If I were Rob Ford, I'd have quit by now

Last week, in the midst of what were the lowest days of Mayor Rob Ford’s career, I sort of had to wonder what I would do if I were in his shoes.

And here’s the thing: I think I’d quit. I’d say sayonara to city hall, flip off the press gallery and peel out of the parking lot in my Escalade.

The bad news onslaught was just too much. Ford lost a pivotal (and winnable) council vote related to the expansion of gambling at Woodbine racetrack in Etobicoke — his home turf.

Then the Toronto Catholic School Board let him know that he was banned from coaching football in its schools.

That, reportedly, sparked a series of unfortunate events that led to his long-time chief of staff (and long-time friend) Mark Towhey being escorted out by city hall security — fired.

And through it all, there was the continued media circus driven by that other thing: That crack cocaine thing. Maybe you heard about it.

It seems counterintuitive, but it was the football ban and the casino vote that mattered more — they’re real consequences of the mayor’s many scandals, of which the drug video allegation is just the latest. And not the last.

The mayor’s headline-grabbers have now cost him both most of his political clout and the football job that he loved. He doesn’t appear to have much else left to lose.

But I’m not Ford, of course.

Where I would have quit, the mayor doubled down. He closed off his worst week ever with a fiery press conference, finally denying some of the drug allegations levelled against him.

It’s his right to hold onto the job. He won it fairly.

But I still find it hard to count the reasons Ford should stay.

If it’s about not wanting to abandon the Ford agenda — the attempts to cut costs — it’s hard to square that.

As a single vote on city council, Ford has been his own worst enemy, alienating centrist councillors who should have been allies.

There’s little doubt that someone like Deputy Mayor Doug Holyday would have better luck at implementing elements of a conservative agenda between now and the 2014 election. If it’s about not bending to his enemies — real and imagined — I’d suggest that they too would do better with Ford around than with him gone.

Ford continues to be a galvanizing and motivating force for those who support left-wing causes.

If it’s about simply refusing to concede any semblance of personal or professional defeat, then, well, that’s stubborn. And more than a little bit selfish.

Ford’s responsibility is first to the city and the people that elected him.

And sometimes responsibility simply means knowing when to walk away.