Rob Ford Is Tony Soprano, Rob Ford Is Punk

Rob Ford’s core constituent support remains strong despite the numbing avalanche of revelations in the past six months. His fans routinely tell reporters and call-in shows that the man is only human, nobody’s perfect, and he’s delivering on his election promises; everything else doesn’t matter. The rest of us slap ourselves on the forehead, baffled (and often weeping): How can anyone possibly still support the man who has redefined “higher office,” especially after all this? Who are these people? I know them well, despite the fact that my circle of friends consists almost entirely of the centre-left, HBO-watching, downtown Toronto media elite who grew up on alternative culture. We, of all people, should know Ford Nation. Rob Ford is punk rock. Rob Ford is gangsta. Rob Ford is counterculture.