Ken vs. Boris: It's So On

Andrew Roberts, Historian

Boris

"I am voting for Boris because it is his chance to show he is a figure of substance and because of the Standard's many revelations about Ken."

My God, man - you're a historian! Evidence, facts, research, sources, citations? He swallowing what the ES is pushing? I despair.

silver lining, tory councilors are going to be much less media savvy and much more old school bigots so we should get a shitstorm of feet in mouths across the country as hundreds of new tory councilors speak out.

"He swallowing" - I'm so angry I can't type!

"You know, not many people knew about it, but der Fuhrer vas a terrrrrrrrrrific dancer..."

That nanny state Conti comment is grimly hilarious, possibly because he imagines everyone in London is actually Homer Simpson.

Yeah, the Andrew Roberts thing was incredible but not wholly surprising. Much more shocked by Grayling.

Sorry I'm on a Producers kick:

Brown: "No way out. No way out. No way out"
Balls: "Prime Minister!"
Brown: "No way out. No way out. No way out"
Balls: "We've only heard from a small portion of the electorate. Let's hear what the majority thinks."
Brown "The majority? The majority... yes... let's hear from the majority... where's the majority... see the majority..."

(in his capacity as historian, a.roberts has described the policies of the attlee govt as "appeasing" the working classes) (<-- won't help yr temper michael but indicates where roberts is always comin from)

i'm not shocked by grayling at all but only bcz i not long witnessed his behaviour on a message-board where some philosophically minded interweb types had been critcising something he'd written: he arrived and immediately pulled massive self-important stroppy imnpenetrably arrogant rank in regard to his massive intellect and professional qualifications, while not addressing any of the points made -- a demonstration to me of his actual politics, if you like: how he behaves towards people when more or less off-screen

My philosophy friends tell me he's a shit philosopher too

GOD DAMN YOU. GOD DAMN YOU ALL TO HELL.

How surprising that regular ES contributor Andrew Roberts should express such support in an ES poll.

I think I'm going to visit London and go all Christie Malry on your asses. What was the balancing of 'socialism not given a chance' again?

Just as well I drink bottled water!

Anyone in London up for a "NOT IN OUR NAME"-type march?

where is grayling punditry?

Up here, ledge.

Bookies are now paying out on a Boris win, btw.

Sod it, I'm going to the pub.

why/how would bookies know the correct results in advance of anyone else?

Cameron & Boris: revenge of the pompous twats :-(

I know! Why don't we all dress up in tailcoats and...trash their houses?

224 Councilors lost and counting.

It's this fucking war. Nobody believes a word Labour says.

silver lining, tory councilors are going to be much less media savvy and much more old school bigots so we should get a shitstorm of feet in mouths across the country as hundreds of new tory councilors speak out.

Two of the new ones in Southampton are 18 years old. Kids, it shouldn't be allowed. No, really.

Sir Clive Sinclair

Boris

"I'm not going to run Ken down because I think he's been a good Mayor, good at promoting London and a great ambassador. However, we need a fresh approach, so I'll vote for Boris."

;_;

FUCK YOU, I WISH I'D HAD A COMMODORE 64

Presenting: The Sinclair Routemaster!

NUMBER ONE PRIORITY OF THE NEXT LABOUR PARTY ELECTION MANIFESTO:
Ban Oxford.

emil.y, not sure what you mean, though I share your views.

Pashmina's graphic was quite convincing, and I agree with him too; I hope he realizes it's not 'London' that's wrong, it's just evil tossers and stupid bastards.

Mike, that's a good question ... but I can't see it happening. I wasn't good at rugby at school - you'll be surprised to hear. I don't think ACG has ever deigned to speak to me anyway. But he does deserve a comeuppance after this.

