Toronto mayor Rob Ford’s interview: incompetent or insulting?
UPDATE: Great to see all of you new visitors to the site. Can I ask commenters to please be civil to each other and to the readers? Thanks.
I just got pointed to an interview that aired on last night’s CBC Radio show “As It Happens.” For readers outside of Canada who don’t know about this show, it’s one of the flagship national current affairs shows on CBC Radio One, hosted by a senior journalist named Carol Off.
The interview was with the newly-elected mayor of Toronto, Rob Ford. Ford is a colorful figure to say the least, and I would suggest that those wanting the details of the many controversies (ranging from insensi
tive remarks to a DUI arrest to a pending defamation lawsuit) check out the wikipedia entry. He was elected based on a platform of cutting waste and spending and reducing taxes. That platform differed greatly from his chief competition George Smitherman, and his predecessor David Miller.
So when there’s a major change at the top of Canada’s largest city, it’s not surprising that As It Happens would want to talk with him. And if you’re the leader of Canada’s largest city, you’d think you’d want to speak on As It Happens.
Well… apparently Ford was struggling with the dilemma of coaching his minor league football team and doing a national radio interview. Listen for 3 and a half minutes:
I am flabbergasted. I can’t figure out whether Ford did this out of incompetence, or whether it was a direct insult to the show and/or CBC. Now here’s my question for you: If you were Adrienne Batra, Ford’s director of communications, how would you respond to this? Options that occur to me:
- Resignation
- Apology to AIH for the insult
- A heart to heart with your boss
- Something else
Tell me what you think.
UPDATE: Torontoist has kindly provided a transcript of the interview. If you just can’t bring yourself to listen to the audio, here it is:
Carol Off: Mr. Ford, congratulations…
Rob Ford: Thank you. Appreciate it.
Carol Off: People are saying it’s a, calling it a stunning win. What do you think that—
Rob Ford: Things are, things are going really well.
Carol Off: What drew so much—
Rob Ford, yelling: Coach, half your juniors aren’t even here, eh? Alright. Alright.
Carol Off: Hello, Mr. Ford, are you there?
Rob Ford: Yeah, yeah, I’m here, yeah.
Carol Off: Oh, you’re at some event or…?
Rob Ford: I’m a coach. I’m a football coach.
Carol Off: Okay, so you’re at football practice, then.
Rob Ford: Yes.
Carol Off: Alright well, okay, we’ll continue then. What is it that you think drew so much support to your campaign?
Rob Ford: Yeah, it’s just people are sick and tired of the wasteful spending. People are sick and tired of wasteful spending, that’s the bottom line, that’s what it comes down.
Carol Off: Well there—
Rob Ford: You know, I’m the only one that can go down there [Inaudible, then, yelling:] Just go get changed! Go! Out! And get changed! Don’t worry about the water right now. [Pause.] Sorry.
Carol Off: Uh-huh—
Rob Ford: So, um, yeah, no, people are just fed up with, uh, with, you know, uh, politicians squandering, uh, hard-earned tax dollars, and they know that I’m gonna get rid of the sixty-dollar car registration tax and the land transfer tax.
Carol Off: Well you know that your campaign has been compared to Mike Harris’s Common Sense Revolution, to the Tea Party movement, do you see those comparisons?
Rob Ford: I don’t see [inaudible] comparisons [inaudible] what, I don’t care [laughs]. I just, I just know, know the taxpayers, uh, want, uh, you know, the gravy train to come to an end, and that, uh, Rob Ford’s the guy to do it, and uh [inaudible]—
Carol Off: Do you think there are similarities?
Rob Ford: And, and, I don’t, I don’t see there’s any similarities, I just know that, uh, like I said, uh, I’m, you know, gonna put an end to the wasteful spending, and, uh…you know, stop the gravy train—sorry, I’m being distracted [inaudible] so…
Carol Off: So—
Rob Ford: So, that’s pretty well it.
