What's the deal with Mayor Rob Ford??

[Grey Fox]

Gay Fox gets the politicians that he deserves.

You mean by that interesting & who actually dont always spew PC Bullshit? Yes.

Altho, Toronto != Laval. My mayor as cop, before that it was the head of a mafia like empire.

[Admiral Yi]

BTW, any recent polls?

[Caliga]

You mean by that interesting & who actually dont always spew PC Bullshit? Yes.

Altho, Toronto != Laval. My mayor as cop, before that it was the head of a mafia like empire.

I was just messing with you my blanc-negra 

[Grey Fox]

You mean by that interesting & who actually dont always spew PC Bullshit? Yes.

Altho, Toronto != Laval. My mayor as cop, before that it was the head of a mafia like empire.

I was just messing with you my blanc-negra 

[mongers]

If this guy emigrated to the US, in which city would he stand the greatest chance of getting elected mayor ?

[crazy canuck]

BTW, any recent polls?

I dont think anyone is going to bother with that after yesterday.

[Ed Anger]

He leads in my heart.

[OttoVonBismarck]

If this guy emigrated to the US, in which city would he stand the greatest chance of getting elected mayor ?

If he got a really deep tan he'd run away with the vote in D.C.

[Admiral Yi]

DC has elected squares ever since Barry got sent to the Big House.

[OttoVonBismarck]

The last I read the Provincial Premier said she would pass legislation or enact whatever power it is she has to remove Ford, but only after a unanimous vote of city council requesting it. In several of their resolutions against him he seems to have kept five hard core allies that won't vote against him...and of course his brother is also on council which makes a unanimous vote unlikely.

We have a pretty strong tradition here in America of disgraced politicians resigning as well. I can only think of a very limited number that have needed to be impeached. Recall is a different thing, as that's almost never based on abuse of office/malfeasance/disgrace, but is partisan and honestly has no place in representative government.

Rod Blagojevich was one of the few recent exceptions, he refused to take the graceful exit out to the bitter end and actually made the Illinois legislature impeach him (which they did with essentially unanimous votes in each house.)

[Admiral Yi]

Well, except for that one time we re-elected Barry. 

[OttoVonBismarck]

DC has elected squares ever since Barry got sent to the Big House.

True, in all honesty even pre-crack video Ford would be hard to elect in most American cities. Even the more sprawling of our cities don't go into the suburbs so much that you have the more conservative suburban voters running the government. Even in cities in Texas, Georgia etc where the suburbs are indeed quite conservative you don't really have the city limits extending enough to give those conservatives enough voting clout to actually win a city-wide election, most of the suburbs are just outside the city limits by design in these parts.

Probably the closest city I can quickly think of where the burbs would take over would be Cleveland. Cleveland itself is a mismanaged hell hole to the point the voters of Cuyahoga County created a new elected executive position for the County that basically has vast power to the diminishment of the municipal government of Cleveland. The first executive is a white dude from the burbs, but even the suburbs of Cleveland are heavily Democratic so he's also a Dem, but not a CdM style corrupt black Democrat, at least.

[Admiral Yi]

Suburban voters would be the absolute last type of voters to elect Ford.

[Barrister]

The last I read the Provincial Premier said she would pass legislation or enact whatever power it is she has to remove Ford, but only after a unanimous vote of city council requesting it. In several of their resolutions against him he seems to have kept five hard core allies that won't vote against him...and of course his brother is also on council which makes a unanimous vote unlikely.

Not exactly.  The Premier has said she'd need the unanimous support of the provincial legislature, not city council.  This is because although municipal politics are nominally non-partisan, Rob Ford closely aligned himself with the Conservatives.  So the governing Liberals do not want this to be a political issue used against them and want the provincial PCs to be on board with any change to the legislation.

[Admiral Yi]

Not exactly.  The Premier has said she'd need the unanimous support of the provincial legislature, not city council.  This is because although municipal politics are nominally non-partisan, Rob Ford closely aligned himself with the Conservatives.  So the governing Liberals do not want this to be a political issue used against them and want the provincial PCs to be on board with any change to the legislation.

So the Premier has the power, but wants some political cover?