Anyone understand why Johnson is so far ahead in the polls?

Is there anybody else here who thinks they must be living in a parallel universe? Because I don't recognise the one being described here.

Is the Dominic Raab we're talking about the same as the one who stood there like a rabbit in the headlights when the PM was ill? The Brexit Secretary who didn't realise how important Dover was to cross channel trade? Can't be him, surely.....

A parallel universe situation

Raab was thrust into the spotlight, Covid was pretty scary at the time as it was an unknown entity, we had no vaccine and Boris was in ICU. Bet the whole Cabinet was in headless chicken mode for a few days there.

Actually on further thinking it would have to be Michael Gove for me, if Boris left. He’s a Brexiteer (very important right now) so would work well with Frosty.

But back to the main point of the thread ....

Casdon

A parallel universe situation

Well, Starmer did come somewhere close to that in PMQs ?

Just had a thought....

If a poster uses an abbreviation on here (say) that somebody doesn't understand, or talks about something from a position of knowledge, it gets called intellectual superiority. If the PM uses classical analogies in his speeches, that only a tiny minority of the population understand, it makes him clever and well educated.

Go figure.

I think it's a combination of inverted snobbery and Stockholm Syndrome, Alegrias...

I don’t know how anyone thinks he’s a great orator bla. bla piffle, wiffle, ummm, eeer , latin phrase, say the same thing again and again.........

I don't ever remember Ardern looking like a rabbit in the headlights. Or Merkel. Or even Trudeau.

It was a chance for Raab - or anybody - to step up and take control. He isn't up to it, none of them are. Even if you feel like a headless chicken you don't show it. They are meant to be leading us.

Interesting Alegrias.
I suppose that Boris, when delivering his Latin ‘Bon mots’ (that’s French so I’m muddled already - he’s jocular, knows he’s entertaining us so we don’t mind. It’s all about context.

Yep, Stockholm Syndrome.

We are absolutely living in a parallel universe Alegrias1

How can so many people be taken in by a scruffy, incoherent oaf who seems to have taken nothing from his expensive education but some dog Latin and a massive sense of entitlement?

And how can a country with a population of 60+ million not produce any sort of opposition? The current cabinet is such a collection of nonentities but perhaps that's what people like - we were told that we don't want experts weren't we?

They all have failings Alegrias. Merkel messed up the vaccine procurement for Germany by choosing to hand the reins to Ursula vd Leyen.

Urmstongran

Interesting Alegrias.
I suppose that Boris, when delivering his Latin ‘Bon mots’ (that’s French so I’m muddled already - he’s jocular, knows he’s entertaining us so we don’t mind. It’s all about context.

That's where I've been going wrong!

I avoid listening to Bozo as much as I possibly can because he makes my skin crawl. So I mostly only see transcriptions of what he has said. These miss out the latin bon mots.

But if I were to actually hear him speaking them I would be blown away by his well chosen latin phrases and instantly revise my opinion of him...

It's amazing how a well placed latin phrase can completely destroy people's critical faculties...

‘....who seems to have taken nothing from his expensive education but some dog Latin and a massive sense of entitlement....’

Er, hardly the point I know, but I do seem to recall reading that he managed a first in Classics...

At least he’s not spouting ancient Greek at us, too, at least not that I’ve heard so far.

Sparkling

Every time Kier opens his mouth it's to complain, I have never seen him smile, he is dour, plus we need a strong opposition, we just haven't got one.
Boris is infuriating, I'm afraid Carrie is a hindrance, his chaotic love life is awful, feel for his children, not the ex's, he was always with someone else when they hooked up and knew what they were doing. Yet Boris is an inspiring orater, very clever mind, full of optimism, that's what people want. Stoic, he was so ill with Covid but never complained and got back to work before he should have, most of all he gets things done, like Brexit. I will never forget when he announced the lockdown, no one else could have handled it so well. Mistakes he's made, but a pandemic doesn't come with a rule book, the vaccination programme a triumph. No one gets everything right. When this is over, he will most likely move on, then I think Dominic Raab would be a good level headed choice.
Some of the bad language and bitterness in response to posts are childish and shows a very unstable attitude, this is a forum for discussion, not verbal attacks

Not sure about Raab, but otherwise agree with every word Sparkling and it looks like the discussion ( if we can call it that from some) is now reduced to jokes and insults.It’s all they have to say apparently ,because they are so furious.
Meanwhile Johnson becomes ever more popular in the country.Posters have tried to explain why he is so popular but they just won’t have it.?

And how can a country with a population of 60+ million not produce any sort of opposition

When Thatcher and Blair respectively won huge majorities and pushed their programmes through parliament was there a noticeably effective opposition? I don't recall that there was.

That's what big majorities do. They enable a government to do what they want.

Urmstongran

They all have failings Alegrias. Merkel messed up the vaccine procurement for Germany by choosing to hand the reins to Ursula vd Leyen.

Yes they all have their failings Urmstongran. But we were talking about whether Raab showed any leadership qualities during the COVID briefings when he was in charge of the country, but he didn't, he looked as though he had no idea what was going on or what he was going to do next. Which was probably a good reflection of reality.

Witzend

‘....who seems to have taken nothing from his expensive education but some dog Latin and a massive sense of entitlement....’

Er, hardly the point I know, but I do seem to recall reading that he managed a first in Classics...

At least he’s not spouting ancient Greek at us, too, at least not that I’ve heard so far.

He got a 2:1 in Literae Humaniores. Still pretty good, but its not a first in Classics.

Johnson marshalling his knowledge of ancient Greek myths for the edification of the masses:

www.bing.com/videos/search?q=boris+quoting+ancient+greek&docid=607989793787883641&mid=4CCC53651645799F33354CCC53651645799F3335&view=detail&FORM=VIRE

The PM always comes across in the Downing Street briefings as if he is on the side of the electorate, he explains that he doesn’t want to have draconian lockdown restrictions, but Covid-19 is not giving him much choice. At these times he appears as empathetic.

Keir Starmer well, on the odd time I have heard him speak he is always so negative and dour, I do not get the impression he is connecting with the electorate.

PMQ’s have been for many many years, just political theatre, I am far too busy to watch it (even in lockdown) do not even bother to watch on line anymore.

I actually think wanting to be on peoples sides so to speak is one of his flaws, he worried about what people would think so we had the delayed lockdowns and the Christmas debacle. I actually think there were some form of crisis that he would have been suited to but this wasnt one of them.

When Boris says things at the briefings like "I'm looking forward to a pint like all the rest of you" or "I know lots of us are desperate to get abroad" he comes across as human. In the past politicians have been criticised for being too stuffy.

Because there is no credible opposition. We used to have two opposition parties, Labour and Lib-Dem.

Anybody seen anything of them recently?

We have 3 here.

Except in our country the Tories are the opposition. For now, anyway. Hopes high for Mr Sarwar.

I am told it’s because he is cheerful and positive (ha ha) and because the other lot wouldn’t do any better. The vaccination roll out has allowed his previous mistakes to be forgotten.
Anyone who has taken the time to read anything about him over the years will be as bewildered as me as to how he gets away with it all. However, now he is actually PM he is having to face a different kind of scrutiny and sooner or later he will come a cropper.

Jonathan’s Freedland has written an excellent article outlining Johnson’s political history.

The only conclusion I can come to after reading it is that he owes the media a huge favour for shielding him and the U.K. is becoming a country that many of us no longer recognise.