Editorial — Mayor’s health concerns trump past misbehaviour

SATURDAY MORNING EDITORIAL — Just when you thought Toronto politics couldn’t get any more strange, Mayor Rob Ford is suddenly in a medical crisis and withdraws from the race for mayor.

And, to add to the intrigue, his brother Doug Ford has stepped in to run in his place, filing his nomination papers with minutes to spare before the deadline.

The much ridiculed mayor, who was making steady gains in public opinion polls — in fact, he had pulled into second place — is now the subject of good wishes. Not just good wishes, but newspaper columns about how he has benefitted Toronto politics by stirring interest through his various escapades.

Ford is said to have many good administrative qualities and policies. It was only the booze and the crack that tarnished his image.

At this writing, it’s speculated Mayor Ford has a cancerous tumour, but that can’t be confirmed for several days.

His illness doesn’t make him any better than he was. He does, however, deserve support and sympathy as he works his way through his illness. For the moment, politics takes a back seat to purely human concerns.