All Entries in the "Pundits" Category
Kinsella: How To Win Elections
In his column for the Sun, Warren Kinsella uses two campaigns – Calgary mayor-elect Naheed Nenshi and Toronto’s Rob Ford – to remind readers that “campaigns matter”: “Both men have run classic “outsider” campaigns that have left political veterans nodding their heads in approval. Their campaigns rolled out with military precision, rarely wavering from their [...]
Toronto Editorial: Change At City Hall Is Possible
The Toronto Sun editorial board encourages voters to support candidates for council who share their views on spending and taxes: “While the mayor leads council, when it comes to the actual voting, he’s just one voice of 45. So, how did you like those other 44 votes, collectively, for the past two terms and seven [...]
Blizzard: Smitherman Is George Of The Bungle
The Sun’s provincial affairs columnist Christina Blizzard reminds her readers of George Smitherman’s long history at Queen’s Park: “Smitherman proudly calls himself the father of the Green Energy Act. You will remember that piece of legislation, of course. It’s another boondoggle in the making. It is partly responsible for pushing up our hydro bills and [...]
Star Editorial: Pros And Cons Of Strategic Voting
With many voters still weighing their options on who to vote for, the Toronto Star editorial board offers a strong defence of voting strategically – in this case, or George Smitherman: “First of all, they allege that Smitherman is no better or actually worse than Ford. Miller has stated that Smitherman, like Ford, wants to [...]
Levy: Furious George Can’t Change His Spots
Sue-Ann Levy believes that George Smitherman has not changed his ways, despite his pledges of fiscal conservatism: “[H]ow is the Smitherman engaged in pre-election pandering any different from the Smitherman, who during his watch as health minister from 2003-2008 allowed millions of dollars of cushy contracts to go to Liberal-friendly consultants and companies allegedly working [...]
Ashton: Why Rob Ford Doesn’t Get My Vote
Former colleague Brian Ashton gives his reasons why he won’t be supporting mayoral candidate Rob Ford: “I observed Rob Ford over 10 years and found him to be a solitary councillor largely absent from the day-to-day political dynamics at City Hall. When picking away at some perceived political sore, his social skills were coarse if [...]
Granatstein: Toronto Council Needs Fresh Faces
The Sun’s Rob Granatstein offers his choices for council, in the hopes that a fresh crop of candidates can bring change to City Hall: * In Ward 29 Toronto Danforth, Jennifer Wood is trying to fill the big shoes left by Case Ootes. Wood, a lawyer at RBC, has proposed a number of solid ideas, [...]
Post: Last Words On The Way To The Ballot Box
The National Post gathers together its municipal pundits to offer their final thoughts to voters on the eve of Monday’s vote: Anthony Furey “This campaign year has taught us just how bankrupt on principles the left has become. When the citizens want subways, Joe Pantalone commits to investing in underground streetcars. When we want to [...]
Levy: Candidate Alleges Opponent’s Breaking The Bank
Sue Ann Levy takes another run at Ward 27 candidate Kristyn Wong-Tam, this time for suspicious campaign spending: Opponent Simon Wookey told reporters Friday it appears Kristyn Wong-Tam has already spent as much as $55,000 on her campaign — 25% more than she is eligible to do under the Municipal Elections Act. According to the [...]
Corcoran: Smitherman Is A Left-Wing Trojan Horse
The National Post’s Terence Corcoran offers a very blunt assessment of what Toronto residents can expect from George Smtherman if elected: “Looking at Mr. Smitherman’s record and his policy agenda, it’s hard to find ideas that reflect anything that promise conservative change or any change at all. On the contrary, the man’s record betrays him [...]
Nickle: A Strategic Endorsement For Anybody-But-Ford For Mayor
Toronto Community News columnist David Nickle makes the case for George Smitherman – if only because he is not Rob Ford: “At its most benign, Ford’s vision is both destructive and unrealistic. Smitherman’s is flawed too, and ifhe were to fully implement the plan as presented, it too could be destructive to Toronto’s future. But [...]
Diebel: Ford Or Smitherman? Neither
Star columnist Linda Diebel gives a complete listing of the strengths and weaknesses of frontrunners Rob Ford and George Smitherman: ROB FORD Best campaign assets: Friends report being “amazed” at his energy. “He has tremendous physical stamina,” says Case Ootes, in his last days on council. His has been the campaign to beat, agree political [...]
Gee: The People Who Can Bring Real Change To Toronto
The Globe’s Marcus Gee offers his thoughts on the local councillor races and which candidates he thinks should be elected on Monday: “Another man to watch is Neethan Shan in Ward 42 Scarborough-Rouge River. He is up against Raymond Cho, who has been in local politics since 1991 and is well past his best-before date. [...]
James: Vote Evokes Caution Where Others Boldly Go
Royson James notes that neither of the two mayoral frontrunners evoke a strong positive reaction, which will have an impact over the next four years, no matter who wins: “Rarely have Toronto residents approached the polling booth with such uncertainty to elect a new mayor. And if the opinion polls of the last week are [...]
National Post: Rob Ford Is The Best Choice or Toronto
The National Post Editorial Board endorses mayoral candidate Rob Ford as well as giving some advice on how to chose your councillor: Policy-wise, Toronto very much needs a proverbial bull in the china shop. A great many precious, expensive things at City Hall need shattering: the fair-wage policy that ensures the city can’t contract out [...]
Levy: YWCA Rips Ford But Doesn’t Reveal Leader A Smitherman Backer
Sun columnist Sue-Ann Levy reports that the president of YMCA that sent a harsh letter critcizing Rob Ford is a supporter of opponent George Smitherman: “But no one — not [Smitherman surrogate Sarah] Thomson, not the top officials at the YWCA — bothered to mention the board president’s ties with the George Smitherman campaign. Dr. [...]
Globe And Mail Endorses George Smitherman
The Globe and Mail Editorial Board has “cautiously” thrown its support behind mayoral candidate George Smitherman over opponent Rob Ford: “Mr. Ford and Mr. Smitherman have similarly unpersuasive and unsatisfactory platforms. In the end, Mr. Smitherman’s ability to get things done makes him the better candidate; Torontonians may have to live in hope that he [...]
