A nice piece by Bob Hepburn in the Star describes how Karen Stintz (Ward 16) now has a voice coach. She is learning to speak like a chief executive. Good for her. The belief is strong that she will run for mayor. Present polls give conservative-slanted voters concern. It’s pretty clear that Rob Ford has a lot of rock solid support in the suburbs. Ms Stintz is no doubt good to poach Mr. Ford’s support elsewhere. She is an attractive politician. But the scenario is tailor-made for Olivia Chow. Her sympathetic appeal based on (well, you name it) makes her a very good bet to go right up the middle to victory in 2014. She might well win with a nice plurality and the only reason that she would not become mayor hangs on reform of the electoral system. If there were a run off required in such a situation it is quite possible that either Mr. Ford or Ms. Stintz would get enough second-chance votes from the other to win a majority. But there seems no likelihood reform will be adopted or implemented by then. Keep this scenario in mind come next November. Learning to speak like a Mayor
