Toronto Mayor Rob Ford: a political odyssey turns stranger
The strange political odyssey of Rob Ford turned stranger today, after the embattled mayor of Canada鈥檚 largest city admitted to smoking crack cocaine following weeks of evasive and belligerent denials.
Mr. Ford鈥檚 travails have riveted not only residents of Toronto, but Canadians nationwide, who have either applauded or winced at his colorful personality, abrasive speeches, and conservative policies since before he rose to the Toronto mayoralty in 2010.
The issue of Ford鈥檚 alleged drug use, and his denials, have prompted all four of Toronto鈥檚 major daily newspapers to call for his resignation.
On Tuesday, Ford told reporters at City Hall that he had smoked crack 鈥渋n one of my drunken stupors.鈥�
鈥淵es, I have smoked crack cocaine,鈥� Ford said in broadcast comments. 鈥淏ut, no 鈥� do I? Am I an addict, no? Have I tried it? Um, probably in one of my drunken stupors, probably approximately about a year ago.鈥�
鈥淣o, I鈥檓 not an addict and no, I do not do drugs. I made mistakes in the past and all I can do is apologize, but it is what it is and I can鈥檛 change the past,鈥� he said
Even before being elected mayor, Ford attracted criticism and controversy. As a city councilor from a relatively poor, mixed-demographic district of the city, Ford had railed against high taxes and government spending, including the city council鈥檚 own budget. He said shouldn鈥檛 be a concern of the government, were a waste of money, and Asian migrants were because they were 鈥渉ard workers.鈥� Those comments prompted a of City Hall from migrant advocates.
Wielding campaign slogans like 鈥渟top the gravy train鈥� and 鈥渞espect the taxpayer,鈥� Ford stunned many in Toronto鈥檚 political class in 2010, winning what Maclean鈥檚 magazine called a
鈥淭orontonians were simply fed up with the notion that politicians were playing fast and loose with their money, their wages, their labour. Make no mistake; this was the voice of the proletariat, the working class exercising their franchise with vigour and passion,鈥� one columnist in the Toronto Star, Canada鈥檚 largest circulation newspaper.
In May of this year, the Star and another media outlet reported a video had surfaced that purported to show Ford smoking crack cocaine. In October, a close friend and sometimes driver of Ford鈥檚, Alexander Lisi, for charges of extortion, allegedly related to his efforts to suppress the video. Last week, the city鈥檚 police chief said police had obtained a copy of the video, but refused to release it publicly.
On a radio show Sunday, Ford apologized for what he said were mistakes he had made in the past, but rebuffed calls to resign. He also vowed to run for reelection in October 2014.
Nelson Wiseman, a political science professor and expert on Canadian politics at the University of Toronto, says Ford鈥檚 image echoed that of other politicians 鈥� like Bill Clinton or Marion Barry 鈥� who hold appeal despite having committed what are perceived as moral or legal transgressions.
鈥淗e鈥檚 an outsized figure because of his behavior, but people elected him, warts and all,鈥� Mr. Wiseman says. 鈥淎 lot of people who voted for him don鈥檛 give a damn who he鈥檚 sleeping with and whether he鈥檚 doing drugs or who he鈥檚 cavorting with, what they care about is 鈥榢eep my property taxes low鈥�.鈥�
