-
Sorry, Mr. Obama, the Falklands Will Stay British
March 13, 2013 | 56 comments
-
How British Conservatives Rose from the Dead
November 21, 2012 | 24 comments
-
Oxford Embraces Cross-Dressing
October 2, 2012 | 14 comments
-
The British Are Coming
July 25, 2012 | 2 comments
-
Her Majesty’s X Factor
June 1, 2012 | 32 comments
Another Perspective
London’s Cool Conservative
Why the delightful Boris Johnson will win re-election this week.
When the people of London re-elect the Conservative Boris Johnson as their mayor on May 3, as is now almost certain, they will inadvertently be voting for a brand of politics that is so new to Britain that few commentators, not even Boris himself, have yet recognized it. It’s not compassionate conservatism of the George W. variety. It’s not responsible conservatism of the David Cameron sort. What Boris unknowingly represents is cool conservatism, and it’s taken our surprised capital by storm.
American Republicans are used to their leaders out-cooling their Democratic rivals. Think Bush versus Kerry and Gore, or Reagan versus Carter and Mondale. But in Britain the reverse is true. The left has out-cooled the right for an astonishing six decades. You have to go back to the 1950s to find Conservative leaders (Churchill, Eden, and Macmillan) with more charisma than their Labour opponents. The four Conservative prime ministers that followed (Home, Heath, Thatcher, and Major) rose to the top despite conceding a coolness deficit to their main Labour rivals. Tony Blair, who politically demolished John Major, even invented “cool Britannia.”
This succession of uncool Conservative leaders, often backed up by charismatically-challenged foot soldiers, is one of the many reasons it has become so culturally unacceptable to admit to being conservative in Britain. Most British people have conservative instincts on issues like the economy, crime, welfare and family values, so, by rights, the Conservative Party shouldn’t lose a national election. But it has lost, frequently, in large part because that same conservative electorate has tended publicly to disown the party that espouses conservative policies. Even the electorally attractive David Cameron only scraped into Downing Street two years ago after an election that he should have won by a landslide. It just isn’t cool to be conservative.
Boris Johnson is the massive exception. He is not only cool but hilarious. His shock of unruly blond hair looks like a wig chosen and fitted by a toddler. He admitted that he once tried to snort cocaine, but sneezed and failed (beat that, Bill Clinton). He has the kind of face, even at rest, that makes people giggle. He could quite easily be a game-show host — in fact he’s occasionally been the guest host on Britain’s leading TV satirical news quiz, and it’s compulsive viewing. At last count, a YouTube video of him tripping himself up then inadvertently rugby tackling an astonished opponent in a celebrity soccer match between England and Germany has attracted half a million hits and thousands of delighted comments.
Boris is a bizarre combination of posh scholarliness, gaffes (including a very public extra-marital affair that would be career-ending for ordinary mortals, but only strengthened his appeal), bumbling ineptitude, and startling political insight and ambition. Beneath it all he’s a conservative to his fingertips. He edited the UK version of The Spectator with great panache between 1999 and 2005 and now stands a good chance of succeeding Cameron as Conservative leader, when the time comes.
Just before the last mayoral election, in 2008, I saw Boris at a hustings in London in front of a couple of thousand people. He was in his mid-40s, and very overweight, so I was astonished to see young women whooping and shrieking with delight, Beatles-like, as he came into the room. Boris is so cool I don’t think he noticed.
His voter appeal is like no other. If the Conservatives should never lose Britain, then by the same token Boris has little right to win London. The capital is, by and large, a Labour city, with over half of Londoners saying that their natural sympathies lie with that party. This is the one city in Britain where it’s possible to be anything, do anything, sleep with anything. That Boris has not only won in London, but looks like doing so again is nothing short of political magic.
Many Conservative supporters are desperately hoping that their party take note. They have been driven to distraction and despair, for the past quarter century, by its political ineptitude. This has been lapped up with glee by the self-styled “progressives,” led by Tony Blair, who have successfully shoe-horned a liberal agenda onto an instinctively conservative electorate, and governed for 13 years out of the last 15. Even now, Cameron has to share power in a coalition government with some of his liberal opponents.
And yet in this year of elections, not least in America, Boris Johnson has demonstrated something vitally important to conservatives everywhere. If you want to win, even against the odds, if you want to drive back the liberals and progressives and re-establish conservatism as a dominant political force, you need to pick your leaders with great care.
In short, make sure that your leader is the coolest dude on the block.
John786| 4.30.12 @ 8:08AM
Boris is a complete t**. A man who uses his cuddly persona, having a laugh bafoonery to hide serious character flaws & neo liberal economic agenda. A man who has done nothing for London. There is severe housing shortage in London- people are being bussed out to the provinces: absolutely nothing from Boris. It's a shame Ken will not win. He has real policies to tackle the issues. But if bafoonery is what you want then Boris is your man.
