Thursday, November 14, 2013

This Ford's An Edsel

By Sniffles

We cats have been trying to decide what, if anything, to say about that buffoon up in Toronto, Rob Ford.

It's been tough. His behavior has been so outrageous that any comments from us would automatically seem superfluous. But we think it's reached a point at which we simply have to weigh in.

To say, in short, the following: Why is this repulsive individual even Mayor of Toronto in the first place? Who among the 2.5 million gentle souls who inhabit Canada's most deeply boring city looked at this guy and said, "Yeah, that's who I want running things"?

Did Hogtown think they had to mix things up a bit by voting in a fat, inebriated, crack-smoking misanthrope? Did they hope that Ford's colorful antics would not extend beyond incorrect grammar? (We hate to tell you, Mr. Mayor, but "I have drank alcohol in excess" is not proper verb construction.)

And then the answer dawned: Tory Rob Ford was elected after years of Liberal governance by focusing on budget issues and saying contrary stuff like, "We just need to get rid of these lifelong politicians that [sic] just give out money to special interest groups and don't serve the community." Remind you of anybody? It's a consolation that we who live south of the 49th parallel are not the only ones suffering from right-wing characters who embarrass us.

And then we wondered: Why are guys like this always Conservatives? Is there something in the Tory/Republican playbook that demands immature, over-the-top behavior?

Again, the answer was easy — at least, as far as the Canadians are concerned. Rob Ford exists to make Peter MacKay look smart, and Stephen Harper look svelte. We're not sure, though, that we can explain Ted Cruz, Steve King, Raul Labrador, Joe Wilson, Michele Bachmann, Louis Gohmert, Rand Paul and Sarah Palin.

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