How did we get BoJo as PM on Channel 4

I second the OP who said there are plenty of Boris fans, just not on gransnet! It doesnt matter what is said in his defence, it wont make any difference and the levels of toxicity displayed are staggering.How can they be stated with any real knowledge?

He was simply the best.

Power corrupts and certainly seems to have done so in Boris Johnson's case.

He's certainly extremely corrupt, grandetanteJE 😁

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Being the mayor of London is a very different thing to being Prime Minister.
Maybe we should have realised he would be a disastrous Prime Minister. Always getting into unfortunate situations.

Well, at least parliament got rid of Johnson, which is more than you can say for Congress and Trump.
It was too late, the damage of Brexit was done. But at least it was made clear to us all what a,self-seeking, dishonest person the Conservatives had elected as their leader.
As to his intelligence, he obviously is quite brainy in a one-sided sort of way. And actually, it's not that hard to get into Oxford to read Greats; the field is not large. I wouldn't bet on his being particularly educated in STEM subjects, though.

When public speaking, Johnson is perfectly able to apply his Latin knowledge to the subject in hand.
Nonetheless, this is simply a discussion which is aimed at putting him down because some posters don’t like him. It’s fine to dislike him politically, and to feel his private life leaves a lot to be desired, but to try to claim he is not intelligent is trying to change actual the position.

The original question ‘why did we end up with Bojo as PM?” has one obvious answer.people voted for his party in DROVES

They really didn’t. Turnout in 2019 was 67%, and 43% of those voted Conservative. That’s less than 30% of the electorate. And, of course, he became Prime Minister the first time by being chosen by what the New Statesman called ‘about the same number of people as you’d get at a decent football match’.

BevSec

I second the OP who said there are plenty of Boris fans, just not on gransnet! It doesnt matter what is said in his defence, it wont make any difference and the levels of toxicity displayed are staggering.How can they be stated with any real knowledge?

He was simply the best.

I think you mix with people who think similarly to the way you do BevSec. What you describe as the levels of toxicity displayed towards Johnson on Gransnet are actually a reflection of how he is viewed across the electorate - in fact more younger people on average dislike him than do older people.
I believe history will actually judge him as one of the worst PMs the UK has ever had in terms of the damage inflicted on the country. Time will tell.
I posted this on another thread, it’s a snapshot of what the electorate think of him.
yougov.co.uk/topics/politics/survey-results/daily/2023/12/06/aaad8/1

Johnson is a show man, he knows he’s entertaining and uses that along with his Classics/latin to show off. Because he’s often funny whilst doing this, he’s seen as clever. Well yes he is but frankly, nobody likes a smarty pants.

When public speaking, Johnson is perfectly able to apply his Latin knowledge to the subject in hand.

That's because he's making a prepared talk. What is more, he is, apparently, given to giving the same talk on more than one occasion. Easy enough to throw in a smattering of Greek or Latin under those circumstances. But does he do it when he's speaking extempore?

I doubt he's of much more than slightly above average intelligence, no more intelligent than any of those of us on Gnet who have a degree or a professional qualification.

A degree in Classics doesn't indicate any sort of exceptional intelligence.

I am not sure it matters in a sense, lots of intelligent people would make terrible leaders, it is a range of skills that is required. I think its possible to be very intelligent with no critical thinking skills for example.

My son got a first class degree from Oxford.
Does that make him a smarty pants who nobody likes?

You’re wrong Maizie. You may say a degree in Classics doesn’t indicate any degree of intelligence, note I didn’t say exceptional, you did, but I know that a degree in Classics (and some other subjects) is a lot more difficult than a degree in Media Studies, Geography, and a fair few others.
You don’t like Johnson, and that’s absolutely fair enough, and he was likely not PM material, but don’t denigrate his achievements just because you don’t like him.

Boris didn’t get a first maddyone.

I agree with Iam that Johnson is a showman.
I love Joseann’s pictures.
I’m not sure he was being a showman in the umbrella pictures, he just looks hapless.

It just means I dont know if your son would be a good candidate for PM.
It would be useful though, you could tell us all the gossip and post photos of Larry the cat.

I know Casdon.
We’ve already discussed that upthread.
I haven’t got a second class degree from Oxford. Have you? I happen to think a degree from Oxbridge is an achievement. Maybe I’m wrong!

No, I’ve got a degree but not from Oxford, and I’ve got several family members with degrees from Oxford, including my SIL It’s an achievement, but one many thousands have achieved, so it’s not exceptional, particularly if you’ve had the best of education prior to that to get a head start, as Johnson did. To put it in context, apparently 27% of Eton boys are offered places at Oxbridge.

But does he do it when he's speaking extempore?
Well, I admit he certainly lost the plot with the Peppa Pig speech! 🐷 I can't remember who the speech was for, but I remember it rambled way off track.
Boris was a good performer and worked the crowd. He seemed able to come up with off the cuff stories and jokes, probably intentionally in an attempt to control the conversation. I think he was sharp and clever, but I repeat, not ideal for the job.

maddyone

My son got a first class degree from Oxford.
Does that make him a smarty pants who nobody likes?

You missed my point or I didn’t make it well. Johnson is a show off smarty pants. Really intelligent people don’t need to show off and in my experience don’t want to make others feel less than - Johnson does

maddyone

My son got a first class degree from Oxford.
Does that make him a smarty pants who nobody likes?

I'm sure that your son is a much better person all round than Johnson, maddyone.

I don't know where you get the impression from that I don't like Johnson because he has an Oxford degree. I don't like Johnson because he is a thoroughly unpleasant person.

MaizieD

maddyone

My son got a first class degree from Oxford.
Does that make him a smarty pants who nobody likes?

I'm sure that your son is a much better person all round than Johnson, maddyone.

I don't know where you get the impression from that I don't like Johnson because he has an Oxford degree. I don't like Johnson because he is a thoroughly unpleasant person.

You don’t know he is a “thoroughly unpleasant person”. It’s his politics you don’t like.

I must agree, MaizieD cannot possible know that!

It’s his politics you don’t like.

And his thoroughly unpleasant habit of lying to everyone. Wives, employers, the Queen, Parliament, the public…

If folks don't know what a thoroughly unpleasant person Johnson is they have been walking around with their eyes, ears and minds completely closed for the past few years.

Joseann

^But does he do it when he's speaking extempore^?
Well, I admit he certainly lost the plot with the Peppa Pig speech! 🐷 I can't remember who the speech was for, but I remember it rambled way off track.
Boris was a good performer and worked the crowd. He seemed able to come up with off the cuff stories and jokes, probably intentionally in an attempt to control the conversation. I think he was sharp and clever, but I repeat, not ideal for the job.

Have you not read the write up that pointed out he used the same speech over and over again but pretended it was off the cuff?