# What. The. Fuck?????? Boris Johnson is mayor of London???? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 3, 2008, 9:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-fuck-boris-johnson-is-mayor-of-london/447865 "2008-05-03T09:00:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2008, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-fuck-boris-johnson-is-mayor-of-london/447865/41 "2008-05-04T11:12:54Z")
[QUOTE=Illuminatiprimus] I was in a very bad mood when I typed that. [/QUOTE] And yet, the words are still there on the screen. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2008, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-fuck-boris-johnson-is-mayor-of-london/447865/42 "2008-05-04T12:50:46Z")
[QUOTE=Bricker] Ah, of course. And this accusation isn’t some chicken-shit, bitchy snark, of course. You actually have solid prrof of the vote fixing that occured here, and you’re going to be posting it now. [/QUOTE] If I had solid proof, how capable would they be? Nonetheless, I apologize for interrupting your diatribe against “left-wing entitlement” with my bitchy snark. Feel free to evacuate the remainder of your bowels unmolested. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2008, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-fuck-boris-johnson-is-mayor-of-london/447865/43 "2008-05-04T14:30:26Z")
[QUOTE=Vinyl Turnip] If I had solid proof, how capable would they be? Nonetheless, I apologize for interrupting your diatribe against “left-wing entitlement” with my bitchy snark. Feel free to evacuate the remainder of your bowels unmolested. [/QUOTE] I guess that would mean ‘no.’ “They did it,” says you, “and the proof is that we have no evidence, because they’re so devious, n’ stuff.” Truly, you have a dizzying intellect. ---
**Author:** ![Omegaman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e480ec/32.png) [@Omegaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omegaman)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2008, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-fuck-boris-johnson-is-mayor-of-london/447865/44 "2008-05-04T15:15:33Z")
[QUOTE=Bricker] I guess that would mean ‘no.’ “They did it,” says you, “and the proof is that we have no evidence, because they’re so devious, n’ stuff.” Truly, you have a dizzying intellect. [/QUOTE] You know **Bricker** , we all know you’re a lawyer and to be one you have to have a lot of schooling to get there. I’m thinking perhaps you should kind of scoot-ch your ass around in the saddle up there on your high horse and see If you can get a better perspective of where a lot of the rest of are down here. As I tried to point out in another thread the use of humor around here seems to agitate some, and rightly so as smart comments aren’t productive nor well received by everyone here. But as sure as your diploma hangs on the wall, life is hard for every person here (mostly) and on this planet as well, and while others and myself might crack wise occasionally you looking down your nose at people isn’t very nice either. Because once you leave your perch, and step onto the ground with the rest of us you might find someone looking down their nose at you. So I’ll try to do better with my smart comments and maybe you could put just the tiniest bit of effort into toning down your exhilarating repartee’ a shade and we’ll see if we can’t find some common ground in the middle. And a good day to you sir. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2008, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-fuck-boris-johnson-is-mayor-of-london/447865/45 "2008-05-04T17:08:23Z")
Ees beeg trouble for Moose and Squirrel! ---
**Author:** ![Omegaman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e480ec/32.png) [@Omegaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omegaman)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2008, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-fuck-boris-johnson-is-mayor-of-london/447865/46 "2008-05-04T17:14:09Z")
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton] Ees beeg trouble for Moose and Squirrel! [/QUOTE] Now that’s what I’m talking about! Glad to see not everyone has lost their sense of humor. ---
**Author:** ![Polerius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d78d45/32.png) [@Polerius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polerius)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2008, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-fuck-boris-johnson-is-mayor-of-london/447865/47 "2008-05-04T17:26:51Z")
I had never heard of Boris Johnson until today, but this YouTube video shows him to be an utter idiot. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/02KwDMM1STI/hqdefault.jpg "Boris Johnson Room 101 Smoking") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02KwDMM1STI) London’s own GWB indeed. ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2008, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-fuck-boris-johnson-is-mayor-of-london/447865/48 "2008-05-04T17:58:12Z")
