http://www2.macleans.ca/2013/05/21/rob-ford-where-were-we/Thanks to Gawker, it very much looks like Rob Ford is in the centre of allegations of smoking crack with known drug dealers and making a series of incredibly foolish comments when encouraged to do so. At this point, until the tape or file containing the video can be foresnicly analyzed, there's no proof beyond 'gotcha' media to substantiate anything.
However, the incredibly weak response by the Mayor, his own history of substance abuse issues, and his general disregard for moderating his behaviour proves a deep, fertile plain on which conclusions can grow. I don't know whether or not it is Ford in the video, but it would not surprise me greatly if he was.
As Americans grapple with the idea of a crack smoking Mayor of Toronto, making racist and homophobic screeds to a camera phone, with the general reputation of Canadians, remember some core items. Ford's political bread and butter are a deep belt of suburban voters; older and less tolerant with Canada's general multiculturalism and inclusionary approach. They are decidedly anti-urban, resenting green initiatives like bike lanes and expanded recycling, the implementation of toll roads, and expanded public transit in favour of tax reduction. As William Gibson so aptly described it, Ford's election as Mayor was 'as if New Jersey residents were able to vote for the Mayor of New York' in terms of his representative nature of the city.
He's been likened to a political version of Chris Farley, but the dead comedian would have a serious effort ahead of him to out-embarass himself against Ford's record. After Ford's election, he immediately axed a major and much needed public transit overhaul plan in favour of expensive and limited subway expansion that he did not have funding for. Now the city is scrambling to replace it after the provincial and federal governments both told Ford they would not fund his own plan, leaving him losing vote after vote as the current TTC chair slowly re-authorizes the compenants of the former plan piece by piece. His constant repositioning on the downtown casino has condeemed the 'Pro' side that he supports, as an organized opposition has knocked out support one vote at a time. Finally, his buffoonish media gaffs, from reading in his car while driving on the freeway, starting an infamous weight loss challenge with other Mayors only to bail on his own three months in after being photographed leaving a KFC with a bucket of fried chicken under one arm, drunken public appearances, and his own near removal for misuse of civic powers add up to a failed joke of an executive.
While his allies attempt to protray this all as a media assassination by a left-wing paper, the reality is that no one assassinated Rob Ford's career; he put the gun in his own mouth. The question is mostly likely when, not if, the video surfaces and pulls the trigger.
![[community profile]](http://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
amused