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I've got a theory about Boris Johnson 21:11 - Dec 13 with 1295 viewsclive_baker

And it's one that offers me, as a remainer, some degree of solace as I come to terms with the outcome of this election. I anticipate some won't agree with it, but I'm going to share it anyway.

Boris Johnson never really wanted Brexit, not really. I know that's a widely shared view already, but he seemingly adopted the position back in 2016 that would best place him for getting into power and fulfil his life long ambition of becoming Prime Minister. Only 2 days before Cameron announced that Johnson would be campaigning in favour of Vote Leave, BJ wrote an article in favour of Britain remaining in the EU. "This is a market on our doorstep, ready for further exploitation by British firms," he wrote. "The membership fee seems rather small for all that access. Why are we so determined to turn our back on it?". The consensus is that, having seen so many of he peers back remain, he took the opposing view in the knowledge that should Vote Leave prove successful, he will have positioned himself into contention to be the credible option to deliver the democratic wish of the people.

Fast forward 3.5 years and we are where we are. What's happened is sunk, and all we can really do is look forward and ask how do we reverse from the impasse we've found ourselves in? While I would've loved a 2nd referendum, and to have seen the whole charade kicked into the long grass, the reality is had that have happened, the issue of Brexit was never going to go away. We're too far gone. Arguably, it had to be 'delivered' in some capacity, and the question for me, reluctantly, is what's the least worst way of proceeding. I'm starting to think we might have found it last night. Johnson is credible from a leave perspective due to his perceived 'genuine' leave intentions, having adopted the position pre-referendum, and he was the only candidate that was ever going to do that. He has sufficient equity in his brand to pacify the leavers, with as little challenge and scrutiny relative to his peers. He'll wave a clenched fist and shout "get Brexit done" enough times that people will believe it.

His majority win was also the favourable outcome that was going to be best received by the markets, at least in the short term, while the bumpy road of Brexit is navigated. Avoiding adding an additional layer of economic uncertainty in what is already a far from clear landscape can only be a good thing.

With that in mind, and with the context that he was perhaps never truly bought into leaving, I live in, perhaps hope, more than expectation, that we might see the Tories soften towards it slightly now they have a 5 year runway at office. His speech today, albeit only a speech, was perhaps an early indication of that, as he referenced leave voters and a continued close relationship with our European friends.

Don't get me wrong, I've not seen a great deal of evidence that Johnson's moral compass is anything more than a roulette wheel, but he is undeniably an intelligent guy, and a great orator. Call me naive, but just maybe, he's too smart to put his name to anything too damaging. Perhaps this is the compromise position that can finally move us forward and unite the country.

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I've got a theory about Boris Johnson on 21:45 - Dec 13 with 1207 viewsColin_Viljoen

Get over it you lost, not once, but twice!!
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I've got a theory about Boris Johnson on 22:01 - Dec 13 with 1181 viewsclive_baker

I've got a theory about Boris Johnson on 21:45 - Dec 13 by Colin_Viljoen

Get over it you lost, not once, but twice!!


Well that's me told. Off to bed with no supper for Clive.

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I've got a theory about Boris Johnson on 22:02 - Dec 13 with 1175 viewsHerbivore

Great orator? He can barely string a coherent sentence together.

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I've got a theory about Boris Johnson on 22:04 - Dec 13 with 1170 viewsColin_Viljoen

I've got a theory about Boris Johnson on 22:01 - Dec 13 by clive_baker

Well that's me told. Off to bed with no supper for Clive.


Don't forget your Cocoa!
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I've got a theory about Boris Johnson on 22:06 - Dec 13 with 1164 viewsmonytowbray

I appreciate the pie in the sky thinking, we don’t have much to cling to right now.

I will say though, don’t confuse Johnson’s clearly narrassistic behaviour as intelligence. Manipulative and cunning perhaps at best if you really want to dig in for a compliment.

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I've got a theory about Boris Johnson on 00:26 - Dec 14 with 1018 viewsdickie

I've got a theory about Boris Johnson on 21:45 - Dec 13 by Colin_Viljoen

Get over it you lost, not once, but twice!!


Douche.
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I've got a theory about Boris Johnson on 01:20 - Dec 14 with 972 viewsThe_Last_Baron

I've got a theory about Boris Johnson on 22:02 - Dec 13 by Herbivore

Great orator? He can barely string a coherent sentence together.


Exactly. He has personality but he is not a great orator. There are few great orators in British politics nowadays, Farage and Galloway are two. Ian Paisley Sr was a great orator. There are one or two others but nowhere near the amount there were 40 years ago.

Peter Shore, Enoch Powell and Tony Benn were excellent orators from a bygone age.

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I've got a theory about Boris Johnson on 02:07 - Dec 14 with 955 viewsBonchosBicycle

I've got a theory about Boris Johnson on 21:45 - Dec 13 by Colin_Viljoen

Get over it you lost, not once, but twice!!


Apparently more voted for remain parties

https://www.theneweuropean.co.uk/top-stories/more-than-52-of-the-general-electio
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I've got a theory about Boris Johnson on 08:45 - Dec 14 with 851 viewsclive_baker

I've got a theory about Boris Johnson on 01:20 - Dec 14 by The_Last_Baron

Exactly. He has personality but he is not a great orator. There are few great orators in British politics nowadays, Farage and Galloway are two. Ian Paisley Sr was a great orator. There are one or two others but nowhere near the amount there were 40 years ago.

Peter Shore, Enoch Powell and Tony Benn were excellent orators from a bygone age.


It’s pretty subjective I would say. What makes a great orator? Charisma, vocabulary, enunciation, varying tones of voice, hand gestures etc. He’s a very engaging speaker. I would agree he has a tendency to bumble his way through interviews at times but often in the HOC he speaks really well.

Don’t disagree with any of your list. Farage I find very annoying, but that’s perhaps more influenced by the content. Tony Benn was phenomenal. You’re right there were loads in that era, they don’t seem to make them like that anymore.

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I've got a theory about Boris Johnson on 08:49 - Dec 14 with 829 viewsHerbivore

I've got a theory about Boris Johnson on 08:45 - Dec 14 by clive_baker

It’s pretty subjective I would say. What makes a great orator? Charisma, vocabulary, enunciation, varying tones of voice, hand gestures etc. He’s a very engaging speaker. I would agree he has a tendency to bumble his way through interviews at times but often in the HOC he speaks really well.

Don’t disagree with any of your list. Farage I find very annoying, but that’s perhaps more influenced by the content. Tony Benn was phenomenal. You’re right there were loads in that era, they don’t seem to make them like that anymore.


I think as a bare minimum a great orator should be able to string a few consecutive coherent sentences together. He can't manage that and it's not just in interviews. His victory speech yesterday was embarrassing, I imagine a lot of the leave voters that lent him their vote were wondering what the fuk they'd done.

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