf from behind. Oh, and cracking jokes about the suckers in Etobicoke falling for all of his bullshit.

Anybody got something like that?

Buh hah hah haw!! I do believe I saw something like that on the third season of "Game of Thrones"

I am over in France (Marseille) and Tard Ford allegations were in the news today...in French. "le maire de Toronto, M. Robert Ford, aurait été filmé fumer du Crack..." I almost fell out of my chair.

[rousseau]

We've got a couple of contestants doing Glenn Beck impressions. How do they rate? Let's see:

Originally Posted by blueandgoldguy

A left-leaning news broadcaster spending an inordinate amount of time on the actions of a right wing mayor - I'm sure it's just a coincidence though.

You've got a staple accusation, i.e. the CBC is "left-leaning," and the rhetorical sarcasm is a nice flourish, but you need to amp up the crazy. Maybe try something apocalyptic, or make a direct reference to the Nazis. Glenn is all about the Nazis.

Originally Posted by Doady

CBC is Canada's left-wing version of Fox News. If they reported this, then it's probably bullshit.

Nice. A blanket statement that resists appeals to nuance or discussion. The CBC are the bad guys who lie to the people. But there's a problem: you've disparaged Fox News in the process. Yeah, I know, Glenn isn't with them anymore, but they're still on our side. Maybe next time try something like: the CBC is Canada's Pravda.

[someone123]

Originally Posted by manny_santos

The thing is though, the allegations are shaky at best. CBC even admits they have not seen the video.

The real story here is that it is now extremely easy to destroy somebody's reputation without solid evidence that they did anything wrong. Our society has largely failed to adapt to changes in terms of how information can be captured (or falsified) and redistributed. We should be more critical now than we were in the past (both in terms of interpreting the information that is fed to us and in terms of re-evaluating social norms that no longer work), but we're not.

[Wigs]

Originally Posted by someone123

The real story here is that it is now extremely easy to destroy somebody's reputation without solid evidence that they did anything wrong. Our society has largely failed to adapt to changes in terms of how information can be captured (or falsified) and redistributed. We should be more critical now than we were in the past (both in terms of interpreting the information that is fed to us and in terms of re-evaluating social norms that no longer work), but we're not.

This is Rob Ford we are talking about. I'm pretty sure the buffoon has destroyed his reputation all by himself in many instances in the past. This is the guy who called 911 because of comedian Mary Walsh's "Marg Delahunty" character

[rousseau]

Originally Posted by kool maudit

this is pretty funny though. toronto needs to own its rob ford-iness a little more. it's not all glenn gould and margaret atwood.

every polity needs its peasantry, as rough-hewn as they might be.

not that they should be mayor.

Yeah, I know. But why couldn't he be a stylish rogue like Berlusconi or a charming Tory buffoon like Boris? Why does he have to be a football-coaching 300-pound behemoth of a hick that even Alabama would consider too over-the-top?

I vehemently disagree with his politics and his policies, but what I find really galling is his wilfully non-Glenn Gouldian persona. I'm probably in denial about the true face of southern Ontario culture, which these days some might say is less Robertson Davies than Dukes of Hazzard.

On one of my bike rides through the countryside the other day I saw a pickup truck with a Confederate flag in the back windshield. At first I wished I had a gun so I could shoot the motherfucker, but immediately realized that that would only have played into his hand. So I resorted to seething at him inwardly in true 19th century Presbyterian fashion. After all, we have a culture to preserve and protect against vulgar American-wannabees like Ford.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by rousseau

Yeah, I know. But why couldn't he be a stylish rogue like Berlusconi or a charming Tory buffoon like Boris? Why does he have to be a football-coaching 300-pound behemoth of a hick that even Alabama would consider too over-the-top?

I vehemently disagree with his politics and his policies, but what I find really galling is his wilfully non-Glenn Gouldian persona. I'm probably in denial about the true face of southern Ontario culture, which these days some might say is less Robertson Davies than Dukes of Hazzard.

On one of my bike rides through the countryside the other day I saw a pickup truck with a Confederate flag in the back windshield. At first I wished I had a gun so I could shoot the motherfucker, but immediately realized that that would only have played into his hand. So I resorted to seething at him inwardly in true 19th century Presbyterian fashion. After all, we have a culture to preserve and protect against vulgar American-wannabees like Ford.

How does Rob Ford morph into a representative of "Southern Ontario"? Folks who might support him could likely be found across the country, but I don't see him a representing anything beyond the Toronto-based "Ford Nation" that voted for him.

[rousseau]

On the cultural continuum of Rob Ford to Glenn Gould, southern Ontario is closer to the mayor than the piano player. How much closer? Debatable.

Have you ever been to Toronto? Ford represents precisely no one within the boundaries of the original city. He got his votes from the surrounding suburban areas, which are the most ethnically diverse patch of real estate on earth. While lots of immigrants voted for Ford as a protest against perceived economic waste by urban sophisticates and due to the lack of strong competition against him, they're not "Rob Ford types" like many white suburban and rural southern Ontarians are.

"Ford Nation" consists of the white remnants of Mississauga and Scarborough along with every other Sun-reading (and now watching) rightwing doofus from London to Kingston and points in between. It's a vaguely Tea Party-esque clique of proudly ignorant partisan dolts who are impervious to reason and have a touch of the feverishly insane about them. Have a look at the comments section in the National Post or the Sun sometime.

[vid]

Originally Posted by Doady

CBC is Canada's left-wing version of Fox News. If they reported this, then it's probably bullshit.

No, but it's probably just pot. Like all good suburban white boys, he has a bit of an affinity for the stuff. Makes him feel hood. Like, no one understands him, you know?

[armorand93]

This crack cocaine and shit really explains his Toronto policies, and confusing reporters for criminals!

[niwell]

Originally Posted by vid

No, but it's probably just pot. Like all good suburban white boys, he has a bit of an affinity for the stuff. Makes him feel hood. Like, no one understands him, you know?

It's not pot. Rob Ford likes blow. Lots. Crack was a bit surprising but it happens you know? Go to any party in this city and cocaine is super easy to come by. Crack not so much as it's gross and seen as lower class.

The story about him being kicked out of Bier Market last year for "being drunk" - guess the real reason? The owners weren't a huge fan of what he was doing in the bathroom. I mean, apparently. Nothing concrete...

The Globe and Mail has been sitting on some stories for a long time and hesitant to publish them. I wonder if they will surface soon.