Toronto Mayor Rob Ford filed for reelection today, the election being slated for this October. As a refresher course, this is the man who admitted having an alcohol problem and admitted using crack cocaine after a photo or video circulated of him using it. I’m sure politicians have had drug problems before, but it also shows horrible judgment to allow someone to document that use. He was unimpeachable for this and refused to resign, so the Toronto City Council restricted his powers.

And he wants to come back for more!

It got me thinking does this apparent lack of self-awareness help you become and thrive as a politician? I’ve never given serious thought to running for public office because part of me thinks I’m unqualified to do so, but when I look around some of the shlubiest losers who aren’t qualified get elected. And if I were in Ford’s spot, I would have resigned rather than feeling like a pariah everyday. I couldn’t live with myself being a pariah. But he apparently didn’t grapple with that. Because if he did, he sure as hell wouldn’t come back for more. The same thing happened to Bob Filner in San Diego. Faced with sexual harassment charges, he decided to go into counseling rather than resign to appease citizens. But how did he not see that this would never work?

To be fair, had Ford or Filner resigned there is a 0% chance they would have retained their jobs. So I would have resigned out of guilt and definitely lost my job, Ford did not but still has it. And while it seems like he has no chance to be reelected, who knows? Maybe his opponent will have a scandal of their own.  His chances of winning aren’t 0%, they would be if he didn’t run. My point being maybe there are some hidden advantages to being insane.