Boris Johnson - I don't get it

TeddyTedson · 08-10-2012 06:21PM #1

I don't get it.

The man is a bumbling idiot. Yet the Brits seem to love him and are happy for him to appear as their representation. I'd be embarrassed if I was English seeing him on the likes of the Daily show coming across even stupider and out of touch than their very own George Bush.

Does anyone get "it"? I'm aware our own crowd do their best to make a show of us on an international stage, from Enda playing with his phone to Delaney asking to be number "thirty three" in his best Irish accent.
But people loathe these people for feeding the old "Paddy" image.

So I just don't get it. Is he secretly very intelligent? He must have a brain somewhere in that head....right?

Praetorian Saighdiuir · 08-10-2012 06:22PM

And our politicians are better?

Boris is a bit of craic, our lot should be shot!

4zn76tysfajdxp · 08-10-2012 06:23PM

TeddyTedson wrote: »

I don't get it.

The man is a bumbling idiot.

It's a front so journalists will go easy on him in interviews or so he can deflect serious questions in debates.

Lapin · 08-10-2012 06:24PM

TeddyTedson wrote: »

I don't get it.

The man is a bumbling idiot..........

No he's not.

The man is a highly intellegent politician.
His personality is a major factor in winning him votes and he knows it.

Only an idiot would think he is a bumbling idiot.

ejmaztec · 08-10-2012 06:24PM

TeddyTedson wrote: »

I don't get it.

The man is a bumbling idiot. Yet the Brits seem to love him and are happy for him to appear as their representation. I'd be embarrassed if I was English seeing him on the likes of the Daily show coming across even stupider and out of touch than their very own George Bush.

Does anyone get "it"? I'm aware our own crowd do their best to make a show of us on an international stage, from Enda playing with his phone to Delaney asking to be number "thirty three" in his best Irish accent.
But people loathe these people for feeding the old "Paddy" image.

So I just don't get it. Is he secretly very intelligent? He must have a brain somewhere in that head....right?

He's only pretending to be a bumbling idiot, and people like him are the most dangerous.

okfine · 08-10-2012 06:24PM

Borrisauraus Rex-Banter Man:(

brummytom · 08-10-2012 06:25PM

TeddyTedson wrote: »

Yet the Brits seem to love him and are happy for him to appear as their representation.

Not this Brit.

So I just don't get it. Is he secretly very intelligent? He must have a brain somewhere in that head....right?

No.

The man's a buffoon. There's a definite mentality, globally, not just here, where a large amount of people worship idiocy and are scared of intelligence. People would like it to be an act rather than admit the people of London voted this mentally deficient oaf into such a high office.

God forbid he ever does become leader of the Tories, as is predicted by some, it's led by enough brain-dead toffs without the worst one of them all being at the top.

latenia · 08-10-2012 06:26PM

The bumbling toff image is a bit of an exaggeration:

As a child, Johnson suffered from severe deafness and had to undergo several operations to have grommets inserted in his ears. He was reported to have been rather quiet as a child.[2] He was educated at the European School in Brussels,[16] at Ashdown House School and at Eton College, where he was a King's Scholar. He read Classics at Oxford, as a Brackenbury scholar and was elected President of the Oxford Union at his second attempt.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boris_Johnson

humbert · 08-10-2012 06:26PM

Listen to him give a speech and then ask yourself if you think he's an idiot.

dsmythy · 08-10-2012 06:26PM

He must be doing a good job as a Tory managing to be elected as London Mayor.

risteard7 · 08-10-2012 06:26PM

i think boris is funny, would be great craic to have a few pints with

juan.kerr · 08-10-2012 06:26PM

TeddyTedson wrote: »

The man is a bumbling idiot. Yet the Brits seem to love him and are happy for him to appear as their representation.

The 'Brits', or the Londoners who voted for him in the mayoral election?

I like him anyway, at the very least I'd have voted for him to keep Livingstone out.

Would have no problem voting for him if the opposition was Norris or Higgins or Robinson etc.

4zn76tysfajdxp · 08-10-2012 06:28PM

brummytom wrote: »

God forbid he ever does become leader of the Tories, as is predicted by some, it's led by enough brain-dead toffs without the worst one of them all being at the top.

Apart from Cameron, of course.

Michael Scofield · 08-10-2012 06:29PM

I think he's brilliant

TeddyTedson · 08-10-2012 06:32PM

humbert wrote: »

Listen to him give a speech and then ask yourself if you think he's an idiot.

