All Entries Tagged With: "analysis"

Nickle: Favourite Candidate For Mayor Not Even Running

Toronto Community News’ David Nickle finds it unsurprising that rumoured candidate John Tory seems like such an attractive alternative:
“There is a vacuum in the debate, and right now, Ford is filling it with anger.
So it’s no wonder the people who left Tory’s side in January are feeling out in the cold here [...]

Posted Toronto Forum: Should John Tory Run For Mayor?

Pundits Matt Gurney and Tasha Kheiriddin offer two different views on whether rumoured candidate John Tory should place his name on the mayoral ballot:
“Gurney: Your energy won’t go into serving the public, but into battling two other levels of government, entrenched unions, hostile bureaucrats and an amateur-hour council, not to mention apathetic voters. [...]

Toronto Political Scene Weighs In On Tory Mayoral Run

Speculation on whether former mayoral candidate John Tory would announce he is entering the race for mayor went into overdrive yesterday, with pundits and opponents alike weighing in on what it means for the October contest.
Here’s a helpful TEN index:
Tory a threat to Ford (Toronto Sun)
Gee: John Tory could enter Toronto’s mayoral race late – [...]

Spacing: Joe Pantalone’s TTC

As part of their review of the pledges of mayoral candidates, Spacing Votes gives a detailed rundown of Joe Pantalone’s transit platform:
SUMMARY: Pantalone’s Current Transit Platform
Funding Approach: A common thread found within the candidates’ platforms—at this point of the campaign—is the lack of policy specifics. Pantalone has stated that, as mayor, he will continue Miller’s [...]

James: Can Pantalone Turn Ford’s Momentum Into Victory?

Star columnist Royson James suggests that mayoral candidate Joe Pantalone could be well positioned if opponent Rob Ford looks to have real momentum in September:
“What the candidate and his backers are hoping is for two things to break Pantalone’s way. First, the emergence of a strong, divisive, anti-progressive threat to take the mayoralty [...]

Lorinc: Greenwashing By Any Other Name

In his Spacing column, John Lorinc takes the Toronto Environmental Alliance to task for their report card – specifically their handling of candidates Joe Pantalone and George Smitherman:
And what about Smitherman? “George,” TEA sniffs, “likes to talk about the environment, but his enthusiasm doesn’t match his work to date” [emphasis added].
Excuse me? Is this the [...]

Torontoist Mayoral Electograph: Another One Bites the Dust

In the latest instalment of their Electograph, the folks at  Torontoist  take a look what the mayoral race looks like in a post-Mammoliti world:

Rob Ford
Electograph Score: 6/10 (+1)

“The key Ford brand attributes of thrift and outrage are giving his campaign big momentum, especially in the suburbs where bike lanes and green roofs [...]

Levy: Mayor’s Race Coming Down To Big 3

Sun columnist Sue Ann Levy thinks that the mayoral race will look much different after the summer than it does right now:
“Ford has grassroots appeal.  He talks like an everyday guy, not an elitist. He doesn’t surround himself with tired political retreads who tell him what he wants to hear as if he [...]

Granatstein: Toronto Mayor Hopefuls Not Up To Job

Toronto Sun Editor Rob Granatstein suggests that all the mayoral candidates need to take some time off, “reboot and rethink” their respective platforms: 

“So far, the men and woman who would be mayor aren’t up to the job.  None of them.
From George Smitherman, I’d like to see more passion and more numbers — although [...]

James: Brian Ashton’s Farewell Threatens To Polarize Toronto Council

In his column, Royson James argues that the departure of noted centrist Brian Ashton will mean one less voice of compromise and common sense on Council:
“In a town dominated by downtown sensibilities, ruled by the inner city elite and skewed naturally towards the core city, Ashton represented the urbane suburbanite, an intelligent voice [...]

Reid: Touchdown For Ford

In his regular Touchdowns and Fumbles column, Veritas PR pro Bob Reid gives mayoral candidate Rob Ford a touchdown for his speedy response to his run-in Dieter Doneit-Henderson:
“Ford is quoted saying “I’ll try, buddy … I’ll try.” Ka-boom. But one thing about Rob Ford – he never shies away from ugly situations, so [...]

James: Rob Ford Can’t Afford Another Misstep

The Star’s Royson James figures that Rob Ford’s taped encounter won’t cost him the mayor’s chair, but narrows his margin of error:
“Ford lovers will love him even more. Those leaning toward him are probably not turned away — not with one indiscretion that can be explained away. But the vast majority — including [...]

Radwanski: Furious, George?

Globe columnist Adam Radwanski asserts that with mayoral candidate Rob Ford slightly leading in the polls, Smitherman can now ensure the focus remains on his opponent, rather than himself:
“Now, at least for the time-being, Smitherman has his foil. That he may need to rely on someone else’s shortcomings rather than his own strengths [...]

Torontoist Mayoral Electograph: Here Comes the Summer

Torontoist, the online magazine for all things Toronto, offers the latest update of their Electrograph, which plots the likelihood of victory for each mayoral candidate:
George Smitherman
Electograph Score: 7/10 (-2)
Smitherman takes an Electographic beating this week with his campaign seemingly losing steam and the Ford juggernaut threatening to ride right over him. [...]

Lorinc: Furious George Takes The Subway

John Lorinc asks a number of questions in his review of mayoral candidate George Smitherman’s ‘Transit Delivered’ plan, which was revealed on Friday:
“The bulk of what Smitherman revealed on Friday (e.g., “Transit Trust,” the reliance on “triple-P” project management) had to do with bookkeeping, and thus doesn’t address basic questions: Where does he [...]

Gee: Smitherman’s Plan Simply A Transit Lover’s Fantasy

Globe columnist Marcus Gee rips into mayoral candidate George Smitherman’s new transit plan, which he says contains no real plans on how he’ll pay for:
“Mr. Smitherman called the plan both “ambitious” and “affordable.” Reckless and irresponsible might be better.
Seven billion is a lot of money for a city with an annual operating budget [...]

Why Rocco Rossi Isn’t ‘Rocking The Vote’ — Yet

The Toronto Star offers their evaluation of the current status of the Rocco Rossi mayoral bid, concluding the greatest threat to Rossi’s chances continues to be opponent Rob Ford:
“Well-organized, intelligent and likeable, Rossi came out early as the anti-politician, calling for change, smaller government and fiscal responsibility. Then Rob Ford, the poster boy [...]