Carol Off: Mr. Ford, do you think that though there’s not people that who might think that their taxes are too high, or that too much is being spent on things? There seems to be a division in this city. People, in the, ah, you’ve seen it in even your voting: people who live in the more of the core of the city have different priorities than people in the suburbs. So when you stop the gravy train, some people want to see more public transportation, more bike lanes…
Rob Ford: Right…
Carol Off: …others want to see better routes out into the suburbs. how are you going to reconcile that?
Rob Ford: Well the first, well the first and foremost concern with people—is money. That’s the first and foremost concern. So, I’m gonna make sure our finances, um, you know, are well taken care of, and then we can deal with all the other issues, but uh, money’s the first and foremost concern, and, uh, that’s what my uh, what I’m gonna concentrate on.
Carol Off: Well sure, that’s everyone’s concern, but we’re not sure what it is that you’re going to save money on. Are you going to reduce public transportation?
Rob Ford, interrupting: Well I just told you that I’m gonna get rid of the sixty-dollar car registration tax and land transfer tax, so, um, maybe I’m not making myself clear, but I’m gonna get rid of the sixty-dollar car registration tax and land transfer tax. And we’re gonna stop the wasteful spending, and not have $12,000 retirement parties, and you know, all the other nonsense that’s been going on for seven years.
Carol Off: Um—
Rob Ford, interrupting: Anyways, I gotta let you go here. And, uh…
Carol Off: Well, can I ask you about public transportation before you go?
Rob Ford: Pardon me? I can’t talk to you right now—I’m really, I’m on a really tight schedule, so I hate to be rude, but I gotta let you go, and we can chat another time. Really nice talking to you, all the best, buh-bye.
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I’m with Zoom. Although I think she’ll have enough book material by Remembrance Day, 2010.
If anyone has been watching Fords behavior in city council over the years they would not be shocked at this CBC interview. Cutting the licence sticker 60 bucks and land transfer sure sounds good but were are the revenues they was bringing in going to come from to relplace them ?
He will have to cut services somewere to make all these fantastic savings. Someone mentioned something about half the city being dumb voters, well they do have a history of voting in jackasses does Mel Lastman ring a bell, lol
Daniel recently posted..Toronto mayor Rob Ford’s interview- incompetent or insulting
Oh well, this interview, as some have already mentioned in the discussion, is a shame. And it is so for whole Toronto, really (as people here voted for him). However, I don’t think Ford even realizes how incredibly stupid acting like this was – he seems to be too self-confident. But yeah, he should go for some media appearances training, I certainly don’t think any Mayor is supposed to behave this.
Elli D. recently posted..Ford Won the Toronto Elections
Funny – I don’t see any rude behaviour, just a distracted man who probably should have rescheduled this interview. But the slanted coverage of our new Mayor will continue in the liberal media, especially on the CBC – the biggest waste of taxpayers money in the country. Are you feeling threatened???
I don’t feel threatened. I don’t work for the CBC or the “liberal media”, or live in Toronto. I see this is a case study in public relations. The alternative explanations for this interview that I think are most likely are:
1. Ford chose to participate as he did.
2. Ford didn’t prepare for the interview and just did a bad job.
Either one is troublesome for PR practitioners who care about good media relations. Or at least this one.
Once Rob settles into his he is gonna make a great mayor .. GOOD LUCK ROB . WE ARE ALL CHEERING FOR YOU
The guy has no substance and limited intelligence. T.O. is in for a hard 4 years.
I genuinely am concerned for this city. There are some very complex issues that far exceed this man’s grasp. Hopefully the councillors can make up for the severe deficiencies that are going to exist for the next four years. These are scary times.
I’d give him another 4 years based on that. He plays by his own rules, and not like the others. New rules Annexers. Get used to it.
Despite having campaigned endlessly on his determination to cut City expenses, when asked to be more precise, the only specifics out of Ford’s mouth deal with cutting its income. Sincere he might be; but competent to understand, let alone solve, the City’s financial challenges he ain’t.