Hmmph, he has only been voted in for the entertainment of the people. He is a complete dolt, but since Prince Philip hasn’t been making many public gaffes, we need another inbred idiot to deride, and Bojo fits the bill fantastically. I doubt that there has been anyone at all in public office in the UK that has had such a long, 30 years or more, and vitrioloc press campaign against him and yet he outlasted Thatcher and her corrupt regime. Ken Livingstone has always benefitted from low turnouts where he could always get his committed electorate to turn out - but this was always a pretty shrill minority. As soon as Londoners actually got of their butts and voted he was always likely to struggle. I also think Bojo is still a reflection of a lazy London electorate, instead of actually finding out about the issues, Londoners seem to have gone for nothing more than image. ---
**Author:** ![put\_down\_the\_sabre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/da6949/32.png) [@put\_down\_the\_sabre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/put_down_the_sabre)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2008, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-fuck-boris-johnson-is-mayor-of-london/447865/49 "2008-05-04T18:09:58Z")
[QUOTE=casdave] Hmmph, he has only been voted in for the entertainment of the people. He is a complete dolt, but since Prince Philip hasn’t been making many public gaffes, we need another inbred idiot to deride, and Bojo fits the bill fantastically. I doubt that there has been anyone at all in public office in the UK that has had such a long, 30 years or more, and vitrioloc press campaign against him and yet he outlasted Thatcher and her corrupt regime. Ken Livingstone has always benefitted from low turnouts where he could always get his committed electorate to turn out - but this was always a pretty shrill minority. As soon as Londoners actually got of their butts and voted he was always likely to struggle. I also think Bojo is still a reflection of a lazy London electorate, instead of actually finding out about the issues, Londoners seem to have gone for nothing more than image. [/QUOTE] Having met BJ on 2 occasions, I gotta say I like him, partly for his raw intellect. King’s Scholar, President of the Union, First in Classics, MP, Editor of the Spectator … there’s almost certainly noone on this board who comes close to him in intelligence, achievement, and wit. pdts ---
**Author:** ![Rayne\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2008, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-fuck-boris-johnson-is-mayor-of-london/447865/50 "2008-05-04T18:19:35Z")
[QUOTE=put down the sabre] Having met BJ on 2 occasions, I gotta say I like him, partly for his raw intellect. King’s Scholar, President of the Union, First in Classics, MP, Editor of the Spectator … there’s almost certainly noone on this board who comes close to him in intelligence, achievement, and wit. pdts [/QUOTE] To quote Garius on the NADS board :- _Throw in adultery and absolutely no qualms or regret about conspiring to have a fellow journalist beaten up for knowing too much about the fraudulent actions of one of his old school chums, and you’ve got a very dodgy character._ \*Oh, he was also a member of the Bullingdon club at Oxford which (certainly at the time he was a member) was mainly an excuse for rich blokes to go out and trash restaurants then throw money at the owners to ensure they didn’t get in trouble for it. What fun! \* ---
**Author:** ![CatInASuit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3be4f8/32.png) [@CatInASuit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CatInASuit)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2008, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-fuck-boris-johnson-is-mayor-of-london/447865/51 "2008-05-04T18:59:00Z")
[QUOTE=Rayne Man] To quote Garius on the NADS board :- _Throw in adultery and absolutely no qualms or regret about conspiring to have a fellow journalist beaten up for knowing too much about the fraudulent actions of one of his old school chums, and you’ve got a very dodgy character._ \*Oh, he was also a member of the Bullingdon club at Oxford which (certainly at the time he was a member) was mainly an excuse for rich blokes to go out and trash restaurants then throw money at the owners to ensure they didn’t get in trouble for it. What fun! \* [/QUOTE] The conspiracy referred to was when someone asked Boris for the address of a friend, so that the person asking could arrange for his friend to be assaulted. A transcript was released of the phone call, which is how it came into the public realm. Boris was reprimanded for not informing the police, not for conspiracy as he did not pass any information across. Adultery, yup he commited adultery. Not actually on Ken’s level who managed to get three different women pregnant in a short space of time, but naughty all the same. Bullingdon club: They did not pay to prevent themselves getting out of trouble. They paid up to cover the full expense of restoring the place to its original condition. ---
