Smitherman fails to participate in debate!!!

[fmahovalich]

This guy held the lead when this election campaign began. Since then he has gone through blunder after blunder. His campaign has been painful.

Rod Ford has kicked his ass!!

Then..when he has a small bounce, and Sarah Thompson quits to help him, he finds a little momentum!!.

Only to SKIP OUT ON LAST NIGHTS DEBATE!! Geez!! "Other committments" he said!

What committment could be more important than this debate as he has some winds in his sails and we are in the final throws of campaigning!!

WHAT A LOSER!!!

( OH..and Rob Ford got questioned about his health/weight (Sep 30 debate)...sheesh....talk about stooping to a new level. At a time when North americans ARE FOR THE MOST PART ALL OVERWEIGHT...did the opposition not realize that taking a swipe at Robbie over his weight will bring out more of his defenders...another tactical error on the Smitherman camp!!!)

 

[oldjones]

Uh, fm, your post would be much more forceful and convincing if you actually made some sort of teensy wee reference to which debate it was that he missed. You might want to edit and fill in us folks who don't obsess on ex-Liberal cabinet guys and their failings.

 

[fmahovalich]

For those that actually engaqe in their city...and involve themselves in being informed......it was last nights debate (Sept 30th - as mentioned).

For the rest of you who see it as entertainment.,....it won;t matter.

 

[oldjones]

fm, there are debates almost daily, sponsored by all sorts of groups, all over the city. But perhaps you weren't aware of that. You bolded and underlined this debate as if it had significance in itself. Sorry I'm so ignorant, but just what was so all fired important about this debate? Was it the one the Star says Smitty showed up late for? The one where Ford said he wouldn't lower taxes for condo owners—Joey Pants said he would; condo owners use less city services—standing w/ Rocky on the right in favour of keeping at their present levels? That debate?

Anyway, you seem to have encountered a different source w/ a different story than I did , if we're both talking about the Condo Association's event of Sept 30, 'cause that ain't what I read. Got a ref to back up your screaming about Smitty "skipping out"?

BTW the weight thing's not just a jab. Most folks I know think North American's epidemic obesity is a serious health problem. Public and private. Miller took off a good deal of poundage least year, not that it relates to the campaign, but guys who want to take charge of their lives—as with controlling alcohol—can do it. The Ford record is the opposite. Are you suggesting we should just ignore this elephant in the room? OK really cheap shot, more than I could resist. But the doctor who asked the question had a valid, if uncomfortable point. Besides a predeliction for denying the truth and misrepresenting it, the guy's shown us he has serious personal control problems, with small sign he even recognizes let alone is dealing with them. Weight being one.

Do we want a guy who can't control himself in charge of the City?

 

[fmahovalich]

It was a debate LAST NIGHT..The first major one since Sarah jumped ship. All candidates debate....GEorge showed...but walked out BEFORE IT STARTED with prior 'committments'.

Im just saying..the guy has a little momentum..Sarah is gone...the vote is three weeks away....and HE MISSES this opportunity. There should be no prior committments....when he has a chance to jab FORD!!


ANDl if weight is an issue....Smitherman is gone too!!

Looks like its a dog fight with Pants and Rossi !!!

 

[flubadub]

ANDl if weight is an issue....Smitherman is gone too!!

I missed something.
Is Smitherman too fat?


According to the news he was available for only 15 minutes of the debate before hitting a previously scheduled fundraiser. And then got waylaid by someone with an issue and couldn't make it to the stage to get his 15 minutes of debate. Big deal.

 

[fmahovalich]

Yes..As I mentioned he showed up BEFORE the debate..stayed 15 minutes.....and LEFT before the debate even started!!! WHY even show I ask??

WHAT A DUMMY!!

At a crucial time...with momentum..he bails....

I mighta bin supportin him before..but with skull nosed moves like this....SHEESH!!!

And yes he is somewhat overweight...although not as much as Ford....

 

[Fozzie]

The debate was sponsored by Community News. Apparently he was met by protesters who questioned his record and integrity. His excuse was unable to stay, because he had to attend a fundraiser. As FM mentioned, Smitherman dropped the ball with this one, as he would have been best to be a "no show" rather than make an appearance and leave. Most of the comments on the Toronto Star webpage confirm FM's sentiment

 

[K Douglas]

I'm not a Smitherman fan but this is petty. There's too many debates as it is. If he misses the next CP24 debate then that is a problem.

 

[landscaper]

The correct move would have been to send apologies for being unable to attend due to a double booking. Now it looks like he did not like the crowd and used an excuse to get out. Bad political move

 

[fmahovalich]

As it turned out..Old Fordsy had a lot of people booing too!!! BUT HE STAYED!!!


LOOK..I know there is a lot of debates.....

But given the slight turn in the tide towards SMITHERMAN..the fact that SARAH has 'crossed the floor'....and talk of others quiting...SMITHERMAN MUST CONFRONT FORD HEAD ON AND ILLUSTRATE THE DIFFERENCE.

Otherwise, FORD uses the media ops, gets the press and ends up in the MAYORS chair!!!!

No prior committment was more important than this debate this nite!! None!!!! PERIOD!!!

 

[moviefan]

It was a Toronto Community News debate, meaning it would get coverage in a number of local newspapers. Kind of an odd one to miss.

Here's the YouTube link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXWMFmsF8J8

 

[Mervyn]

I'm not a Smitherman fan but this is petty. There's too many debates as it is. If he misses the next CP24 debate then that is a problem.

Problem with him missing a debate however, is smitherman had made this an issue earlier in the summer when Ford wouldn't attend a debate.. going so far as to send a guy with a chicken suit to follow Ford around.

If he had a prior commitment to a fund rasing event , that's a good excuse in my books ( depending of what the fund raiser was for) ,but when you show up, then leave knowing you can't stick around for the entire debate;( and there is no point being part of a debate if you cannot stay for the entire duration) then that shows a severe lack of intellect and Political savvy on his part.

And when you main opponent is not strong on political savvy, it is very very bad to show any weakness of your own in that department.

 

[landscaper]

ford refused to debate Smitherman 1 on 1 probably the correct move it denied smitherman the added publicity , and he came off as a whiny child with the chicken suit and the complaints.

This however was a different kettle of fish, as I posted earlier he should have either , arrived late to his fund raiser or sent his apologies to the debate, showing up and leaving after trading words with a voter who was there waiting for him made it look like he did not have the nerve to do the debate, not to mention the press.

 

[Don]

BTW the weight thing's not just a jab. Most folks I know think North American's epidemic obesity is a serious health problem. Public and private. Miller took off a good deal of poundage least year, not that it relates to the campaign, but guys who want to take charge of their lives—as with controlling alcohol—can do it. The Ford record is the opposite. Are you suggesting we should just ignore this elephant in the room? OK really cheap shot, more than I could resist.

A guy being overweight is at the bottom of the list in terms of things that bother me in a candidate. So the guy is fat. But so is one of the VP's in my company that I work for. And he's one of the best performers in the company, despite being discriminated against for being fat.

 

[allaboutben]

Missing a debate? Who cares? If you felt Miller was bad, Smitherman will be worse. Toronto faces a lot of difficult decisions in the coming years. None of these politicians are capable of making these tough choices.