While a city – at least the half that didn’t vote for Rob Ford – licked it wounds, at Revival on College, the mood at the post-election party of the also-ran in the 2010 mayoral race, one Joe Pantalone, was upbeat.
Pants, as expected, finished back in the pack, but unlike the big loser last night, runner-up George Smitherman, the Small Wonder could hold his head high in the knowledge of having run a race not compromised by the need to win at all costs.
Pants stuck to his values and principles guns til the end, even when the pressure to bow out of the race, as many were calling on him to do to stop Ford, became near impossible to bear. In the end, it didn’t matter. Ford ran away with it.
In the Pants camp, that result didn’t matter as much as the feeling their man, the standard bearer of progressive forces, had fought the good fight. One by one Pants’s supporters lined up to shake the little big man’s hand, offer encouraging words and a hug after the customary concession speech.
It was a sight to behold for cynical observers looking for their faith to be restored in grassroots politics on a night when the lunatics have taken over the asylum. There was solace to be taken in the fact that while council’s left had lost important allies like Sandra Bussin in the Beaches and Adrian Heaps in Scarborough Southwest (Kevin Beaulieu also lost Adam Giambrone’s seat in Davenport), there were also progressive victories to count starting right here in Trinity-Spadina, in the shape of Mike Layton, son of the federal NDP leader Jack. (A proud moment for big poppa, who was in attendance, to see his political legacy live on.)
Victories were also counted in Parkdale where Sarah Doucette beat wishy-washy Bill Saundercook, in Toronto-Danforth, where NDP choice Mary Fragedakis thumped Jane Pitfield, in Don Valley East, where Jaye Robinson beat right-wing incumbent Cliff Jenkins and in York South-Weston, where the Labour Council’s choice, Josh Colle, defeated Ford backer Rob Davis. Krysten Wong-Tam also beat Ken Chan in Toronto Centre. And Paula Fletcher, another one of those targeted by Tory forces, staved off defeat in a tight race with Liz West.
Overall, council’s makeup still skews centre-left, even with the Ford wave. A good thing. Toronto as we now it is not dead after all.
Always eager to spread the word and ever the optimist, Pantalone seemingly had time for everyone, even the college kids in attendance to cover the race for their journo assignments. Some of these one-on-one with the young people of today were punctuated by hugs at the end. Amazing. I even spotted a scribe from the Ford happy National Post in a big embrace with Pants. We haven’t heard the last of Joey Pants.
Gord Perks, who was re-elected in Parkdale and was among Pantalone’s staunchest supporters, was philosophical about the final result. He likened the challenge facing the left on council under Ford, to the one non-profits clawing and scratching for money for their programs encounter everyday. Challenging times lie ahead for the new mayor elect.
At Revival, the party would go late into the night.
The irony is that the 2010 municipal elections would end here for Pants. This is where the man who was tapped to be the chosen one for progressive forces in the city, one Adam Giambrone, held his launch also those months ago before he crashed and burned. No need to be reminded of that now.
