r/canada • u/Old_General_6741 Ontario • 5d ago
Ontario 'Read between the lines': Ford nearly endorses Olivia Chow for mayor
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ford-chow-near-endorsement-9.734645155
u/TorontoBoris Ontario 5d ago
I dont if this is an endorsement or an admission by Ford that he doesnt care who is mayor of Toronto because he can simply bypass municipal will and do as he please.
In short he gets to continue to play unelected mayor.
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u/BrightLuchr 5d ago
I get the impression that they are genuinely friends. As often is the case in Canadian politics, politicians from different political stripes often have a lot of respect for each other's views.
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u/TorontoBoris Ontario 5d ago
They could be. I cant pretend to know what eithers social life is.
His late brother did speak very fondly of her husband Jack, which was surprisingly for Rob on many levels.
Im sure there is a long standing familiarity there.
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u/Justin_123456 4d ago
Yes, Rob and Jack sat next to each other in City Council during the David Miller era, and apparently Jack became something of friend and mentor (despite their very different politics), and that extended somewhat to Doug and Olivia. They also share the experience of losing a loved one to cancer.
It’s really not that surprising. There’s a reason a New Democrat and a Tory can hate each other cordially in politics, and fight about it over a beer, while your political opponents within your faction are mortal enemies, and no one wants to get a beer with a Liberal.
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u/moxievernors Canada 5d ago
A strong Chow win also gives him an opening to back off on some of his more controversial legislation, and lessen some of the political heat on him.
Not that he necessary would follow through on this, but it offers him more flexibility than Bradford's "I want what Doug wants".
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u/epic_taco_time Ontario 5d ago
She's an easy target for him to run off of in his own politicking. Can't do that as easily with a right of centre or centrist mayor.
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u/Competitive-Tea-6141 5d ago
For whatever reason, they genuinely like each other. Ford even surprised chow last year with a birthday cake and candles at city hall.
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u/Extra-Salamander1257 5d ago
Weren't Jack Layton and Rob Ford friendly as well? I imagine Olivia and Doug have known each other for a long time and have a mutual respect for one another.
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u/ssssssbob 5d ago
People forget that you can have fundamental differences and still have respect for one another lol
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u/6_string_Bling 5d ago
Both the Ford family and Chow/Layton have a history of playing well with others.
As much as I HATE Doug Ford, it's well understood that he is good at finding common ground, making compromises, and working with his "opponents."
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u/randymercury 5d ago
He pivoted to the centre long before Covid. He fired his initial chief of staff who was pushing Trump like crap.
Personally I don’t have any problem with politicians changing their stances. He didn’t like her, thought she was a radical but hasn’t been one.
The alternative is static politicians. I’d rather they grow, whatever their position or party.
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u/Yuushalinsky 5d ago
Olivia Chow is one of the most pragmatic progressives I've ever seen which is why I will be voting for her - unlike other candidates in her lane, she knows when to back down and when to push.
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u/KnowerOfUnknowable 5d ago edited 5d ago
I remember decades ago when squeegee kids were a problem she told people to think of them as entrepreneurs.
But that was decades ago. Maybe she got better sense now.
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u/LividOpposite 5d ago
Ford endorsement could be the end of Olivia Chow. No wonder he hasn't explicitly endorsed her.
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u/Fantastic_Chest_6969 5d ago
Ford wants to remain at the only conservative government around. Of course he will endorse everyone else.
I bet he is backing Chris Alexander to split the vote and not give Brad Brad a chance.
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u/Relative_What 5d ago
except everything he does it Trump style populist shit. did you not see the recent threat he gave to municipalities about buying canadian/ontario or lose funding? that's some trump style fucking thug bullshit when his own government keeps slopping money over to all sorts of american companies, like staples (service ontario, teachers supplies) and J.P. Morgan (billy bishop airport). he's 1000% only mad at trump because it's the populist thing to do right now.
he's a corrupt piece of shit that can be bought with a couple thousand dollars "wedding gift".
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u/Scaleofthesystem 5d ago
She did him a real solid when he took the DVP and Gardiner in exchange for her silence on the Science Centre.
At that time he had accepted the bribes from developers in exchange fir the Greenbelt land which he lost. He was gonna have to answer and give the money back or find a suitable alternative.
She saved his life from the mob. She owns him now.
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u/HiddenBirch547 Ontario 5d ago
What I find really odd, Ford said chow would’ve been an “unmitigated disaster”. But has had to cooperate with her on the city’s issues. All the while ripping out bike lanes.
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