Sometimes we have trouble coming to acceptance in the face of imminent loss, and at times like that it’s easy to latch on to false hopes. If you’re a blogger or just a lover of good political snark, you were probably saddened at the thought of losing the true gem of the North, Mayor Rob Ford of Toronto. I mean, as much fun as we’ve had with him, the ride had to end eventually, right? Well, don’t make arrangements for his political funeral just yet. As Doug Mataconis noticed, the voters of Toronto don’t seem to be ready to toss Ford to the curb just yet.

Notwithstanding a plethora of political and personal problems, Toronto Mayor Rob Ford could end up being re-elected:

Today in the politics-we-just-don’t-get-you-sometimes department, we have the latest polling from the Toronto mayoral race, which will take place in October. Mayor Rob Ford, who has faced calls for resignation and low approval ratings after admitting to an alcohol problem and cocaine use, is in second place. The candidate who was in the lead, Olivia Chow, has dropped to third place in the latest Forum Research poll, released Thursday. Ford’s other opponent, John Tory, has 34 percent of the vote, and Rob Ford is only three (3!) percentage points behind him — the highest support he’s registered this year. In the last poll, from late July, all three leading candidates were in a dead heat.

It may still be too much to hope for, but I can dream, can’t I? With all of the continually depressing news coming out of American politics, we need something to lighten the mood, and what’s better than laughing at Canada? Rob Ford has provided so much fodder for the American media – from bloggers to cable news to late night shows – that he should be up for some sort of award. Even in the midst of what should be the end of his political career, Rob was still delivering the goods over a fight with raccoons.

In a dog-eat-dog world, Toronto’s most adorable menace might think they’re just doing what it takes to survive — even, it turns out, stare down Rob Ford.

“I’ve had some stand-offs with some raccoons,” the mayor told reporters at city hall on Monday.

“Seriously, they just look at you, and they’re not scared anymore. It used to be you could yell or scream at them, [now] they just look at you. I mean, right up to my front door.”

You hang in there, ,buddy. And keep fighting for election. The world of political news would be a sadder, more bleak place without you.