Theocritos| 4.30.12 @ 12:11PM
John, you have obviously never met the man. Taylor has a point. We've been suffering for too long with bland and boring politicians who have created clones of themselves. Paradoxically Brown made Britain grey, and as with everything else, Blair's effort at colour was only painted where it worked for him and then was only microns thick. Britain needs political characters and clever ones at that. Boris is excessively clever. If you think he's no more than a buffoon (sic) you are one step behind the game. I'd go for a confident character over a tearful newt-botherer any day.
Occam's Tool| 4.30.12 @ 2:46PM
Well, if 786 hates him, that makes me like him more. John786 is a supporter of child marriage and rape. He is moral scum.
Ken, on the other hand, like John786, wants to mass murder Jews.
Occam's Tool| 4.30.12 @ 2:49PM
Sorry, that would be, "Ken [Livingstone], on the same hand, like John786, wants to mass murder Jews."
Boris is preferrable to both.
John786| 4.30.12 @ 4:41PM
Keep taking the medicine mr occam.
Grzmlyk| 4.30.12 @ 8:58AM
I couldn't get past the line, "Most British people have conservative instincts on issues like the economy, crime, welfare and family values."
Are you talking ab0ut British people as in the people born in Great Britain? The same Great Britain that has pushed relentlessly leftward ever since they unceremoniously dumped Winston Churchill (with a brief respite of sanity during the Thatcher years)? The same Great Britain that is consciously becoming Islamicized because it loathes its legacy as an erstwhile bastion of Western values?
That Great Britain?
No doubt the author will also repeat what Rush Limbaugh and other American conservative pundits insist: America is a center-right country.
Hardy har har. Hope indeed triumphs over experience (just as Larry Kudlow sees the lush mirage of recovery in what is actually a desert of depression).
If Great Britain has such a conservative populace, pray tell why is it a socialist state eager to shed its sovereignty? Just wondering.
Likewise, if America is a center-right country, why are we living in a land that, over the last century, has become a playground for outrageous liberalism, a land in which The most fertile land in California is now off limits to farmers because of an inconsequential fish?
Next we'll be hearing that the Hell's Angels are essentially dapper dressers.
Audace| 4.30.12 @ 2:58PM
I agree with you, G. I made many a venture across the Channel in the last 20 years and don't much like at all what England and Scotland have become. Same for Ireland. Conservative? That really does not come to mind when thinking of England today or anyone under the age of 50.
Does this author ever pick up British newspapers and compare them with what was printed and sold just twenty years ago? TV. Movies. Songs on the airwaves.
So....lesmmmee sseee ...Conservatives let their country be overrun (willingly, every day, hour by hour) by Pakistanis, Indians, and muslims. Conservatives aid along the path to __________ a new people group where the number one baby name for boys is "Mohammed."
School curiculums completely altered to not in any way offend the new muslim Englishmen. While nodding in affirmation of Sharia laws.
And Conservatives worship at the feet of metrosexuals like David Beckham (due to make his comeback for Britain at this summer's Olympic games!) and, yes, Boris himself.
Hey, gotta be cool!
Sorry. What Mr. Robert Taylor wants to claim as conservatism is blatantly off the mark. Conservatives are always fundamentally faith-based. Christian values. That is not evident today and it is not at all evident in Boris the eternal punk.
Wasn't Boris completely tipsy in his acceptance, win speech in 2008?
I think that the author of this piece must be out of work or underemployed and is hoping Boris will notice this piece for possible job offerings.
Will | 4.30.12 @ 3:36PM
Not quite sure where to start with this...
OK. There are 60 million non-Muslim Britons, and 1 million Muslim Britons. Not exactly "over-running", is it? The stuff about school curricula being changed to accomodate Muslim sensibilities is nonsense. Our cinemas, and the pop charts, are dominating by Americans (or Brits impersonating Americans, a la Adele) so if you don't like it you only have yourselves to blame. I happen to think that the UK press is pretty good, apart from the phone-hacking Times, Sun and News of the World. Which are all owned by conservative icon Rupert Murdoch.
"Mohammed" is not even in the top 10 of British boys names. Last year, most British babies were given scary foreign names- Oliver, Olivia, Jack, Sophie, Harry, Lily, Amelia...
Yes, Beckham is hateful. You win this one.
Yeah, of course conservatism is essentially Christian. Let's not forget the sermon on the mount- "blessed are the greedy, for they shall rightfully inherit great wealth, and not pay any bloody tax".
Flayer| 4.30.12 @ 4:02PM
As a Yank with a Brit husband I see how the 1 million Muslims dominate the 60 million non-Muslim British dhimmis. These castrati cower in fear because the Muslims stand for something, however vile, and are they willing to fight for it. The Brits, no so much. They are weak and toothless and devoid of ideas. Sorry, but socialism, multiculturalism and "tolerance" of even the intolerable has sucked the will from former British spirit. If you don't think your liberty is worth fighting for you will lose it, and you'll deserve to lose it.