Hey, don’t beat on me: he as much as said so himself. He was asked a simple question on his defining cause and he couldn’t get it right. And, with an uncompromising reality now staring him in the face, the going for Ford is about to get a thousand times tougher than juggling a reporter’s softball question with prepping for a junior football practice.
do you think the cbc will survive without public funding.will anyone care
I might make a distinction between CBC Radio & CBC TV. Radio has a huge audience nationally, both in urban centres and in rural Canada. This may be more myth than reality, but I’ve understood that several rounds of cuts to CBC have been rolled back when Conservative MPs in rural ridings heard from farmers and their families who were avid CBC Radio listeners. TV is more problematic.
(Disclosure: I have worked on a freelance basis for CBC Radio on and off for several decades, but not since 2007)
An animated version of the interview. For amusement.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2N2Bgr89VY
It’s not the interruptions that really bother me (boorish as they might be) it’s his inability to answer questions. His answer to the question about what services would be cut because of his ending certain taxes makes no sense. He parrots out the same group of phrases in every interview (gravy train, land transfer tax, vehicle registration tax) without actually saying anything. He’s like Toronto’s version of Sarah Palin.
what did david miller do for the city?how is it better?who,s lfe is better because of him?
Plus, how is cutting the vehicle tax and the land transfer tax related to stopping the gravy train? I’m barely going to notice the $60 a year, but the city budget managers are certainly going to notice $250 million out of the budget. As a fiscally conservative (social liberal) I’m afraid that he’s going to cut his revenue more than his expenses.
This was unbelievably rude on Rob Ford’s part, and shows the depth of his campaign. Miller could have talked for hours about citybuilding. The fact that he has supporters on this site says it all- stupidity is king now in Toronto.
Well, I think it was all for show. She asked them to call, they probably pissed them off during the campaign and this was there way of getting back at them.
Nat recently posted..Everybody knows the war is over…
he was set up by cbc and the lying has been ”pundit”
I can’t believe I am saying this, but here is someone who could actually take a little advice from Delaware senatorial candidate Christine O’Donnell.
WOW. Just, WOW.
The man is an absolute embarrassment. But again, look at the comments defending him on this page. Not exactly the most nuanced or intellectual rebuttals, eh?
So, let’s understand this: uneducated, lowest-common-denominator neanderthals want someone “like themselves” in office. Gotcha.
CBC can’t embarrass him. He can only embarrass himself. Which he did. And now we get to look forward to 4 years of him embarrassing the city.
Ugh.
Little Kiwi recently posted..Purple Power
looks good on cbc left leaning mouthpace for liberals .right on rob
this guy is entertaining, and a very down to earth individual. we have finally elected someone who is not scared to insult or offend people with his real opinions. the truth hurts, oh well.
You can all stop hating Ford now. He won. Now you must bow down to your king. Here’s a guy who won’t let interviewers asking dumb-ass questions about appeasing the masses while also getting the job done, get in the way of him doing his god damn job. Ford is the man. 8 more years!
You do realize he has only 1 of 45 votes on council, right? With this attitude, he’ll accomplish squat.
Also, what makes the questions dumb-assed? They’re asking about his campaign and his plans? What are they supposed to ask?
And what is so dumb-assed about asking the mayor elect how he proposes to save money? Can’t he just answer the question without using the word ‘gravy’ in a sentence?
The best quote I ever heard to describe Ford is that he is a 20 watt bulb in a 100 watt world.
He was not set up by the CBC. His director of communications told them to call him at the specified time. he ha no excuse to not be prepared. Goof.
To add to my earlier response, how is this in any way the CBCs fault? They don’t have ANY obligation to edit the interview! I wouldn’t talk to a client or friend on the phone like this in a million years. It’s just plain rude. Not to mention is shows a complete lack of organizational skills! Ford could have appealed to populism by dropping a line about how he coaches football in a way that wasn’t so completely moronic. How about, “hi cbc interviewer, I’d like to answer as many questions as I can today but I do have a football team meet to attend in x minutes, so I’ll try my best to answer as many questions as can before that starts at x time.” THis would have established a timeframe for the journalist and Ford. Not the crap we witnessed here.
