Ryan Daniels | Lover's quarrel

Last week, two North American metropolises dueled for the most shocking headline about their mayor’s offices.

In New York City, Bill de Blasio became the first Democratic mayor in decades, winning by stunning margins. In New York’s Canadian counterpart — the cleaner, more peaceful Toronto — the mayor admitted to smoking crack cocaine.

This past weekend, I briefly visited the city I grew up in, and I tried to get a sense of what Torontonians were thinking. I wondered how, after last week’s long-awaited confession, Toronto Mayor Rob Ford is not inmate Ford — or at least ex-Mayor Ford.

What I found surprised me. People are upset and let down, but generally willing to move on, like parents who are “disappointed but not mad.” Supporters brush and laugh off his antics as harmless — even a little endearing. Some feel like Mayor Ford’s opponents should ease up, stop muddying political issues with personal ones and end all the fuss.

Maybe I’ve become accustomed to American politics, but this all seems to defy reason — especially since this scandal comes on the heels of dozens of others ranging from the alleged sexual assault of a political rival to (now routine) drunken public appearances. Mayor Ford even tried to soften the crack blow by explaining he was too drunk to remember doing it.

It seems to me that Mayor Ford has created one of the strongest and strangest politician-constituent connections ever, and — as with any impetuous relationship — it’s clouding Toronto’s judgment. This might be a result of Canada’s trademark passivity and mind-your-own-business graciousness, but psychological factors are no doubt involved too.

Political scientists can confirm that the most successful leaders have made the average voter feel inexplicably linked to them. Establishing such a bond with voters might be Mayor Ford’s biggest success.

According to political scientist Richard Fenno, most politicians try to craft an image as being “one of their constituents.” But the bond that I think exists here is different — and not just about voters noticing personal similarities to a candidate. It’s something less tangible and explicable — and more emotional.

Bill Clinton is a great example. He was one of the most relatable presidents in recent memory even though there were very few similarities between the lives of most American voters and his.

Similarly, I don’t think many Torontonians see similarities between themselves and Mayor Ford — he’s by no means “one of them.” Ford’s background more closely resembles an over-the-top blockbuster than an average person’s life. Actually, it’s a lot like the Chris Farley classic “Tommy Boy,” in which our incident-prone, hilariously obese and obscene protagonist dropped out of college early to get rich and take over his father’s huge industrial company.

While I was in Toronto, a cab driver told me that he supports Ford and feels connected to him even though he could never personally relate to his past.

So what is behind this thick bond that seems rooted in the intangibles and keeps Torontonians backing — and forgiving — Mayor Ford?

Psychology might suggest that he displays a number of the “Big Five” personality dimensions that make great leaders easily relatable and lovable. These include neuroticism, extraversion, openness to experience and conscientiousness.

Furthermore, people might subconsciously fabricate a bond between themselves and an admired politician. Our psychological need to feel special motivates us to envision ourselves as linked to a candidate we like.

If nothing else, Ford’s brash defiance and disregard for “politics as usual” appealed to voters. As a city councilman, Mayor Ford served up a too-stiff cocktail of unprecedented diatribes and rhetoric at City Council meetings, making the public feel like they shared values.

These different factors have little basis in Ford’s actual political achievements, and they’ve whirled together in a perfect storm, creating a riptide bond between Ford and Torontonians even though they actually have very little in common — like crack cocaine. And, as with crack cocaine, it’s not letting them see things clearly.

Ford’s supporters seem to forget that this wasn’t a legally ambiguous sex(ting) scandal — it was an elected official breaking the law by abusing a banned substance.

Toronto’s passionate relationship with Ford is not a healthy one. It’s time for the city to see through it and observe the facts.

Ryan Daniels is a College senior from Philadelphia. Email him at ryanjdaniels1@gmail.com. “Daniels, Straight Up” usually appears every Wednesday.

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