Will | 4.30.12 @ 6:40PM
We stand for tolerance, liberty, freedom, pluralism and fair play, just like in 1940. You seem blinded by your own prejudices- I live in Britain and always have (in a town, incidentally, with a large Muslim population) and you describe a country which I simply do not recognise.
In Britain, prayer and the singing of hymns is permitted in schools, the established church has a permenant place in the legislature, Christmas and Easter are public holidays (though not Eid). Out of 650 MPs, about 5 are Muslims. Muslims are actually significantly under-represented in politics, the media, the law etc.
To summarise, you are talking bollocks.
Grzmlyk| 4.30.12 @ 10:07PM
Uh, at the risk of stating the obvious, your screed kind of proves the point. First off, you ain't no conservative; you're a proud liberal with contempt for conservative values.
Second, Muhammad has been in the top 25 for almost a decade running (http://www.baby2see.com/names/top100ukboysbabynames.html) Not top 10, to be sure, but close enough to illustrate the very cultural shift you seem to think you're refuting.
Trish| 4.30.12 @ 10:16PM
My thoughts exactly. England has imploded due to its embrace of socialism.
Kudlow needs to remove the rose-colored glasses. It took him forever to concede that Obama is a neo-marxist (well, my terminology, not his) not just an inexperienced, callow young man.
Vern Crisler| 4.30.12 @ 11:02AM
"In short, make sure that your leader is the coolest dude on the block."
Well, if that's true, Obama will win this November, and Mitt Romney, magic underwear and all, will lose.
Flayer| 4.30.12 @ 3:50PM
Except Obama is creepy.
Flayer| 4.30.12 @ 4:03PM
And his wife is ugly and vile.
KennesawJack| 4.30.12 @ 6:44PM
And living large on our money.
Flayer| 4.30.12 @ 3:50PM
Except Obama is creepy.
Richard Baker| 4.30.12 @ 1:41PM
This idea of "cool" leadership is a sad sign of our embracing the celebrity mania. When do we get adults instead of the idea of adolescent "cool"?
Moe Blotz| 4.30.12 @ 3:36PM
When Tony Blair's "Cool Britannia" flopped, that should have ended the era of "cool". Any politician can be "cool", just shove an ice cube up his arse.
Jon| 4.30.12 @ 2:18PM
I read about Johnson (probably in TAS) back in 2008, where the author promoted him for future US office. I lost all respect for him when he endorsed Obama for President soon after then.
Herb| 4.30.12 @ 6:38PM
Not only that, but check out Boris' record vis-a-vis the Muslims. He declared he was not going be a dhimmi accomodationist like his predecessor, but as mayor he has folded like an accordion whenever confronted by the Religion of Peace(s).
Muslim-dominated "No-Go" areas in London before? They're still there.
The most powerful man in U.K. is Mr. Anjem Choudary. Bottom line, end of discussion.
Trish| 4.30.12 @ 10:20PM
Herb, you are so correct. I really had high hopes for Boris, but he did indeed fold regarding the Muslims in England.
Occam's Tool| 4.30.12 @ 2:47PM
Keep in mind that "Right" in Britain, except for tort issues, is far Left by American standards, even Maggie Thatcher.
This has to do with the subject of where rights come from.
Trish| 4.30.12 @ 10:20PM
You nailed it again Occam.
FeFe| 5.2.12 @ 2:09AM
Is this satire? Cameron and Boris are "Conservative"!? Umm... take it away Inigo Montoya, "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means." It is not inconceivable Americans understand how the U.K. is now governed, sir.
You seem to enjoy the illusion of so many directions for fingers of blame to point, that you're coalition in decline at home wants multiples in D.C. as well. The EU's Internal Security Strategy of "realtime" phone, text, email, and website electronic listening is but the bionic Romney machine re-inflating the Bush bubble, and our R3volution Libertarians see their own coalition with the GOP-E as but their foot in the door to real power shaping Obama's isolationist personnel. Your multiculti "classically liberal" so-called conservatives, Tory party in decay are welcome to the whole lot.
And while you're media no longer understand how the U.K. is now governed, so they get lost in the great pasty national riddle of how long a newly baked loaf of bread should be allowed to cool before it no longer attracts 20% VAT, the TEA Party sees the Tobin Tax shadow, thus your incoherence here is but panic.
GMan| 5.3.12 @ 1:58AM
If he could be a candidate, I'd take Boris Johnson as America's President any day over Obama. Oh, darn. I forgot. You have to have been born here. Or do you????
Jon| 5.5.12 @ 1:40AM
Actually he was born in NYC, assuming that Wiki is correct, so he could be President, but I wouldn't support him myself:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boris_Johnson
Jon| 5.5.12 @ 1:50AM
Another thing about Johnson: He looks a lot like former SNL regular Darrell Hammond, so Hammond could easily play him.