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What astounds me about John Tory defending Rod Phillips is that he could have just taken no position at all. That’s his default setting!
“Don’t make us picture you in a top hat and monocle” is John Tory’s one challenge. “Don’t make us picture you winning second prize in a beauty contest.”
The one thing that Tory and Ford have in common, besides being completely out of touch and totally insulated from consequence, is a profound need for approval.
Ford’s tough talk and buck passing notwithstanding, they’re both effete lumps of indecision and inaction.
Ford’s tough talk and buck passing notwithstanding, they’re both effete lumps of indecision and inaction.
Torontonians take a weird pride in the Ford mayoralty being a sort of microcosm for the Trump administration. Among other things, we say it’s why @danieldale is so uniquely qualified to have fact-checked Trump all these years.
And frankly, we worry that our Tory is your Biden.
And frankly, we worry that our Tory is your Biden.
John Tory - who I need to start by clarifying is a real person and not a lazy, unimaginative writer’s stereotype of a conservative politician despite the fact that his literal name is really John Tory - is the guy that we elected to replace Rob “Crack Mayor” Ford.
I should note that Tory technically beat Doug Ford, Rob’s brother, who is now our Premier (which is basically a governor who answers to the Queen). Doug ran in Rob’s place after Rob announced his cancer diagnosis. He died a year and a half later.
Anyway, the main appeal of John Tory was (and remains) the fact that he was a serious man in a suit who looked like he’d respect the rules and the status quo.
After a few years in the “crack mayor” wilderness, that’s what most Torontonians wanted. Can you blame them?
After a few years in the “crack mayor” wilderness, that’s what most Torontonians wanted. Can you blame them?
I should point out that these were the results for the top three contenders:
John Tory: 40.28%
Doug Ford: 33.73%
Olivia Chow: 23.15%
Oh, I didn’t tell you about Olivia Chow! She was the experienced contender with a vision. Call her our Bernie Sanders.
John Tory: 40.28%
Doug Ford: 33.73%
Olivia Chow: 23.15%
Oh, I didn’t tell you about Olivia Chow! She was the experienced contender with a vision. Call her our Bernie Sanders.
Anyway, after four years of the “Crack Mayor” at the helm, Toronto didn’t want to take any risks. It wanted a stable, predictable figurehead. And that’s what it got in John Tory.
He took office six years ago, and nothing has changed since. And I mean that in the worst way.
He took office six years ago, and nothing has changed since. And I mean that in the worst way.
If the point of Joe Biden is “elect him for now and hold him accountable,” then the lesson of John Tory is “Do a way better job than we did, because John Tory is a human weather vane of zero consequence.”
Tory won a second term in 2018, running on a general platform of “Okay” and beating contender Jennifer Keesmaat with 63.49% of the vote to her 23.59%.
He did nothing to earn it, aside from not embarrassing the city. Want proof? Ask any Torontonian what else he accomplished.
He did nothing to earn it, aside from not embarrassing the city. Want proof? Ask any Torontonian what else he accomplished.
John Tory has been in power for six years and counting, mainly by virtue of not having been a global embarrassment. For the people who count on the city most, that’s not nearly enough.
The problem is that for most of us, it was enough, and remains enough.
The problem is that for most of us, it was enough, and remains enough.
John Tory retains a decent approval rating by virtue of being a known blank slate.
In May 2019, a poll found the former leader of the Ontario Conservative Party to be the front runner for the Ontario Liberal leadership, presumably just because he’d beaten Doug Ford once before.
In May 2019, a poll found the former leader of the Ontario Conservative Party to be the front runner for the Ontario Liberal leadership, presumably just because he’d beaten Doug Ford once before.
My point is that John Tory, a mayor who has been perfectly content not to move a so-called “world class city” forward one iota, has proven to be more than enough for a city that is clearly scared of progress if it means change.
America will perish if you let Biden be your Tory.
America will perish if you let Biden be your Tory.
Biden has at least managed to communicate that he’s an empathetic human being, which gives me hope.
I’m not saying that John Tory doesn’t have empathy. Maybe behind closed doors, sure. He just hasn’t let it muddy his professional persona, you know?
I’m not saying that John Tory doesn’t have empathy. Maybe behind closed doors, sure. He just hasn’t let it muddy his professional persona, you know?
My personal ranking of “How surprised would you be if the following broke protocol to act on their concern for others?” goes like this, from least to most surprised:
1. Joe Biden
2. Johnny 5, the “Short Circuit” robot
3. John Tory
1. Joe Biden
2. Johnny 5, the “Short Circuit” robot
3. John Tory
