How must we understand the moving scene outside the Etobicoke home of Doug Ford’s mom this evening? The newly-declared candidate for mayor, Rob Ford’s older brother, spoke with a cracking voice about fulfilling Rob Ford’s mission at City Hall, We heard about the plea of a sick man to enlist his brother to somehow prevent a return to the municipal bad old days. No one need feel cynical about the amazing scenario that unfolded there. We believe it was all sincere. Taking it as it seems to have been intended, however, it is absolutely no basis on which to cast a vote for mayor. Doug Ford’s speech this evening saw the public coupling of  the mayor’s illness with the political aspirations of two brothers. However much one’s heart may go out to the mayor and his family in this time of difficulty electors must have the strength of mind to reject voting for Mr. Ford out of sympathy. Sympathy is no basis on which to choose a mayor. Unfortunately, however unwittingly this context was created, large parts of it are located in the thoroughly hard-headed realm of the public good. We hope that Doug  Ford will not turn his campaign into a kind of wish foundation for his sick brother.

Say hello to your new mayoral slate. And get ready for a brutal six-week campaign charged with some campaign chemistry seldom seen in Toronto politics. Can John Tory continue to be seen as the only acceptable choice for mayor? Will his sober and friendly approach to politics win enough hearts and minds? As of this week, he stood at 40 percent in public support. But with Rob Ford out of the race, and sick into the bargain, will his brother, Doug, launch furious in-fighting to change that. Will he, of all things, extract a sympathy vote because of his brother’s illness? Will Olivia Chow stay in the race? In what seems an unlikely inversion of sentiment, the John Tory campaign may not want her out. Sure, she is not likely to win, but at the least she will draw fire if she is in the race. The chemical cocktail may put electors flat on their backs. The polling has already begun 

Dramatic moments at the City Hall nominations office as Jeff Silverstein, the mayor’s assistant, withdraws the mayor’s name from the ballot and adds the name of Mr. Ford’s brother, Doug. All this with less than an hour to remain before the deadline to file, It is also confirmed that Rob Ford will run for council in Etobicoke Ward 2. It is a ward the Rob Ford held for years and seems like a certainty for him to win again, notwithstanding his illness. Silverstein was saying only “We will be making a statement later today.”