Here is reason #442 why they don’t call Ontario Premier Doug Ford “flip flop Ford” for nothing.

The other day, the province’s chief cherry cheesecake enthusiast was asked about the upcoming Toronto mayoral election. Well, he gushed over Mayor Olivia Chow! And said to “read between the lines.”

OK, we shall read between the lines: which is to say if Ford’s comment did not make for an endorsement for Comrade Chow, then what does?

Alas, Ford probably thinks our memories don’t go back three years. Because on the eve of the Toronto mayoral byelection in 2023, Ford had this to say: “If Olivia Chow gets in, it'll be an unmitigated disaster.”

An unmitigated disaster…

But here’s the crux of the matter: like a broken clock that is correct twice a day, Ford was right on the money about Chow. The City of Toronto is even worse off today than it was three years ago by every measurable benchmark, from safety to cleanliness to gridlock. And considering that things were already ghastly in 2023, what a dubious achievement for Chow.

So, the question arises: why has Ford gone from denouncing Chow to praising her? We can only think of two potential reasons.

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The first one being that Ford has done the electoral math and has determined that despite Chow’s horrendous record, she is still going to be re-elected thanks to factions such as the unions and the pro-Hamas reprobates backing her. Thus, if it’s a done deal that Chow will be re-elected mayor come Oct. 26, why create unnecessary friction?

Our second theory is that when the next provincial election rolls around, Ford reckons he’ll need the support of the progressives and those sitting on the fence in seat-rich Toronto to win yet another majority government. What better way to do so that to be seen as being pro-Chow – even if it’s simply for his own selfish self-interest?

Chow’s biggest rival, Brad Bradford, must surely feel betrayed. But betraying people has never stopped Doug Ford in the past. Hey, Brad, don’t take it personally — it’s just business, baby. And keep in mind that the premier has another dubious nickname: “Doug Fraud.”

Even so, in the aftermath, can we at least have some truth in advertising when it comes to the party Ford leads?

Which is to say, back in 2003, the name of the federal Progressive Conservative Party was changed to the Conservative Party. It was all about sending a message to disaffected right-of-centre voters in terms of where the former PC Party stood as it entered the Stephen Harper era.

And so it is that I think it’s high time Premier Ford also rebranded the provincial Progressive Conservative Party.

Meaning, can he just drop the Conservative part? Can he just officially rename this entity as the Progressive Party? Because under Ford’s quisling leadership, there’s almost nothing that’s conservative about this putrid party.