Support system: Doug Ford, Rob’s brother and campaign manager
Ford’s father, Doug Sr., was a self-made, hard-working man. He co-founded Deco Adhesive Products in 1962, bought out his partner a decade later, and built the business into one of the country’s largest producers of pressure sensitive labels (the kind you affix after peeling off the paper backing), with three shifts working 24/7 at the Toronto location, and plants in Chicago and New Jersey. The company reportedly has annual sales of $100 million. Rob’s brother Doug Jr. is the company president, spending much of his time in Chicago overseeing the plant there. Rob is the chief financial officer. The eldest brother, Randy, is the general manager who runs the Toronto operation on a day-to-day basis.
Doug Sr. died of colon cancer in 2006, his death painful and devastating to his children. Rob learned about public life from his dad, who was a backbencher in the Mike Harris government from 1995 to 1999. In 1998, Doug Sr. was accused of making racially insensitive comments in a television interview. Rob, perhaps in homage to his father, would face similar accusations in 2008 when he famously complimented “Oriental people” because they “work like dogs.”
The Ford family is certainly tabloid-ready. Kathy, the eldest of the four children, is a recovering heroin addict. In 1998, her ex-boyfriend, the father of one of her children, killed her then-boyfriend by shooting him in the head with a sawed-off shotgun. Several years later, Kathy survived a shot to the head (a different boyfriend and another man were later charged) in an accident unrelated to the earlier gun incident.
Rob is married; he and his wife, Renata, have two children, five-year-old Stephanie and three-year-old Doug. Rob himself was charged two years ago with assault and uttering a death threat against his wife. The charges were withdrawn because of inconsistencies in his wife’s allegations—the couple subsequently entered marriage counselling. It’s rare for a politician with a devoted wife and two cute kids not to take advantage of photo ops, especially when Ford so frequently refers to them in campaign appearances. But Ford and his team usually keep the family away from the media. I made many attempts to arrange an interview with Renata, all of which were denied, and attended several events at which she might have been expected to make an appearance. She never showed.
Rob’s brother Doug is the brains of the family, and the manager not only of Rob’s campaign but also of his own bid to replace his brother as city councillor for Ward 2. One councillor told me that if Rob becomes mayor, Doug will be his Cardinal Richelieu. Rob’s senior by five years, Doug is also über-blond, better looking and not quite so bulky. He is more articulate than his brother, with a slick, menacing smile—a man who rarely missed an opportunity to invite me, without actually meaning it, to stay with him in Chicago. He is a man whose bonhomie can turn off with an almost perceptible click. When I interviewed Rob in his office at Deco and asked about family matters, he evaded, stumbled and in a fit of desperation called Doug into the room. Older brother immediately took control. “Let’s talk about the issues,” he said, and we were soon into boiler-plate campaign tropes like cost-cutting, returning phone calls and the 10,000 homes Rob has visited in the past 10 years. He also made a point of telling me that I’d been given more time with Rob than anyone else in the media. “So,” he said with a suddenly lactating smile, “be fair and balanced, and don’t screw us around. I’ll never forgive you.”
Rob at a fundraiser with MP Jim Flaherty
When Ford wants to convince you that he cares for something besides the bottom line, he mentions his hours as a volunteer coach at Don Bosco, a Catholic high school in the heart of Rexdale. Ford coaches the Eagles, the school’s football team, along with a police constable and former CFL lineman named Oral Sybblis.
When Ford enters Don Bosco, he is immediately surrounded by teenage boys. They trail after him as he moves toward the gym change room, keeping up a steady stream of guy talk (“No way, man!”, “You’re kiddin’ me!”, “How you doin’, buddy?”), giving big bear hugs and trading back slaps and fist bumps. They always refer to him as “coach” or Mr. Ford. When I speak to them, they call me “sir.” They say please and thank you a lot. I know this is partly a show organized for me, but it’s impressive. Ford spends money on these students—he buys them equipment that some of them can’t afford. While I’m there, he tosses one kid a pair of football gloves and jokes, “These are $100 gloves, buddy, so don’t let me down.” It’s not all show, though. These guys are excitable and jokey, but they are scrupulously well behaved for high school boys. Some of them were once troublemakers with uncertain futures, and they, and their parents, credit Ford for the change.
Coles Notes version: Rob Ford is the Don Cherry of municipal politics. Brash, bold, and no holds barred. He’s the politician who refuses to play politics as usual. He puts his foot in his mouth a lot, but he makes a lot of sense too. With so many so upset with the status quo these days I can understand why thye’ve gravitated to his camp in droves. He’s been railing against “The Establishment” for years. With Ford I truely believe that he believes in what he’s saying. In the words of George Costanza: “It’s not a lie if you believe it.” Smitherman, on the other hand, is a smooth talker and much more polished. But he comes off as just another politician to me. I don’t really know if he believes his own message or if he’s just saying it to get elected. And if you need to rely on others to drop out to succeed what’s that say about you and your candidacy?
