The Current

Why support for Rob Ford endures

Why support for Toronto's mayor endures, despite Rob Ford's record of drug and alcohol use, misleading denials and refusal to speak with police.
Some might say the Toronto Mayor Rob Ford's political ambitions have diminished somewhat in recent days. But he also has hardcore supporters. We look for the source of his enduring popularity in the face of his cringeworthy antics.



Why support for Toronto's mayor endures, despite Rob Ford's record of drug and alcohol use, misleading denials and refusal to speak with police...

The Toronto Star obtained a video -- a video it paid for -- showing the mayor ranting profanely to someone off-camera. And threatening several times to kill... someone. Rob Ford later explained he was in a foul mood because -- he'd been drinking.

It's not known in what context the mayor is raging, pacing and cursing, The Mayor offered only his familiar apologies.

And it seems all the world knows by now this week, Mayor Ford admitted to using crack cocaine, something he'd denied for months.

At Toronto City Council, even some of the Mayor's staunchest allies say it's time for Ford to take a break and get some help. But throughout all of this, Mayor Ford's support has proven to be extraordinarily resilient.

  • Eric Perelshtein lives in Toronto and works in the technology sector. He voted for Mayor Ford in the last election and says he still might vote for him again. Eric Perelshtein was in our Toronto Studio.

  • Stephen Marche is not a Rob Ford supporter. But he has given a lot of thought to where Mayor Ford's enduring support comes from and what it says about the city. Steven Marche is a novelist and columnist. He writes the A Thousand Words About Our Culture column for Esquire Magazine. Steven Marche was also in Toronto.

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This segment was produced by The Current's Gord Westmacott.