Why don't more people hate the awful Boris Johnson?

[EOLAN]

Imagine the world we might be in right now if she'd not said it, had a shred of humility about thinking the arc of history would offer up "her turn" on a platter. And, then three weeks later when Access Hollywood tapes drop she could look the camera dead on and say "Trump supporters: I know at least some of you have qualms about voting for someone who brags about sexual assault. Please think about your vote carefully"

HC: "Of course I am proud to stand by my man for my own political advancement when he sexually harasses people."

[Video Game Fan 2000]

and that's only 0.1% removed from what actually happened

[Kankurette]

She could have just not run.

[The Giggling Bean]

The general consensus is that all politicians lie so when Johnson is caught out in his latest piece of fiction most people just shrug and think "well he's doing what politicians do but he seems like one of us". People know he's a liar and the either don't care or it benefits them in some way (Brexit).

Personally I find him a despicable twat  who's unfit to run a bucket and spade stand let alone a country. Every utterance and appearance by him makes my flesh crawl. You can see the contempt behind the jolly toff routine and it amazes me that, despite the thousands dead from Covid, people still defend him and claim "he's doing his best".

It made my blood boil during the general election when they claimed there was no difference between Corbyn and Johnson. One was a lifelong anti racist campaigner who genuinely wanted to improve everyone's lot and the other was a bone idle, power hungry racist. Its a damning indictment on this country that our press and celebs ushered in one while decrying the other as a huge threat.

I'll concede that Johnson has a way with words that sticks with you. His phrase "bung a Bob for a big Ben bong" got stuck in my head on a loop for a few days. He has perfected the "I'm not like the others, I'm your mate" routine. Also because he looks so shambolic and bewildered a lot of people feel sorry for him and are prepared to cut him a bit more slack than other politicians.

Then there's the people who take what he says and writes to justify their own racism.

[George Oscar Bluth II]

Also because he looks so shambolic and bewildered a lot of people feel sorry for him and are prepared to cut him a bit more slack than other politicians.

This is true but it's also fucking mad it survived the pandemic, when you'd assume people would have thought a bit more about who they put into positions of power and why.

Johnson makes sense if you think of government as something that doesn't really affect you, or something you use to stick two fingers up to foreigners, when government starts to matter quite a bit, to everyone...I don't see how that view lasts.

[Jockice]

The problem is that some people are just thick. Like that bloke affected by the flooding a couple of years ago who appeared on TV saying something along the lines of: "Come for a pint with me Boris and we can have a chat about it." Seeming not to realise that Johnson probably values the snot from his nose more than people like him.. He wouldn't go for a pint with you unless his life actually depended on it and even then he'd probably make you pay.

Sad. In every possible way.

[Zetetic]

Johnson makes sense if you think of government as something that doesn't really affect you, or something you use to stick two fingers up to foreigners, when government starts to matter quite a bit, to everyone...I don't see how that view lasts.

I think some of this is tied up with the way that responsibility for all sorts of basic services and aspects of people's interaction with the state is now extremely diffuse in the UK (whilst actual power is increasingly concentrated in the Westminster administration).

You can be appalled by the state of your local A&E, about the bins, about the primary school your grandkids go to, about the police, about how they treat refugees, about how there are no public toilets any more, about how there aren't any buses or any parking, about how your kids can't afford a house, about how the shelves are empty in Sainsburys and so on - and still think that the UK Government is doing a good job.

[Paul Calf]

That's why the last four decades of declaiming all politicians as useless and venal has ended up playing into their hands. Shame we didn't see this coming really.

[Johnny Yesno]

That's why the last four decades of declaiming all politicians as useless and venal has ended up playing into their hands. Shame we didn't see this coming really.

Some of us were saying it during the expenses scandal.

[Paul Calf]

I know. Sometimes I really hate being right.

[George Oscar Bluth II]

That's why the last four decades of declaiming all politicians as useless and venal has ended up playing into their hands. Shame we didn't see this coming really.

"They're all in it for themselves aren't they, at least Boris is a laugh!"

[George Oscar Bluth II]

There was some pollster on Twitter the other week saying he'd done focus groups on net zero where everyone was really supportive and when asked for how we'd pay for the various costs they'd almost all cheerfully said we should cut politicians pay. Aye right, cutting the wages of 600ish people from £75k to £65k, that'll sort it.

[Johnny Yesno]

Of course, there's one notable demonised politician who clearly illustrates that they're not all the same...

[imitationleather]

Of course, there's one notable demonised politician who clearly illustrates that they're not all the same...

Tony Blair!

[pigamus]

Gorgeous George Galloway!

[George Oscar Bluth II]

Of course, there's one notable demonised politician who clearly illustrates that they're not all the same...

That's right, Steve Baker MP

[Johnny Yesno]

Gorgeous George Galloway!

Yoiks!

Tony Blair!

Zoiks!

That's right, Steve Baker MP

Er... croiks!

[Johnny Yesno]

Some of you don't realise that demonised doesn't mean turned into an actual demon.

[The Giggling Bean]

What's the likelihood Johnson will stick around for the next GE? Although Starmers polling is in the gutter, Johnson seems to have lost a lot of goodwill. I don't expect Labour to win, not with Starmer at the helm, but I doubt the Tories will get another thumping majority.

I think the Tories have gotten away with way more than they would have with Johnson at the helm. He does have a way of simply shaking off whatever controversy arrises. There's still loads of the population who will vote because he's LOL Boris, even though he'd shaft them all in a heartbeat. However if he decides to jack it in they'll lose that popularity which no other MP seems to have.

[Paul Calf]

At the same time, cooler heads in the Tory Party have to realise that he really is a threat to the party similarly - but perhaps less potently [nb]Johnson is a solidly establishment choice after all, even if he's a wayward son of it[/nb] - to the way Trump is to the Republicans. The Conservative Party under Johnson has transformed into a radical right-wing death cult and the longer he stays the further its identity will drift.

Only He Can Fix This.

[Fambo Number Mive]

As a subscriber to Private Eye, I've noticed a decrease in the number of letters written just to defend Boris Johnson. In 2020, you'd get one every few issues, I remember one defending them that said "Have you noticed how tired he has been looking recently" obviously trying to claim he had been working very hard. There don't seem to be many of these now. Not sure what this means though.

[George Oscar Bluth II]

As a subscriber to Private Eye, I've noticed a decrease in the number of letters written just to defend Boris Johnson. In 2020, you'd get one every few issues, I remember one defending them that said "Have you noticed how tired he has been looking recently" obviously trying to claim he had been working very hard. There don't seem to be many of these now. Not sure what this means though.

Were "stop being so horrible about the government/this specific policy I support" letters a feature of the Eye letters page until 2016? Because I genuinely can't remember that being so until Brexit happened.