I should begin by clarifying that I do not believe Olivia Chow is trying to lose this election, not deliberately.
asserted
Chow → begin → election
I think she has a plan for her campaign.
asserted
she → think → campaign
It just isn’t working.
asserted
It → work → ?
Whatever it is, it is going badly wrong.
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it → go → ?
I should add that, by and large, I think Chow has been quite a good mayor for Toronto.
asserted
Chow → add → Toronto
I don’t have a problem, as an opinion writer, saying I’m going to vote for her.
asserted
I → have → her
I think you should too.
asserted
you → think → ?
Over the past two months, I’ve been sitting down with people I trust in this city — in business, politics, housing and other sectors — and asking them two broad questions: What do you think of Brad Bradford? And: How do you think Chow has done as mayor?
Her record on housing, on encampments, on potholes — on many of the things the city controls that can have a real impact on people’s lives — has been strong.
asserted
that → sit → lives
She has also been remarkably successful at what is perhaps her most crucial job: getting other levels of government to pony up cash for Toronto.
asserted
levels → get → Toronto
Many I’ve spoken to have also been surprised and impressed by Chow’s pragmatism and her dogged interest in getting many small things done at once.
asserted
things → speak → pragmatism
Even some conservatives admit Chow’s willingness to eat the political hit necessary to substantially raise property taxes has put Toronto on a far more stable financial footing.
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willingness → admit → footing
Critics, including some on the left, told me they think her team lacks executive focus.
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team → include → focus
They believe she’s been poorly served by top bureaucrats at city hall and hasn’t moved quickly or decisively enough to make changes.
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she → believe → changes
The most frequent criticism I heard of Chow is that she hasn’t made economic development and labour-market growth enough of a priority.
asserted
development → hear → priority
I think some of that criticism is fair.
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some → think → criticism
At the same time, I don’t think any of it has much to do with why she has been flailing so often this fall.
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she → think → much
I believe instead that Chow and her people have badly misjudged the mood of the city.
asserted
Chow → believe → city
I think there’s a very real chance that miscalculation could cost her the election.
uncertain
miscalculation → think → election
It could actually make Bradford mayor.
uncertain
Bradford → make → ?
On Tuesday, I sat down for a long lunch with Chow at Dim Sum King, on Dundas St. W.
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I → sit → King
She chose the spot.
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She → choose → spot
It’s the same restaurant, under a new name, where she ate with 400 guests after marrying Jack Layton on Algonquin Island in 1988.
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she → ’ → 1988
That’s why I’ve been surprised her team agreed to so many debates with Bradford this campaign.
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team → ’ → Bradford
I asked Chow about that strategy while she flagged down waiters in Cantonese and pulled dumplings, rice pancakes and stuffed peppers from their carts.
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she → ask → carts
She pointed to her mayoral campaign in 2014, when she lost to John Tory after leading in the polls for much of the year.
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she → point → year
“I had all these people saying, ‘Oh, Olivia, you say this; you say that.
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you → have → that
This is what you should look like.’
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you → look → what
And really, looking back, it wasn’t really my voice,” she said.
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she → look → ?
She told me she was determined, this time around, to do things her way.
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she → tell → things
“I’m not the best debater,” she said.
asserted
she → ’m → ?
“But I’m going to say what I believe in, and straight-up.
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I → go → what
I don’t know.
asserted
I → know → ?
That’s who I am.
asserted
I → ’ → ?
I’m a working-class immigrant kid.”
asserted
I → ’m → ?
Every time I write about Chow or Bradford, my inbox overflows with angry notes demanding to know when I’m going to write about what they see as Chow’s failure to stand with Jewish Torontonians.
asserted
they → write → Torontonians
I’ve also heard from community leaders, people I’ve dealt with for years, who say they don’t feel they’re being listened to by Chow’s city hall.
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they → hear → hall
I asked Chow what she thinks of those critiques.
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she → ask → critiques
“I don’t go to the Walk for Israel,” she said.
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she → go → Israel
“I don’t agree with the Israeli government.
asserted
I → agree → government
That doesn’t mean I don’t support the Jewish community in Toronto.”
asserted
I → mean → Toronto
…and 26 more, not listed.
The Aporia
