A Prediction for the Mayoral Debate
Mar. 26th, 2014 03:25 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jsburbidge...Mayor Ford will get up and basically repeat the same talking points he always does, avoiding engagement with the other candidates.
It's become clear that this is his re-election strategy: get on different media platforms and repeat the same points regardless of context. He did it in Los Angeles, he'll do it tonight at the debate, he'll do it tomorrow on Matt Galloway. It also matches the approach he took to debates four years ago.
What he'll do if the other candidates directly challenge the veracity of his claims is an open question. The press hasn't tended to do so so far (instead, at best, they publish slightly later "fact checks"), probably because their interviews would just break down if they did so. ("Anything else?"). Walking away from four other candidates would be more problematic.
It's worth noting that it's not really in the interest of the other candidates to focus on Ford. Chow has to face the set of four candidates on the right as a block. Stintz' worst threat is Tory; Tory's worst threat is Chow. Soknacki's stratgey is to focus on positive policy proposals rather than going on the attack. Sidelining Ford benefits the candidates on the right if it can be managed, but given the nature of his support, the return on effort would probably be minimal.
It's become clear that this is his re-election strategy: get on different media platforms and repeat the same points regardless of context. He did it in Los Angeles, he'll do it tonight at the debate, he'll do it tomorrow on Matt Galloway. It also matches the approach he took to debates four years ago.
What he'll do if the other candidates directly challenge the veracity of his claims is an open question. The press hasn't tended to do so so far (instead, at best, they publish slightly later "fact checks"), probably because their interviews would just break down if they did so. ("Anything else?"). Walking away from four other candidates would be more problematic.
It's worth noting that it's not really in the interest of the other candidates to focus on Ford. Chow has to face the set of four candidates on the right as a block. Stintz' worst threat is Tory; Tory's worst threat is Chow. Soknacki's stratgey is to focus on positive policy proposals rather than going on the attack. Sidelining Ford benefits the candidates on the right if it can be managed, but given the nature of his support, the return on effort would probably be minimal.
