onthemove wrote:swill453 wrote:What I find objectionable about Johnson is that it's obvious that everything he says and does is considered so that it comes out best for him and his popularity and election/re-election prospects. Hang any other consequences.
The thing about Boris that I find amazing, is that he's so much of a liar - and everyone knows it - that it actually works in his favour.
There's no shock when he's caught lying; it wouldn't be news if an investigative journalist caught him out.
Is there any conceivable scandal that could come Boris' way that people would both (1) believe, and (2) could actually damage Boris' reputation, where people wouldn't be swayed by the blabbering and buffoonery and give him the benefit of the doubt?
The greatest Mafia leader of the last 50 years was probably John Gotti, otherwise knows as "The Dapper Don" or "The Teflon Don". Whilst "Dapper" is probably not viably attributable to BJ, "Teflon" might be - nothing sticks to him. One could argue that is a very useful skill to have in a leader.
As for lying, isn't the issue that all politicians lie? BJ is just more honest about lying (if that makes any sense) because he doesn't really try to hide it. Again, some might admire that.
I suspect for many people BJ's main attribute is that he is not Corbyn. So if he achieves nothing it will still be a better outcome than the alternative.
If I had to rate PM's in my consciously adult lifetime from best to worst then BJ would be in the bottom half but not bottom. Just for fun I would rank thus:
Thatcher
Blair
Cameron
Major
Brown
BJ
May
Callaghan
I think that is all of them.