Anthony Furey: There isn't much separating Olivia Chow and Brad Bradford - National Post

Toronto Coun. Brad Bradford and Mayor Olivia Chow "would bristle at being told this, but right now there really isn’t that much separating the two of them," writes Anthony Furey. Photo by Dave Gordon, Cindy Ord / Getty ImagesArticle contentWhat’s the ballot box issue for the Toronto mayoral election? It’s not yet clear. With only six weeks to go, there is no defining matter that has seized the minds of the electorate and driven the debate between candidates.

Now there doesn’t necessarily have to be such a topic. Not every election is a referendum on a divisive matter. But there are examples of previous Toronto mayoral elections that have been strongly defined by a single issue.

When David Miller was elected mayor in 2003, a defining issue was the island airport and Miller’s opposition to a bridge to it. I can still vividly recall standing on the subway platform staring at fear-mongering campaign ads showing 747s coming in for landing on the island.

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Miller also did a good job of casting City Hall as corrupt and in need of cleaning up, which he did with the popular visual of holding a broom over his head at campaign rallies.

The island airport was an odd referendum question in that it didn’t impact many voters’ daily lives and certainly not their pocketbooks, but vibes and nostalgia are powerful political tools and Miller used them to his advantage.

Speaking of vibes, when Rob Ford won the 2010 mayoralty it wasn’t on any specific platform points but on his well-known refrain to stop the gravy train. This message resonated with many people who felt forgotten by and shut out of City Hall for too long. From that message, the enduring political tribe of Ford Nation was born.

This year’s campaign doesn’t yet have a comparable focus and one may not even arise. So far, the leading candidates are all thin on big ideas and headline-grabbing policies.

While both Mayor Olivia Chow and Coun. Brad Bradford would bristle at being told this, right now there really isn’t that much separating the two of them.