...is one reason political culture in Canada remains stuck in adolescence. Shame on the Toronto Star.
Adam Giambrone is the head of the Toronto Transit Commission, and he's just thrown his hat into the ring for the mayor's race. I am no Giambrone fan--I saw him in action years ago at a CLC convention, and found him too arrogant and ambitious, a young man for whom tactics seemed more important than principle. Nothing I've seen since has changed that impression. But all of these criticisms on my part are fair ball in a political context.
It never even entered my head to fuss about whether or not he had a partner, or was getting some on the side.
Irrelevant.
But not to the prurient muckraker Linda Diebel at the Star, who broke the story. And judging from the comments she has attracted, the baying of prigs and Pecksniffian guardians of public morality has only just begun.
Political stances? Leadership qualities? Track record? Vision for Toronto?
Who cares?
Why not publish a bunch of emails from a woman scorned instead?
Why not stamp an "A" on Giambrone's forehead so the self-righteous preening moralists, not to mention his political rivals, can divert the discussion from the level playing field of politics to the steamy details of a man's personal life?
With this sick-making excursion into yellow journalism, the Star's political reporting has taken a bold step into the gutter. Somebody call me when they start talking about the issues again.
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