September 29, 2010 at 10:04 am | by RockfordThis guy’s a joke.
September 29, 2010 at 10:32 am | by megan sulberryAnd completely unprofessional. If he’s cutting costs right, left and center, where does he expect to get the money from to run the city? This is what I don’t understand. This city needs to be run like a business, and no one is taking into account that if he cuts all of these taxes/expenses now, we will end up paying long term-and the key to running any long business is long term planning.
September 29, 2010 at 10:37 am | by megan sulberry*long=success business, i meant.
September 29, 2010 at 10:37 am | by megan sulberryrob ford lives on edenbridge – a house on this street costs between 3-5million dolllars. tool!
September 29, 2010 at 10:55 am | by whaatRob’s use of You Tube has been groundbreaking in the election. This article is right when it calls Rob’s “Revealing Perks” video as a “masterpiece of populist outrage”.
September 29, 2010 at 11:07 am | by DirkRob has gone straight to the people with his RobFordToronto You Tube channel. Traditional media sits on the sidelines as Rob goes to the voters – from perks, to his transportation policy and now to his fical plan.
No one can accuse Rob of being behind the times.
Also His frugal use of social media goes right to the heart of his brand – more with less!
I’ll vote for this guy if it helps keep Smitherman out. I’m not a Ford fan, but my anti-Smitherman feelings are a lot stronger.
September 29, 2010 at 11:51 am | by JackSmitherman is just a typical smooth-talking politician. Rob Ford may be extremely rough around the edges, but at least he listens to the people and their concerns and walks the walk. Why does it matter what street he lives on or how much his house costs? He had no control over his father’s success. He will fight for the people and hold other sleezy politicians accountable…he speaks his mind and is not afraid to stand up for something he believes in. Only problem is that he is the sore thumb in the group. Trying to get anything approved with little to no support from other councilors will be a daunting task, but he is the only one that will attempt to challenge them head on. My vote is for Ford!!
September 29, 2010 at 11:55 am | by The_Flashit says that his mother is widowed, yet it also mentions that his father can’t afford to move because of the land transfer tax…huh?
September 29, 2010 at 12:02 pm | by henrynevermind realized that was the young guy talking
September 29, 2010 at 12:03 pm | by henryI’m not so sure about Rob Ford, but basically what it comes down to is that he is the only one that seems any different than the typical politicians who have been running this city into the ground.
That is why people like Rob Ford. Smitherman is a former Liberal MPP, the liberals are getting killed in polls too. Joey Pants is David Millers right hand man, and no one knows anything about Rocco Rossi, but I would bet everyone considers him a Liberal as well.
September 29, 2010 at 1:31 pm | by Jim RebelloRob Ford is Sarah Palin wearing a jock strap way too tight, cutting off the circulation to his brain. He comes across as completely unprepared in debates and on council meetings except where he can grand stand and trumpet the same phony crap each time. His folksy charm wears thin and there is absolutely no substance to his platform. Cut taxes, build subways, fight for the little guy. If this man wins Mayor it will be the rise of the idiot class as ruler. Can’t we get Katie Couric to eviscerate him in an interview ala Sarah Palin?
September 29, 2010 at 2:21 pm | by Joe dWho knows, maybe Rob Ford can also see Russia from his place.
Wake up Toronto and vote with your brain and not your anger.
Joe: Do you think that comments like yours (“…rise of the idiot class…”) might actually encourage some people to vote for Ford out of anger?
September 29, 2010 at 3:07 pm | by RockfordI’ve been following the race quite closely and that sort of comment is common. A lot people say that you’d pretty much have to be a moron to support Ford. Problem is, like it or not, he has a lot of support and when you say stuff like that you insult a lot of people.
Saying stuff like that actually plays into Ford’s hand as it comes off (to me, at least) as if you’re looking down your nose at them. You combine that with a perception that the elitists have been running the show for far too long already and is it any wonder Ford’s leading? It surprises me that people accusing Ford supporters of being fools can’t see that.
I’ve been following this election pretty closely. Ford is evidently a terrific councilor, and more power to him for that. However I really don’t think he has what it takes to be a successful mayor of Toronto. He’s spent years alienating almost all the other councilors, whose support he needs to get anything done if elected. His entire platform is based on subtraction and contains no credible ideas for adding anything of value to the city. Can we do better at controlling costs? Yep. Do we need Rob Ford to make sure that happens? No. Are there other issues at stake in this election? Absolutely.
One more thing – to have Jim Flaherty, one of the principle architects of Toronto’s ongoing fiscal crisis when he was downloading costs as part of Mike Harris’ Tories, support Ford so he can clean up the mess? The irony is too much. Flaherty has no credibility in this town, or any other for that matter.
September 29, 2010 at 5:39 pm | by Jeff MThis is a masterful profile, Gerald. I believe you’ve captured the essence of Rob Ford.
September 29, 2010 at 7:39 pm | by Anna Camara