Well played populism only applies if the show your on appeals to those responsive to populist tactics. Populism isn’t something we should be proud of; it’s a tactic employed by the banana/oil/whatever republics of the world. I don’t imagine too many of the listeners of As it Happens were impressed; part of being elected to office is being accountable, something Rob Ford campaigned on. How is ducking the media or being rude enhance his perception of being accountable at all?
Beyond that, this interview demonstrates that Ford doesn’t really have any logical or sensible solutions to serious problems the city encounters. Rob Ford was elected on a wave of emotion; unfortunately, the worst politics and policy is that based on emotion. Had sensible or qualified candidate presented sensible solutions, perhaps Rob Ford wouldn’t be Mayor-elect; Rob Ford is the anti-everybody else establishment candidate. Too bad he seems to know nothing about running a city.
Insulting…but great. Carol Off really earned her last name on that one.
Rob Ford: “See yez later!” lol
What the CBC did here is equally inexcusable. I’ve done radio interviews including the ones I have done for the CBC. The CBC was irresponsible for not editing the interview. Ford did the interview knowing it wasn’t live and would be edited, thus, he felt free to interrupt himself. Clearly the CBC wanted to embarrass him so they didn’t edit it. Funny thing is, my CBC interview did get edited and quite well I might add. I’d even argue they made my answers sound better and more succinct! Ford didn’t schedule the interview, his assistant did and likely framed it as you have to do this. He was also likely told it would only be a 5 minute interview so he did it. Could he have done better? Yes; but the CBC has blame here too for being very amateurish. Lastly, he is coaching KIDS that are 13 to 17 years old! I respect him for that just as I do a teacher or a community person who is a band conductor after school or a drama club director. He should be commended for making the time! Plus, the football season ends in 2 to 4 weeks (depending on how well the team does) and before December 1st when he officially takes office; so yes, I once again salute him for his efforts to work with kids. Shame on the CBC for trying to discredit him!
I agree with you that the CBC folks definitely wanted to embarrass him. A couple of other points to think of, though: 1. as the interviewee, you control the circumstances as much as the media outlet. He didn’t have to agree to the interview his director of comms set up; she didn’t have to put him in that conflict; 2. If he was unable to focus on the interview because he was coaching his kids, then he shouldn’t have tried; 3. a savvy media relations person, or someone as experienced in the ways of the media as Rob Ford, can be reasonably expected to know the likely consequences of behaving in that way with a media outlet; 4. while I have no inside pipeline into the AIH newsroom, I would suspect they felt obligated to put SOMETHING on — it’s the day after a major change in civic politics in Canada’s biggest city and they would be expected to have an interview. (That being said, I do think they were sticking a thumb in his eye).
EXCEPT: that it was Ford who hung up on the interviewer, and there was nothing in his answers that suggested that he was trying to put together a cohesive sound bite that could easily be edited. He didn’t offer to repeat a quote when he had to interrupt to coach. He didn’t suggest a better time. I don’t have any problem with the way the CBC presented it – I’m not entirely sure what Ford was up to, but either he deliberately sabotaged himself or should have known better.
Oh to be a satirist in this city for the next four years!
I will respect the democratic vote that put Ford in office duly noting I did not vote for him. I suggest the 48% that voted for him will actually like the interview. Shows a hardworking right wing guy out in the community doing good while staying on message to stopping the gravy train. One’s perception is their reality and his campaign mastered the message to a city held to annual public transit increases, garbage strikes, and NIMBY mentality. Unfortunately, the numbers don’t add up (google “Globe and Mail, Ford; and the numbers” for a reality check) and 4 years from now Toronto will be further in the hole financially. If Andrienne Batra wants a career in communications she best distance herself fast from Ford as re-employability will be a real challenge.
