Rob Ford and Sarah Palin (Images: toronto.ca, auburnxc)
Rob Ford is in trouble again for blabbing sensitive information to the public. This time, his critics on city council are accusing him of revealing an $8-million judgment against the city by the Canada Revenue Agency. (Ford says he’s innocent, and, in any case, Pam McConnell said it first.) But the choicest bit from this latest Fordian brouhaha is the reaction of Adam Vaughan: “There’s a poll coming out [Wednesday] that says he’s in first place [in the mayoral race]… You want to elect Sarah Palin, you’ve got the candidate before you.”
Is it really fair to compare Ford to Palin? We’ve compiled this five-point guide.
1. Ethics troubles
• This latest incident marks the fifth time that Ford has been knocked for his conduct—of course, he may be found innocent of these most recent accusations. The first four times, the integrity commissioner found him in breach of the code of conduct: twice for using city hall letterhead for non-city business, once for saying on the radio that Adam Vaughan was peddling influence, and once for a recent real estate deal. Meanwhile, Sarah Palin was found by the Alaska State Legislature to have “abused the public trust” in a vendetta against her sister’s ex-husband, a state trooper.
• Advantage: Ford. None of his four-and-counting lapses rise to the level of Palin’s “troopergate.”
2. Longevity
• Rob Ford has been on Toronto city council since winning his ward in 2000 and is presumably hoping to be mayor until 2014. Sarah Palin is a retired half-term governor and former mayor.
• Advantage: Ford. Never mind that Toronto has three times the population of Alaska. Even if we give Palin credit for her years in Wasilla town politics, Ford will have her beat by 2014 if he wins the mayor’s job. If she wants to get back in front, she’ll have to find something to do in 2012.
3. Money
• Rob Ford’s family owns a successful printing business, and Ford uses his own funds to run his city hall office. Sarah Palin made around $12 million in one year alone and can literally command a private jet just to show up at your fundraiser.
• Advantage: Palin. Can we swim in your money pool, Sarah?
4. Personal indiscretions
• Ford has had two notable embarrassments: one at the Air Canada Centre, where he was escorted out for being loud and obnoxious—and possibly drunk—and another when he was briefly charged with assaulting his wife (the charges were withdrawn). Sarah Palin hid her daughter’s pregnancy from the public and was unable to answer even basic questions from Katie Couric.
• Advantage: Ford. Sure, both he and Palin have looked bad on numerous occasions, but Ford gets extra points for inadvertently getting a reporter to look rude and crude, even in comparison to Rob Ford.
5. Politics
• Both Palin and Ford are conservatives with a “just folks” image they’ve worked hard to build with their considerable wealth. Both have a simplistic view of the solutions they support; never mind Ford’s views on public health spending, how’s “drill, baby, drill” looking right now, Sarah? Finally, both have an older patron to thank at least a little for their political prominence: Ford’s father was a provincial MPP, and some old dude whose name we can’t seem to recall was running with Palin in 2008.
• Advantage: Actually, when put that way, they really do sound a lot alike. Let’s call it a tie.
Final score
Rob Ford, 4-2. Looks like Adam Vaughan was off the mark—Ford’s not quite as ridiculous as Sarah Palin. Kudos on besting the Wasilla hockey mom who was almost vice-president.
• Ford under fire but denies revealing tax figure [Toronto Sun]
Wow, it seems that John Michael McGarth really needs to scrape the bottom of the barrel to find sludge to toss @ Ford. I wonder what skeletons the other candidates have to show us. Its hard to defend statements like, “when did you stop beating your wife?” Even though you didn’t even consider that his spousal upheaval maybe wasn’t him. Maybe you’ve got something to hide JM. Lets see what your squeaky clean background looks like. At least Ford’s issues are in the open because everyone treats him like he’s in a fish bowl. Lets attack the issues and not the person and lets all judge that and let the ballot box do the hiring of our elected representatives. So, what’s next? Are you going to compare Ford with someone that’s committed some terrible crime now? Well, you can always make something up!
May 13, 2010 at 2:57 pm | by To_TomI would never vote that bully in a million years, but the assault charges have made me determined to work to make sure he never gets in. Go Smitherman!
May 13, 2010 at 6:12 pm | by HenrySarah Palin has a lucious bum; that is where the comparison ends.
As for the “rah rah!” comment about George Slitherman, all I can say is: where is the billion this Sphincter stole from Ontarians with E-Health?! By the way, the “assault charges” again Ford were DROPPED… go educate yourself!
Go Ford! If the predictions are correct, you will win by a landsline… and Slitherman will go to jail over E-Health.
Kingston Pen, meet George. George, meet soap on a rope.
May 13, 2010 at 6:34 pm | by RandyToronto Life, I am an avid reader of the Informer and have noticed that there is a crazy amount of pro-Ford commenting on all your municipal politics pieces. All with the same tone. And style. And phrases. Toronto Life, please ban the Ford Campaign HQ IP address. These comments make your site look bad.
May 13, 2010 at 7:39 pm | by JonasAll the Pro Ford commenting you say? maybe the people of Toronto are fed up with lying deceitful people like David Miller and don’t want a guy who wasted 1 BILLION of tax payers money on EHEALTH!! THere are people who work for a living who are fed up with the tax and spend govts we have in power both in city and the provincial govt! It’s time for change the people have spoken!!! I will vote Rob Ford and I’m sure he’s got a lot more support than your favourite candidate!! The comment pages don’t lie they are all different people unlike the same posting Slitherman or Pantalone Love!! Get with it the times are changing the people are taking back what is theirs!!!
