Boris Johnson for President!

[Red Celt]

There's more to being a leader than policy.

Charisma is certainly a winning factor in politics... because people are stupid. They need to be fed by a personality. It is the policies that matter in a representative democracy, nothing else.

I find though that many seek to discredit him as an idiotic buffoon, because he comes across as 'haphazard' shall we say.

Oh, he has a brain. It's what he does with it that matters.

But he's as intelligent as any other politician we have today. He went to Eton and got a very good education, and unlike other political leaders (ahem David Cameron), he didn't get there because his daddy paid for his tuition fees. He got there because he had a god damn scholarship. That means he was chosen to go there due to his actual achievements. He also had a scholarship for Oxford too might I add (and also became Oxford Union president).

Do you ever watch a BBC show called Who Do You Think You Are? A season or 2 back, Boris Johnson was one of the celebrities. When being shown around the homes of his recent ancestors, he was given a tour of some of the palaces of Europe. His background is one of immense wealth. Portraying him as some lower-class oik who got lucky... that is such a misrepresentation of the truth.

He's got rid of alcohol use on public transport, improved cycling in the city, drawn up plans for more buildings, introduced minimum space requirements for new homes

The bikes are called "Boris Bikes", but it was Ken Livingstone who set them up. As for plans for more buildings... there's a big difference between "plans" and actualities.

He's popular because of his personality. He's hard to dislike. Using that as a premise for his abilities as a leader is a quantum leap too far.

[TaraJo]

It's why we're so willing to elect charismatic idiots over abrasive geniuses.

But this is precisely the point I was making.

He's not a charismatic idiot, he's a charismatic genius.

I don't know if 'charismatic genius' is something the American people believe exists right now. 'Overly intellectual' is a title that gets thrown at politicians everywhere. We're more likely to elect the guy we could have a beer with or someone we'd expect to sit next to in church vs. the guy who we'd meet in college.

[Napoléon]

It is the policies that matter in a representative democracy, nothing else.

If that was actually reality I'd agree with you. But it's simply not. Any successful political leaders of any country rely on more than just policies.

Do you ever watch a BBC show called Who Do You Think You Are? A season or 2 back, Boris Johnson was one of the celebrities. When being shown around the homes of his recent ancestors, he was given a tour of some of the palaces of Europe. His background is one of immense wealth. Portraying him as some lower-class oik who got lucky... that is such a misrepresentation of the truth.

Nice straw man.

I wasn't portraying him as a lower class oik who got lucky, I was pointing out the fact that he got his education through merit not wealth.

I mean, what the fuck is lucky about multiple scholarships? Are you serious?

The bikes are called "Boris Bikes", but it was Ken Livingstone who set them up.

Ken Livingston did not set them up. He had the original ideas but didn't put them into action (perhaps he didn't get chance I'll give you that).

As for plans for more buildings... there's a big difference between "plans" and actualities.

The actualities are out there if you care to look them up, but hey, I'm not going to labour it, like I said, everything in politics is relative and they all do a similar job no matter who's in power (in this current system we call democracy anyway). At least in my opinion I see no real discernible features of any political party that would greatly impact my existence. One is slightly right wing, the other slightly more central, and another left wing party that doesn't really have a chance of being in power. My personal political ideologies don't fit with any of them particularly well, so it makes no difference to me who's in power.

He's popular because of his personality. He's hard to dislike. Using that as a premise for his abilities as a leader is a quantum leap too far.

Again you're trying to limit my argument to merely being "he's good because he's got a good personality". I'm not saying that.

I'm saying he would be successful (and is) because he's got a good personality and does a good job on top of it.

As I said, do you think Livingstone would be doing any better of a job? I find it far more likely he would be doing a worse one.

No one is saying Boris Johnson is superman, but do I think he's a competent enough politician to be a political leader? Absolutely. Would I vote for him? He's the only politician I would vote for, and yes, that's because I like his personality. That doesn't mean to say it's the sole reason I would vote for him however, which is the point you seem to miss.

*edited certain points for better clarity*

[A Theist]

I want that mayor of London Guy as President.

he has a first rate mind, doesn;t take himself seriously and is exactly middle of the road for US politics. His olympics was the best ever.

kidnap him if need be

Hmmmmm.....Maybe we can swap Barack and Michelle's big ass for Boris. Anything would be preferable to the political bullshit that currently occupies the White House.

[Tiberius]

I hope Boris Johnson becomes leader of the Conservatives. He'd transform then into a more centrist party, win the election, and Britain would flourish under his leadership, just as London has.

[Red Celt]

I hope Boris Johnson becomes leader of the Conservatives. He'd transform then into a more centrist party, win the election, and England, Wales and Northern Ireland would flourish under his leadership, just as London has.

FTFY

Nothing would get a "Yes" vote in 2014 faster than yet another fucking Tory PM. The coalition parties came 3rd and 4th in Scotland. With the collapse of LibDem votes, we'd be left with the 4th-place contenders ruling over Scotland. No ta.

[downbeatplumb]

He's Great and he beat that fuckwit Livingstone who even Labour voters hated.

And you know that because?

Well lets face it you didnt know you just assumed.

I liked Ken he was a fantastic Mayor of London and it was a travisty that he was replaced by Boris who is intent on having a few expensive white elephants as grandstanding schemes. Spending millions to get rid of the effective bendy buses to bring back the route masters waste of money.

Oh, and I tend to vote Labour.

---

I hope Boris Johnson becomes leader of the Conservatives. He'd transform then into a more centrist party, win the election, and Britain would flourish under his leadership, just as London has.

I think he'd make a great talk show host and would leave it there.

[Puddleglum]

Firstly Boris Johnson has certainly got some wealthy ancestors but he was born into a part of the familly that had very little money and he got where he did by his brains and they are incredible. His 'buffon' image is very closely maintained and its to make him look friendly and approachable ..and it works.

No he didn't win theolympics - a delegation lead by Lord Coe did that but he hosted it and the rest of teh world saw it and was impressed.

Livingstione was a cunt. A racist anti semitic cunt who spent more time trying to suck up to religious Muslims than anyone else and it lost him what should have been a Labour landslide.

The bendybusses were a disaster and they were hated by Londoners. I was in London when they were there and the Routemasters were vastly superior.

I don't assume anything. I did my masters at the University of London and on a full scholarship. I am well aware that 1 in 5 persons who stated that they would vote Labour at a general election voted for Boris. Livingstone is finished. he will never be selected to run again.

Anyway he would make a great US president and whichever party was clever enough to adopt him would get my vote.

[5thHorseman]

As far as conservatives go, Stephen Harper the Canadian PM is very good.

[Red Celt]

Livingstione was a cunt. A racist anti semitic cunt who spent more time trying to suck up to religious Muslims than anyone else and it lost him what should have been a Labour landslide.

Regardless of what you think of Boris, your accusations about Livingstone are an outright lie. A racist? Anti-semitic? Bullshit. If you mean his comment to a journalist about their actions being like that of an officer at a concentration camp... that wasn't anti-semitic. It was painted that way because right-wingers played (heavily) on the fact that the journalist was Jewish. Like Ken was meant to know that... or that it was in any way relevant to what he'd said in the first place.

He spent many years (in the GLC against Thatcher and later as mayor) doing good things for London. Some of which, Boris borrowed and gave his name to.

But yeah, lay into Ken. Boris is a saint.