**Author:** ![Rayne\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2008, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-fuck-boris-johnson-is-mayor-of-london/447865/52 "2008-05-04T19:07:36Z")
[QUOTE=CatInASuit] Bullingdon club: They did not pay to prevent themselves getting out of trouble. They paid up to cover the full expense of restoring the place to its original condition. [/QUOTE] So it’s acceptable behavior to smash up a restaurant as long as you pay to have it repaired afterwards ? ---
**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2008, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-fuck-boris-johnson-is-mayor-of-london/447865/53 "2008-05-04T19:34:37Z")
Is there any evidence that Boris actually took part in any restaurant trashing, though? To quote [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bullingdon_Club): > [@](#): > > The Club’s modus operandi has often been to book a private dining room under an assumed name, as most restaurateurs are wary of the club’s reputation for causing considerable drunken damage during the course of the dinners. However, it depends on the character of the membership at the time — which necessarily varies from year to year — whether the famous ‘destruction’ is an intentional act of wanton vandalism or a side-effect of drinking prodigious quantities over a lengthy period of time, and a handful of episodes over many decades have become anecdotal evidence of the club’s behaviour. In recent times the club has held its dinners at private venues, and the emphasis has been far more on the consumption of gourmand feasts — where courses of lobster, pate de foie gras and sucking pig might be served merely as starters — than breaking things. When the club causes damage in restaurants or elsewhere the proprietor is invariably reimbursed. ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2008, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-fuck-boris-johnson-is-mayor-of-london/447865/54 "2008-05-04T21:03:32Z")
**Having met BJ on 2 occasions, I gotta say I like him, partly for his raw intellect. King’s Scholar, President of the Union, First in Classics, MP, Editor of the Spectator … there’s almost certainly noone on this board who comes close to him in intelligence, achievement, and wit.** All those appear to be superb experience, background and qualification for an internationally ranked city which will soon have the eyes of the world on it when it hosts the Olympics. Just what we need, another hoorah Henry who has read a lot of old books. Wit? intelligence? when he actually achieves something, perhaps that will be the time to acknowledge it, however, given the intellectual power that resides upon these boards, I’d say he is outranked by…oooooh how many members do we have? This is either trollish, or sarcasm - not sure which. ---
**Author:** ![tirial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ac91a4/32.png) [@tirial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tirial)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2008, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-fuck-boris-johnson-is-mayor-of-london/447865/55 "2008-05-04T21:23:17Z")
**Casdave** , he’s just been elected Mayor of London. However you look at it, he has achieved something. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2008, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-fuck-boris-johnson-is-mayor-of-london/447865/56 "2008-05-04T21:24:22Z")
[QUOTE=Omegaman] You know **Bricker** , we all know you’re a lawyer and to be one you have to have a lot of schooling to get there. I’m thinking perhaps you should kind of scoot-ch your ass around in the saddle up there on your high horse and see If you can get a better perspective of where a lot of the rest of are down here. As I tried to point out in another thread the use of humor around here seems to agitate some, and rightly so as smart comments aren’t productive nor well received by everyone here. But as sure as your diploma hangs on the wall, life is hard for every person here (mostly) and on this planet as well, and while others and myself might crack wise occasionally you looking down your nose at people isn’t very nice either. Because once you leave your perch, and step onto the ground with the rest of us you might find someone looking down their nose at you. So I’ll try to do better with my smart comments and maybe you could put just the tiniest bit of effort into toning down your exhilarating repartee’ a shade and we’ll see if we can’t find some common ground in the middle. And a good day to you sir. [/QUOTE] Um… Whaaa…?? People who advance idiotic arguments will get sneered at. This is not the forum for gentle remonstrations and loving concern over the feelings of idiots, especially self-identifying idiots who launch unfounded attacks. Your feedback would have not been misplaced if this were MPSIMS. But this is the Pit, and my commentary was comparatively mild. ---
