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A Washington think-tank held a symposium Friday to explore a phenomenon that has fascinated people beyond national borders: How in blazes did Canada’s largest city ever elect Rob Ford?

In an attempt to understand the factors that led to his election as mayor, and his enduring core of support, Washington’s Wilson Center held a discussion titled “The Rob Ford Phenomenon: What’s going on in Toronto?”

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About two dozen people crowded into a boardroom near the White House to participate in the discussion.

Ford has become a celebrity in the U.S., and the butt of countless jokes, but an event organizer said his story raises truly serious public-policy questions — such as the effect of municipal amalgamations, and demographic shifts in urban and suburban areas.

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“I wanted to take Rob Ford out of the late-night comedy shows and to look at, really, what’s happening in Toronto?” said David Biette, head of the Wilson Center’s Canada institute, which hosted the event.