I share the feelings of those who would like to protest, march Not In My Name etc. But I'm a bit confused - not all of you took this line during the campaign, did you? Or did you, and I'm mistaken, in which case apologies - I am not trying to cause offence, as ever. I am just genuinely a bit surprised at how the tone has apparently changed. I think this thread (like ilx generally, no doubt) has been characterized by a lot of cynicism and shrugging, and when disaster finally strikes, one can see that that won't do.

I guess I could try and refine that comment - maybe it is only certain people who have set that tone; others have been clear for Ken all the way. Never mind. I don't know. ilx is not really my home now anyway, the way it has changed.

I think I'm going to visit London and go all Christie Malry on your asses

pinefox: is this the bit you meant? it's a BS johnson reference (DK got it, at least), and it's about the only thing that's raised my spirits in this entire debacle :/

Lib Dems have taken Sheffield.

xpost

also, wrt people's attitudes: look, i think the problem is that ILX is actually so fundamentally decent that it didn't think for one second that people would be fucking stupid enough to vote for tory councillors/boris for mayor!

or maybe not </perls gestalt approach ... that reminds me, i should be revising>

I guess enrique is happy this morning

i wonder how many of the london ilxors own a car (not me)

Tracer H: yes.

I haven't read the C Malry book, I'm afraid, but props to Emily for her bookish ways.

GF: well, I think people are fucking stupid enough to do anything. I was around in the 1980s, after all.

Decent round-up of all the main UK political blogs here: http://timesonline.typepad.com/comment/2008/05/all-the-rumours.html

It would be nice to think ilx was fundamentally decent, but I fear those days are gone. That's not the phrase that springs to mind about it now.

also, wrt people's attitudes: look, i think the problem is that ILX is actually so fundamentally decent that it didn't think for one second that people would be fucking stupid enough to vote for tory councillors/boris for mayor!

-- grimly fiendish, Friday, 2 May 2008 13:30 (5 minutes ago) Bookmark Link

"How can Nixon have won? Nobody I knew voted for him."

i have never for one second believed pauline kael ever said that

Neither do I, but it's nice shorthand.

It's this fucking war. Nobody believes a word Labour says.

But the tories voted for the war too!

I just don't get it. People say they hate Blair/Brown/NuLab so they are going to vote for another version of it?

It would be nice to think ilx was fundamentally decent, but I fear those days are gone. That's not the phrase that springs to mind about it now

hence my "or maybe not" caveat :)

in seriousness: there's certainly a (an?) O_o-ism among people on this thread/my friends/hand-wringing liberals everywhere and of fucking course we should know better by now. still: as has been pointed out myriad times now, many of the "reasons for voting boris" are so fucking DICK-RIDDEN that, you know, i think we can be forgiven for the odd boggle of the mind.

General breakdown of probable Boris voting reasons:

a. not Ken
b. i don't want to pay £25 a day to drive MY car.
c. i don't want to pay fuck all for anything and gas the proles if you want your Olympic money.
d. he's fit
e. so-called asylum seekers ring Jon Gaunt now
f. Evening Standard told me to vote for him
g. he's a character he's funnEEEEE hyuk hyuk choke
h. terrorists
i. time for a change
j. i voted for him as a joke SHOOT ME NOW

D) is stretching the limits of credibility a bit, unless there's a city of of Kate StClair's out there I hadn't noticed.

Lib Dems have taken Sheffield.

-- William Bloody Swygart, Friday, 2 May 2008 13:29 (20 minutes ago) Bookmark Link

Clegg's home town. Now he gets to call last night a success for the LDs.

D) is stretching the limits of credibility a bit, unless there's a city of of Kate StClair's out there I hadn't noticed.

-- Matt DC, Friday, 2 May 2008 13:53 (33 seconds ago) Bookmark Link

The post that launched a thousand Dom Passantino/JW image searches.

Leeds stayed NOC, Lib Dems took a seat from the Tories (dunno which one, but I'm guessing it wasn't Hyde Park or Headingley)

b. i don't want to pay £25 a day to drive MY car.

^^^this