I'm watching him give a speech now in Birmingham and think he must have an awful lot of good people around him.

DyldeBrill · 08-10-2012 06:32PM

He's good at what he does, knows how to win a crowd over

Props in my books!

TeddyTedson · 08-10-2012 06:40PM

Alivia Thoughtless Ash wrote: »

It's a front so journalists will go easy on him in interviews or so he can deflect serious questions in debates.

I'm sure he plays it up, but I don't think it's complete front.

For somebody who people are saying is no idiot, you have to admit he does say an awful lot of idiotic things. Especially for a "highly intelligent politician".

hooradiation · 08-10-2012 06:43PM

TeddyTedson wrote: »

I'd be embarrassed if I was English seeing him on the likes of the Daily show coming across even stupider and out of touch than their very own George Bush.

You take a friendly, fluff piece of an interview - in which Boris handled himself well - and decide this it's a testament to all his failings?

I don't much care for the guy either, but you might want to look a bit harder before selecting your examples next time.

Jimoslimos · 08-10-2012 06:44PM

DyldeBrill wrote: »

He's good at what he does, knows how to win a crowd over

Must. Resist. Godwin!

Behind the bumbling facade he's a competent politician, not someone I'd trust though and doesn't have any great love for London. He's being groomed as a potential celeb PM candidate should Labour find anyone with a bit of spark and charisma (unlikely).

Dante · 08-10-2012 06:48PM

I always thought he was regarded as a bit of a joker in the UK and that nobody really took him too seriously, with all the 'ah theres ol Boris at it again' type stuff. I know he's highly intelligent having been schooled in Eton and Oxford and all that, but he seems to play up that wacky joker persona to the max which I find makes it impossible to take him seriously, Mayor of London or not.

Now I keep hearing how he is tipped to be the next leader of the Tory party etc...Surely bit to Jesus there are more suitable candidates for the PM job than this man!? Just try imagine him with Putin, Merkel and the lads at the G8 summit trying to talk about the international security concerns or EU fiscal policies...

eth0 · 08-10-2012 06:49PM

"Change gears at 6,000 RPM"

Legend.

TeddyTedson · 08-10-2012 06:50PM

hooradiation wrote: »

You take a friendly, fluff piece of an interview - in which Boris handled himself well - and decide this it's a testament to all his failings?

I don't much care for the guy either, but you might want to look a bit harder before selecting your examples next time.

Nit picking, come on you know the point I'm making.
He's overly facetious.

Truman Burbank · 08-10-2012 06:52PM

DyldeBrill wrote: »

He's good at what he does

He gets the job done = re-election. Simple really.

Chucky the tree · 08-10-2012 06:54PM

It's a great act. Very few people could go up against Paxman and have some banter with him and completely nullify him.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vA7e3pwQtnM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYGVrfcAOdE&feature=related

Mars Bar · 08-10-2012 06:55PM

My absolute favourite Boris moment.

Pottler · 08-10-2012 06:56PM

Under the bufoon facade is a pretty ruthless and highly self-regarding Politician - apparently he has a fairly fierce temper and is hugely self-confident. Being from the "upper classes" he needs a disguise, to avoid alienating the average voter- so he chooses bumbling. But he's not. Not at all.

peil · 08-10-2012 06:57PM

juan.kerr wrote: »

The 'Brits', or the Londoners who voted for him in the mayoral election?

I like him anyway, at the very least I'd have voted for him to keep Livingstone out.

Would have no problem voting for him if the opposition was Norris or Higgins or Robinson etc.

What's wrong with Michael D?

Truman Burbank · 08-10-2012 06:58PM

DaaaaaaaaaaN wrote: »

Just try imagine him with Putin, Merkel and the lads at the G8 summit trying to talk about the international security concerns or EU fiscal policies...

He could get some tips from Wallace and Adams :rolleyes:

My name is URL · 08-10-2012 07:01PM

The only thing I don't like about him is that he's socially conservative.. or at least wants others to be.

Pumpkinseeds · 08-10-2012 07:04PM

I like Boris and he is a bright and articulate man. So he looks a little bedraggled, I think it just adds to his charm. He's like an overgrown scruffy puppy, you want to be cross with him and yet you can't. That in itself is an admirable achievement for a politician.:)

Shenshen · 08-10-2012 07:06PM

Entertainment value.
I think the Brits have realised that all politicians are basically twits, and just went for the funniest one.

Boris Johnson - I don't get it

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