Ford has surged way ahead of Smitherman, internal Smitherman poll says

A Pollara poll done for the George Smitherman campaign suggests frontrunner Rob Ford has dramatically widened his lead in the race to be Toronto mayor.

The poll of 700 Torontonians conducted Sept. 8 to 12 , and provided to the Star on Sunday, found 46 per cent of decided voters support Ford, 24 per cent Smitherman, 11 per cent for Deputy Mayor Joe Pantalone, 7 per cent for Rocco Rossi and 2 per cent for other candidates.

However, according to the poll, some 22 per cent of voters were still undecided. The poll's margin of error is 7 per cent, 19 times out of 20.

To put the magnitude of Ford's surge and Smitherman's slide in perspective, a similar poll done for the Smitherman campaign from July 9 to 12 had Smitherman at 32 per cent and Ford at 31 per cent.

In the new poll, when you lump in undecided voters, the split is: Ford 36 per cent, Smitherman 19 per cent, Pantalone 9 per cent, Thomson 8 per cent, Rossi 6 per cent, Other 1 per cent and undecided 22 per cent.

When respondents were asked this time about a hypothetical race in which only Ford, Smitherman and Rossi were running, Ford had a handy but less overwhelming lead, at 50 per cent compared to Smitherman's 35 per cent and Rossi's 15 per cent.

The campaign released its poll ahead of a Globe/CTV/CP24/Nanos Research survey conducted in the past few days that reportedly pegs Ford's support at 51 per cent of decided voters, and shows a similar pull away from second-place Smitherman. That results of that poll will be released Sunday night.

"If the election were held today -- and it isn't -- Rob Ford would be the mayor of Toronto," Smitherman said in an interview Sunday afternoon.

"But I'm in the best position of mounting a coalition based on a different vision of Toronto. This is a bit of an alarm for people over what's happening in their city and to line up behind one vision -- a destructive, reckless one or one that is about city building. There is but one place for to put their hope and it is my candidacy ... We will fight for our city to the end."

Smitherman, the former Ontario deputy premier, made no bones about the fact that he is making a plea for strategic voting -- for voters now supporting Pantalone, Thomson or Rossi to abandon their first choice and start supporting him in an anyone-but-Ford campaign.

He said he is making the pitch to labour, arts, ethnic minority groups and others he says have the most to lose if Ford, the penny-pinching Etobicoke councillor who is promising deep cuts to city spending, becomes mayor on Oct. 25.

However, Smitherman said he doesn't expect any of his rivals to drop out of the race and urge their supporters to instead back him.

The Ford campaign has been asked for its reaction to the Smitherman poll. We'll report the response when and if we get it.

Comments

[RegulusdeLeo]

"Was that an iceberg?" said the upper class passengers on the Titanic one April night.

Go Ford,Go!

[Forrest Gump]

I'm glad to see the people of Toronto waking up and realizing that they need to vote for someone who cares about the city and not doing this to enrich themselves and their friends.

Unfortunately anyone trying to get a handle on out of control expenses are going to have to 'speak' up to the unions who are bankrupting the city. This will make anyone with the balls to speak up against the status-quo not look like a team player because so many people entrenched in the system will be really pissed off about someone trying to stop the freeflow of money from the trough these groups are feeding from.

[al]

Great, lets get rid of all the streetcars. And who cares about the money, time and planning that has gone into a transit vision that will help connect the city's neediest neighbourhoods. Poor people should own cars.
That's sarcasm. We need to make sure an inept and unintelligent man does not becomes mayor.

[Michelle]

Go Rob! Socialist, marxists, and social engineers have been milking the taxpayers of this city for decades. When you are mayor - not a penny more in spending, and start the return to rational hiring and labour costs. Unions do not own Toronto - the citizens do!

[Mike Winner]

Smitherman wants the rest of the candidate's supporters to follow him?!! So does Rossi! Come to think of it, Smitherman is sounding pretty desperate. After labour day he comes out with a "Cut Taxes, cut this and that" plan that sounded oddly similar to Rob Ford's. Now Smitherman claims he represents the citizens? Of course, he's going for the UNION vote--after all, Slitherman with his missing billion from eHealth is a capable financial manager----well, as long as he can blame someone else for the missing money!!

Go Ford!!

[Jackie]

This is just scary. It is like watching a train move closer and closer toward the end of the track...you know it is going to crash, but you cannot take your eyes off it. We know he is going to be a huge embarrassment to our fine city, but the masses insist on backing him...

[Meerrkat]

I hope the people of Toronto come to their senses! Else I'm moving!
Ford as mayor will be a complete disaster.

[C Robinson]

Smitherman talks about "city building", which sounds a whole lot like David Miller's out of control spending approach, when what we really need and want is "city management" - good, cost effective delivery of the services we all need everyday. Go Ford Go.

[Sunil]

What an absolute disaster. I remember people were dumbfounded when Bush was re-elected. I had hoped the people of Toronto had a bit better judgment. But I guess no matter where you are, it appears the majority is always full of idiots...

[Built Ford Tough]

The majority is full of idiots? This is probably not factually correct, although I am sure there is a sizeable distribution of idiots among the majority. However, there may well also be a significant cohort of brighter than average people among that majority, and some of them may support Rob Ford. In fact, I have tested very well on IQ tests, and yet I also support Rob Ford. Ford is not, and has never claimed to be the most eloquent speaker you will ever hear but his overriding message is the right one at this point in Toronto's history. The usual cadre of socialist zealots are flabbergasted that those whom they consider to be their intellectual inferiors would have the temerity to defy their superior wisdom and choose a mayor whom they despise. Well, tough s***. Enlightened despots are expected to at least make the trains run on time, and that ability cannot be ascribed to the curent "leadership" within this city. I await the arrival of Mayor Robert Ford.