**Author:** ![put\_down\_the\_sabre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/da6949/32.png) [@put\_down\_the\_sabre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/put_down_the_sabre)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2008, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-fuck-boris-johnson-is-mayor-of-london/447865/57 "2008-05-04T21:36:46Z")
[QUOTE=casdave] **Having met BJ on 2 occasions, I gotta say I like him, partly for his raw intellect. King’s Scholar, President of the Union, First in Classics, MP, Editor of the Spectator … there’s almost certainly noone on this board who comes close to him in intelligence, achievement, and wit.** All those appear to be superb experience, background and qualification for an internationally ranked city which will soon have the eyes of the world on it when it hosts the Olympics. Just what we need, another hoorah Henry who has read a lot of old books. Wit? intelligence? when he actually achieves something, perhaps that will be the time to acknowledge it, however, given the intellectual power that resides upon these boards, I’d say he is outranked by…oooooh how many members do we have? This is either trollish, or sarcasm - not sure which. [/QUOTE] I don’t think you realise just how hard it is to become a King’s Scholar. Oh, and Classics involves new books too. Ohh, and to get a First whilst being President of the Union is a stellar achievement. I’d bet there’s a couple of people on this board who could get into a university like Oxford, let alone completely dominate it like Boris did. And then to become an MP (of which there are only 650 or so) whilst editing a major national news magazine, and then to become mayor of what is the closest thing the world has to a capital city… yes he certainly is outranked by a bunch of people (including me) whose intellects are so vast, that they would be wasted on anything but the internet. pdts ---
**Author:** ![Sri\_Theo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f04885/32.png) [@Sri\_Theo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sri_Theo)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2008, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-fuck-boris-johnson-is-mayor-of-london/447865/58 "2008-05-04T22:36:39Z")
The internet makes me laugh. You all realise that the left/right wing divide is nowhere near as intense this side of the Atlantic - so all you Brits acting like pricks, stop playing up to the yanks because you feel left out of the party. And as for the Republicans standing up for their right wing brethren across the sea - You realise the Tories are probably more left wing then the Democrats :S I personally blame the BBC’s have your say. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2008, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-fuck-boris-johnson-is-mayor-of-london/447865/59 "2008-05-04T23:42:56Z")
[QUOTE=Bricker] People who advance idiotic arguments will get sneered at. This is not the forum for gentle remonstrations and loving concern over the feelings of idiots, especially self-identifying idiots who launch unfounded attacks. [/QUOTE] Although I admit to the opinion that a foul odor still lingers around many of the events of the 2000 and 2004 Presidential elections, my “idiotic argument” was meant mainly in jest—something apparent, I suspect, to **Omegaman**. Perhaps showing once again why “conservative humor” is as successful an entertainment genre as “liberal talk radio.” ---
**Author:** ![Omegaman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e480ec/32.png) [@Omegaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omegaman)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2008, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-fuck-boris-johnson-is-mayor-of-london/447865/60 "2008-05-05T01:21:34Z")
[QUOTE=Bricker] Um… Whaaa…?? People who advance idiotic arguments will get sneered at. This is not the forum for gentle remonstrations and loving concern over the feelings of idiots, especially self-identifying idiots who launch unfounded attacks. Your feedback would have not been misplaced if this were MPSIMS. But this is the Pit, and my commentary was comparatively mild. [/QUOTE] Well I knew we would find common ground that we might share on this glorious world of ours. I don’t mind being the idiot as long you don’t mind being the prince. Fair hunting to you,Sir, might your prey be felled with a single shot. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-fuck-boris-johnson-is-mayor-of-london/447865.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-fuck-boris-johnson-is-mayor-of-london/447865.md?page=4)