>I suggest the 48% that voted for him will actually like the interview.
Nothing personal regarding you, Rhys, but I’d suggest that less than 1% of those who voted for Ford would listen or ever had listened to any radio talk show, ever. I doubt that 48% of the population of Toronto has ever listened to any radio show at the same time. But with the web, which I also don’t think typical Ford supporters would bother with much, it’s possible that something approaching maybe 10% of the population of Toronto may eventually read a transcript, or hear the interview. The 48% simply heard the word “gravy” so many times that, in a Homer Simpson-ish way, they eventually located polling stations and voted for Ford because they were hungry.
It is hilarious witnessing wankers like Wayne trying paint half the population in Toronto as idiots because the election didn’t go his way. Liberals have always been the biggest cry-babies because their whole credo is based on a culture of entitlement. It’s going to be fun watching liberal heads explode (like Wayne’s) over the next 4 years.
Payback is a bitch, baby!
generally accurate and funny, Wayne; I enjoyed the comment. John Garvin’s reply shows just as much neo-conservative insight as Rob Ford’s “Stop the gravy train”.
this could not be more embarrassing for people of the city of Toronto.
Wow – missed this interview on CBC. I’m actually speechless, and can’t for the life of me understand why his communications person wasn’t there, on hand, to ensure the interview was handled properly. If she knew he was going to be at football practice, why set up an interview? I think your suggestions as to what Batra should do next are spot on, and I would suggest she do them all, especially apologize to AIH if she wants to ever have any credibility with CBC. Would love to know her background, experience, etc…….
Why would anyone with a real life north of Bloor care about credibility with CBC?
I don’t think it’s so much about credibility with the CBC necessarily but rather the fact that an interview of any kind is representation of the person’s thoughts and ideas. I kept hearing the two things he would do was get rid of the vehicle tax and the land transfer tax. I didn’t hear him answer the interviewers questions directly and I agree that his publicity people should have checked before granting an interview during a practice. It’s only common sense.
Agreed about the well-played populism. AIH might as well be the flagship program of the so-called “intellectual elites”, and what does he do? He certainly doesn’t bow down and pay homage because he has a “real life” to run. Listening last night I got all worked up, and then I realized that was exactly the reaction he’d like me to have, and the one that plays well to his supporters: hey, look at the urbane CBC listener getting all upset that Rob Ford was too busy volunteering in his community to be bothered with the uppity folks at CBC. Sad and cynical, but evidently effective.
Exactly what makes CBC folks “uppity”? It’s not like they’re asking Ford for his thoughts on metaphysics of philosophy. They weren’t talking down to him. I’d love to hear you explain where the elitism was. I suspect it’s only in your own dislike of the CBC and not based on anything rational.
You’re quoting Wikipedia as fact? Careful now. That page made headlines in Toronto during the election. A TorStar company account was found to have hacked the account and changed much of the information. That said – man, it’s going to be a weird 4 years with THAT guy in charge.
Caution is always advisable when judging Wikipedia entries. However, the Ford one is extensively sourced (53 references) and appears to me to be a reasonably comprehensive wrapup of Ford’s political activities and the various kerfuffles he’s found himself in. I don’t think I’m out of line in saying that Ford is a polarizing character and he almost seems to enjoy being in the centre of controversy.
I’d stay in the job, take notes, and write a book about him in four years.
Okay, this is the most creative — and funniest one yet!
I would add another possible explanation: well played populism. To which one would either go with your fourth option or add a fifth for Ms. Batra: compliment the boss.
Oh my god. That was hilarious. I’ll definitely file under what not to do when I’m media training clients.
That was certainly very rude… he is now a mayor and he chooses to insult CBC, of course, that would be part of his mandate, since Conservatives would do anything to insult a CBC interviewer… Mr. Ford lacks manners… he is mayor now, and should make that his priority… leave the coaching to someone else for now..