JOE GANDELMAN: Tononto mayor answer to prayers of comedians

The universe’s comedy God has answered prayers of comedians everywhere who seek a sure-fire punch line: He has given them Toronto Mayor Rob Ford. Ford has become a living unfunny joke.

For years people joked when a politician said something silly: “What is he? On crack?” In the case of Canadian politician and businessman Rob Ford, the answer at least one time would be “yes.” In May, allegations started about a video showing Ford smoking a crack pipe. He denied it, but then earlier this month police announced they had a video showing Ford puffing away. So Ford apologized, refusing to resign, explaining it happened last year when he was in a “drunken stupor.”

It’s the old joke. A guy had to go to court for running a stop sign. His friend gives him this advice: “Just apologize to the judge and say you didn’t see the sign because you were drunk at the time.”

And then something interesting happened:

Ford’s poll numbers went UP.

He began to be a popular punch line for comedians and writers. Comedian Arsenio Hall cracked (no pun intended): “Apparently ‘Rob Ford’ is an old Canadian name meaning ‘Marion Barry.”’ Jon Stewart told good folks of Toronto:” I heard that your mayor Ford’s approval ratings went up after it came out that he smoked crack … You know what that makes you as a city, Toronto? Enablers.” Author Diane Francis wrote in the Washington Post: “The last time a Canadian politician attained any name recognition outside Canada was in 1970, when Pierre Trudeau dated Barbra Streisand.”

Then the Toronto Star released a video of Ford in an angry, drunken rant, showing his overweight body pacing around the room, with him hissing: “Cause I’m gonna kill that (bad word) guy. …