Last weekend, while wandering Pride, I met three people who really wanted to talk AT me. You guessed it: hopeful politicians all vying for my vote.

Today: George Smitherman!

We (my father, SharkBoy and I) encountered George Smitherman and his crew right by Church and Wellesley, just in front of the old location of his photo processing store (long gone, replaced by a cell phone outlet). I’ve been wanting to actually meet him because of all the notoriety he’s garnished over the years, especially the diaper fiasco, where he suggested that he would wear an adult diaper to show Ontarians that they were super absorbent and your elderly parents won’t have any trouble sitting in their wastes while they wait for an overworked nurse to come around to change them. Then there was the whole eHealth thing, which is kind of troubling. However, he left the ministry before this all came out. And the concept of government waste was pretty much in motion before he started – “Abuse of power comes as no surprise” as Jenny Holzer would say. The most interesting thing I’ve read about him has been from TorontoLife mag where Gerald Hannon wrote a great article about Stormin’ George. Anyway, when we shook his hand (firm, committed) SharkBoy said “You may be my new boss!” in jest.

He ran with that. In full on politician mode.

We were treated to 15 minutes of how George would seriously cut back in clerical wastes. I glazed over within 3 minutes, distracted by the half naked bodies. Seriously, there are times you discuss business and there are times you show you’re human and have a personality. Standing in 30C, talking over pounding disco music isn’t really one of these times to go “business”. What George was saying was making SharkBoy a bit nervous because when you mention “election” and “cut backs” it reminds him of his last government position when he was laid off from a sweet job right after a provincial election. It was surprising for him to hear it coming from the candidate he was behind, I guess, and he listened politely. I was far too zoned out by this point – the details involving reorganizing yet keeping people’s livelyhood but the realities are of course that there will be resizing of some sort etc etc.

At one point, a minder interrupted George mid-stream, whispering of someone’s alarming actions. George replied to the handler without restraint “He should not have done that…” pause “Ok… ok…” Focus. Back to us. All without losing his train of thought. Kudos.

SharkBoy left our encounter with George with a feeling of doom. I left with a feeling of disappointment. The guy I wanted to back was capable of sucking the life out of Pride. But he will most likely get my vote, due to the vapid choice I’m left beyond him.