In politics, you're like a toilet seat: you're up one day and

Doug Ford’s words—"In politics, you’re like a toilet seat: you’re up one day and down the next."—are cloaked in humor, yet within the jest lies the ancient rhythm of power. He reminds us that politics is fickle, a stage where fortune shifts as swiftly as the tide. To be “up” is to bask in glory, cheered by the multitude; to be “down” is to be scorned, forgotten, or cast aside. Thus, the toilet seat becomes an image not of vulgarity, but of truth: the rise and fall of leaders is constant, repetitive, and often beyond their control.

At its heart, this saying warns against arrogance. The politician who believes his triumph will last forever is a fool, for today’s praise may become tomorrow’s ridicule. The wheel of fortune spares no one. Even emperors, crowned in gold, discover that their reigns are fragile, their authority dependent upon the shifting will of the people. The toilet seat, humble and ordinary, becomes a symbol of how quickly power may be lifted or dropped.

History gives us countless examples. Consider Napoleon Bonaparte, who rose like fire, crowned himself Emperor, and commanded Europe with unmatched brilliance. Yet within a few short years, he was exiled, broken, and cast down. His rise and fall were swifter and harsher than most, but they reveal the same truth Ford names: in politics, one day you are “up,” commanding nations, and the next you are “down,” abandoned to history’s judgment.

The humor of Ford’s words also carries wisdom for endurance. To survive in politics, one must not cling too tightly to being “up,” nor despair too deeply when “down.” For both are temporary. The wise leader sees beyond the momentary swing, knowing that neither triumph nor failure defines the whole story. It is resilience, the ability to rise again after falling, that marks the difference between those who are remembered and those who are forgotten.

Let the generations learn: politics is not a throne of marble, but a seat in constant motion. Do not be intoxicated by applause, nor broken by rejection, for both are fleeting. The true strength of a leader lies not in remaining “up” forever, but in enduring the cycle with humility and steadfastness. For as Ford’s jest reveals, even in the laughter of the people lies an eternal truth: all who enter politics must learn to rise and fall with grace.