May 13, 2010 at 8:59 pm | by That GuyDoubt it “That Guy” it is more likely that these defensive and overly enthusiastic Pro-Ford posts are coming from Ford HQ. Anyone who knows Torontoians knows their apathy for politics and that they would show just about as much excitement for a mayoral candidate as they do for stepping in dog feces. Nice try though.
May 14, 2010 at 1:42 am | by Platonic$arah IS ridiculous………………
May 15, 2010 at 12:49 am | by DEOOH PLEASE. Sarah Palin is a religious zealot who can’t string a coherent sentence together. She makes George Bush look like a gifted orator.
On the other hand, Rob Ford is a realist, he’s in touch with what normal Torontonians want and need, he’s essentially a true liberal (not a socialist, which is far from a classical liberal), and he take a conservative approach to finances, which is the only sane way to operate a family, business, city, or country. And he doesn’t care about political correctness, which is a nice phrase for putting a muzzle on free speech and thought.
May 15, 2010 at 2:43 am | by NickComparing Ford to Palin is very weak. There is no comparison, and this appears to be only used to draw parallels to the uninformed.
Smitherman on the other hand, what he did with the e-health scandal is virtually criminal.
Smitherman really needs to talk to his husband before he attacks Ford again on comment issues & get some advice.He basically has nothing on Ford to bash so he brings up comments from years past.
George, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE get some advice from your HUSBAND next time you do a debate.
May 15, 2010 at 9:38 pm | by Jasper JohnsonThere is a comparison to be made between Palin and Ford to be sure. Both are populist politicans who have tapped into a growing unrest in the voting public. Voters feel neglected and abused by the tax and spend mentality that is the current way of doing busines. But the comparison ends there.
May 18, 2010 at 9:31 am | by Valerie SellersRob Ford is a breath of fresh air in municipal politics. A politician who is not all things to all people is something rare today. A politician who speaks for all of Toronto, instead of the union elite is long overdue. People are upset their hard earned tax dollars are going to pet green shaft projects like solar panels at the CNE that will take hundreds of years to turn a profit. Or the hidden costs of Miller’s union contract agreements that give these folks a huge advantage over regular taxpayers who are funding these huge union payouts. This has to stop and taxpayers want to be told the truth – not some watered down pablum most politicians spew that reinforces the status quo.
This kind of outrage cannot be manufactured by the Rob Ford camp. This is the grass roots pissed. If regular Torontonians get out and vote there will be big overdue changes at City Hall. And all that supposed baggage from Rob’s past – just crap his detractors dredge up because they can’t fault his message – fiscal prudence with smarter spending – works for me!
Wow, I’m not the only person who thinks that Ford is our Palin! And don’t forget the fact that Palin has a thing for hockey, just like Ford’s thing for football! However, I think Palin has a bit more polish than Ford – must be the pageant thing. Ford, however, needs a good stint at a finishing school in Switzerland (do they have finishing programs for men?)!
http://prospere-magazine.com/2010/05/12/torontomayordebates/
May 19, 2010 at 4:15 pm | by CynthiaValerie nailed it. In Rob Ford we have a politician who says what he means, means what he says, and to Hell with the consequences. He’s the anti-politician and that’s a huge part of his appeal. Most people hate politicians just because they’re so…politician-like! At the end of the day it’s about trust. Who can you trust to keep their promises? I don’t think anyone can question Rob Ford there. I think many people who would not otherwise bother to vote will do just that because of Rob Ford. He doesn’t have to steal votes from other camps. It’s the previously dis-illusioned who wouldn’t have bothered to vote to begin with who just might get off their butts and put Rob Ford over the top. Holden Caulfield would vote for Rob Ford. He really would. ;)
May 28, 2010 at 12:52 pm | by RockfordFord’s comments at the air canada centre – for which he apologized – cannot be overlooked. he’s reported to have apologized for saying to a couple “go back to iran and get raped”
he spreads hate and is ignorant.
June 16, 2010 at 8:46 pm | by mirandaEvery single toronto city councillor treats tax payer funds for their office expenses as their personal bank account.
Gerogio Mammoliti had $36,000 worth of CELL PHONE BILLS for his five person operation over the years of 2008 and 2009.
And in 2010 after he declared his candidacy for mayor, the telecom charges on his expense report dropped to ZERO.
How is that? He doesn’t need his 16,000 dollar a year cell phone plan for him and his five friends?
Mammoliti insults my intelligence. He thought nobody would notice his reckless spending.
Ford is the only true fiscal conservative.
August 7, 2010 at 12:00 am | by omicron8If there are 20 candidates and only 35 percent vote ( as is usually the case ) and Rob Ford gets 30% and wins, it will mean that he was elected by about 10% of the ELIGIBLE voters. It could easily happen. We know that his supporters are likely to vote while those from the downtrodden are less likely to vote yet they have the most to lose. The lesson in this is never think that your vote does not count. Get out and vote because if you don’t vote, you get the candidate that you deserve
August 7, 2010 at 10:32 pm | by Howard