1. I want to talk about the long-suffering wife of an abusive rich lout who went into politics as a faux-populist. She bided her time & then got revenge. I'm talking about Renata Ford.
2. Renata Ford is the widow of Rob Ford (1969-2016), best known to the world as the crack-smoking mayor of Toronto. But there is more to the Rob Ford story.
3. Rob Ford was the dubious scion of a wealthy Toronto family, a failson who couldn't run his business so went into politics as a right-wing faux-populist of a familiar type (vulgar, anti-PC, corrupt). And, oh yeah, a man who abused his wife.
4. I don't want to get into details about how Rob Ford abused his wife (which are disturbing) but there was physical abuse & also humiliation (telling his cronies they could have sex with her & talking to press about their sex life
5. Rob Ford died in 2016 but now his brother Doug (might be described as Rob Ford without the addiction problem and a meaner personality) is running to be premier of Ontario (a position roughly equivalent to Governor).
6. The Ontario election is very, very close with Ford's Conservative party in dead heat with NDP (but enjoying a geographical edge). Election is in three days. And what does Renata Ford do? She sues her brother-in-law.
7. Renata Ford is suing Doug Ford for $16.5 million, claiming that Doug mismanaged family business (an accusation that goes to heart of his campaign promise to run Ontario like a business). thestar.com/news/canada/20…
8. We'll see if Renata Ford's June surprise influences the election or not. But Ontario is certainly having a wild ride.
