Tuesday, November 05, 2013

The BBC Asks, Why is Rob Ford Still So Popular?



Yes, he admits he smoked crack, but only when he'd already drank himself into a stupor.  See, it's really not his fault.  He was too loaded to say no.  Besides, he didn't even know someone had a camera running.  Because people who make their living selling people crack would never think to record the mayor of Canada's largest city smoking their illicit product, would they?

Jon Stewart thoroughly took the piss out of Rob Ford on last night's Daily Show.



 Toronto's mayoral buffoon is being lampooned in newspapers and on TV shows around the world.   The city and its citizens are getting worked over too.   That has the BBC asking, why is Rob Ford still so popular?

Love him or loathe him, Rob Ford is not your typical politician.
While allegations of crack-smoking might see most politicians ducking for cover, the mayor of Toronto instead admitted taking the drug in a "drunken stupor" and called on local police to distribute the footage.
"I want everyone in the city to see this tape," he told reporters at city hall. "I don't even recall there being a tape or video. I want to see the state that I was in."

But after Toronto police announced last week that it was in their possession, Mr Ford's approval rating actually climbed five points to a healthy 44%.
Which begs the question, how does he do it?

The report concludes that Ford's popularity is due to the unswerving loyalty of his "Ford Nation" supporters in the 'burbs.  They're apparently willing to forgive just about anything Ford does.

4 comments:

Em said...

"Which begs the question, how does he do it?
The report concludes that Ford's popularity is due to the unswerving loyalty of his "Ford Nation" supporters in the 'burbs. They're apparently willing to forgive just about anything Ford does."

It begs the question, does it? Thanks for warning us. Ford's popularity is due to the fact that people still like him. I guess that's the same as people are poor because they don't have enough money ( or maybe journalists write stuff like this because they don't know what "begs the question" means). Makes that paywall seem all the more worthwhile. m

Dana said...

If you can get it I like the piece by John Doyle in the G&M about all this.

"Rob Ford and the triumph of the new hosers"

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/television/rob-ford-and-the-triumph-of-the-new-hosers/article15262508/

The Mound of Sound said...

No, Em, I think you're misreading that. It asks why people support a piss tank with a crack problem who pals around with serious drug dealers and recently-offed, former drug dealers. What makes people abide someone of that sort? What does it say about people who are willing to indulge that sort of behaviour in their city's chief magistrate? I won't go on to answer those questions myself.

The Mound of Sound said...

Hi Dana. I read Doyle's piece. Utterly depressing.