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Interestingly, one of Doug Ford’s campaign slogans is “Let’s Make Ontario Great Again. #MOGA

Why Doug Ford Has a Great Shot to Win the Ontario PC Leadership



Why Doug Ford Has a Great Shot to Win the Ontario PC Leadership The winds of change seem to be blowing in Doug Ford’s favor. The Ontario people have experienced 15 years of McGuinty-led then Wynne-led Ontario Liberal corruption, scandal, fiscal mismanagement+ incompetence. The mighty province of Ontario has gone from being an anchor of Confederation and a “have” province, to a “have-not” province. The provincial debt is a staggering $400 billion+. Over $12 billion must be paid to service that debt alone. With interest rates going up in the US and in Canada, those annual debt payments will skyrocket. Utility costs, both for homeowners, landlord/tenants and businesses have increased tragically under the Liberal government.
Seniors and lower income folks have to choose between heating or eating. Personal and corporate taxes have shot up. Ontario is not competitive. It continues to lose jobs and businesses to the lower tax/ more competitive US,which has become much more friendly to businesses, investment and jobs. Wynne/Trudeau’s carbon taxes are making Ontario even less competitive, less affordable and this climate change policy is another job-killing nail in the Ontario economy. Ford has a great chance to win the leadership because he is the only candidate who will hammer effectively the Wynne government and by extension the Trudeau government as well. In Ford’s first few speeches, his message has been clear and effective. The Ontario people have to stop the tax and spend Liberals who have hurt Ontario’s economy, with their many failed economic and fiscal policies. This leadership race will focus on the economy, the economy, the economy. Jobs, jobs and jobs. Taxes, taxes and taxes. The Ontario base is tired of top down Ontario PC policies that are just Liberal-Lite. In this very short campaign, Ford will hammer home some short, simple+ tough messages. Caroline Mulroney, who is an unknown and Christine Elliott, who left the Conservative party for a Wynne Liberal patronage post, will try to play the identity politics card. They will call Ford- divisive , sexist and a bully. They will fail like Hillary failed. Because it is the economy, first and last, that will drive this leadership campaign.

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Ford comes across as the most authentic voice to take on the Wynne government. Wynne is a formidable, very tough and experienced political street fighter. Ford is the only candidate who has the toughness and cojones to take on Wynne and take her down, once and for all by hammering her on her many failed economic policies and the corruption of her government; eHealth, Ornge, OLG, Cancellation of gas plants, criminal deletion of emails and much, much more. Caroline and Christine will try to run top-down caucus-led races. Ford is relying upon his existing base and expanding upwards. They all have only 10 days to register new party voters eligible to vote on March 10, 2018. It is a race for new members and a race to recruit existing members. I heard Doug Ford speak at his rally on Saturday in front of 1500 supporters. Doug Ford’s speech was effective and well-rehearsed. Ford has become battle-hardened and more experienced these last few years. He surrounded himself with his 3 daughters and his supportive wife. He is a good family man and clearly not a suspected horn dog frat boy like Patrick Brown, the former Ontario PC Leader, who had to resign in disgrace. Surprisingly, Ford has great hard core support among hard core conservative female Conservative members. Ford’s base, that is, Ford Nation, consists of many members of Ontario’s visible minorities in the Toronto suburbs of Etobicoke, North York and Scarborough. Ford’s anti-tax and anti-Liberal message also resonates throughout the suburbs, small towns and rural communities outside the GTA. Ironically, there is great respect between Christine and Doug. Hence between their respective supporters. I predict that on a second ballot or subsequent ballots, if Ford is leading Elliott, many Elliott supporters will go to Ford to stop Caroline. In other words, Ford’s base and his support have room to grow. Interestingly, one of Doug Ford’s campaign slogans is “Let’s Make Ontario Great Again. #MOGA I think Doug Ford has a great shot to grab the brass ring, my friends.


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Mitch Wolfe -- Bio and Archives

Mitch Wolfe, a graduate of Harvard University, is the author of “Trump: How He Captured The Trump White House”, which he wrote and had published prior to the election. (available on Amazon.com)


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