They were very similar in many ways. One of them; an overfed loudmouth with a very thin skin who launched personal attacks at his enemies, real and imagined. A man of suspect sanity with a dubious grasp on reality, his lust for the pleasures of the flesh could have been his undoing. With all that baggage, he was still elected to high office.
The other is Donald Trump.
Rob Ford was Mayor of Toronto, a fun town that was even more fun for its drug using, alcohol swilling chief executive. Rob Ford died of cancer earlier this year.
Despite his licentious lifestyle, Trump keeps ticking.
Joe Warmington of the Toronto Sun wrote a column comparing the two madcap party boys.
It was neat to re-read the late former mayor’s thoughts in June 2015 on Donald Trump entering the Republican presidential race. Rob, who died of cancer March 22 of this year, told me he thought Trump would gain the groundswell of support he enjoyed.
“Very few thought I would win the mayor’s race in 2010 and they were wrong,” said Ford.
He felt people underestimated him.
“People have said Donald Trump can’t do a lot of things and they underestimate him,” he said. “The thing with Mr. Trump is he has the business background but more importantly he connects with people. That is what is most important in politics.”
Turns out these brothers from different mothers met in 2012.
“He’s a very nice guy,” said Ford. “He’s very laid back and low key. He’s also very kind as well as successful. Not many people can become billionaires. That is very difficult to do.”
Ford noted the media didn’t want him either but he persevered.
“A lot of the media were taking shots at (Trump) and making it out to be a joke but in the end it will be them who will be surprised,” Ford told me. “They can laugh all they want, but Mr. Trump is a very successful man and a very good candidate for president.”
He predicted if he did win the nomination, Trump “will be the next president.”
Nobody knows a party boy like another party boy. Mr. Warmington’s article said nothing about which body part the late Mr. Ford preferred grabbing by way of introduction when meeting a woman.