I saw a brief little TV appearance earlier where Boris Johnson discussed his phone call with Joe Biden. In it Boris looked pretty pleased and upbeat. He gave the general impression of someone who was happy that Biden had won. Like he was looking forward to this new apparent relationship, almost with a sense of relief.
Obviously it's difficult to make judgements based solely on body language, and Britain is in a bit of a precarious position between the EU and the US. So a bit of Edmund Blackadder type diplomacy is probably wise - if Biden does end up in the White House we don't want to shoot ourselves in the foot from the get-go. However, I can't help but get the sense that it's genuine glee. Which, though disappointing, isn't particularly surprising, given the signals I've been picking up from the UK Tory media over the last few months.
A few days back I tweeted about how I was puzzled at first by this Conservative appraisal of Biden. On initial viewing it just seemed bizarre. Why are people on the right - who are supposedly anti-woke and worried about statues being pulled down and so forth - pleased to see the purveyors of this destruction rise to power? Trump surely should be their natural ally.
On witnessing the obvious glee for Biden it even made me question their sincerity at times.
"So Boris & Co were just pretending to be true Brexiteers all along! ..really they're just more of the same..
Watching Boris and Biden (and countless other politicians) using the exact same tagline, Build Back Better, only adding to this sense that we've been led down the garden path.
However, when you dig a little deeper you realise it may just be another indication that politics is much more messy in reality than it is in theory, and that people often choose their political bedfellows for a multitude of different reasons. It isn't simply left vs right.
A similar example that springs to mind is how working class people in the UK will often vote for people that are seemingly at opposite ends of the spectrum.
Corbyn and Farage
For instance, you often find people who like both Nigel Farage and Jeremy Corbyn, even though the two are polar opposites. One being far left the other being far to the right.
The reasons for this seeming contradiction are as follows though;
Firstly, both politicians have some policies that are attractive to these voters. With Corbyn the appeal is predominantly the socialism. With Farage it's more issues like immigration and patriotism. So each ticks some political boxes.
Then secondly there's a cultural dynamic. Both men are relatable. In fact, both could be seen as being 'men of the people' to some extent. Albeit it quite different ways. So there's a familiarity. A feeling that this person is "just like me". That their party is "on my side".
Tories and Biden
I would guess it's similar with some of the more affluent Conservative supporters in the country and Joe Biden.
Firstly there are some political overlaps. A dislike of protectionism being the most obvious one. Then on top of that, and I think this is the most overriding thing, there's the cultural dynamic. These people simply dislike Trump as a person, and view him as rude and uncouth. They just don't feel comfortable with the man. So on a personal level they much prefer Biden. He's more like them. It's not as disconcerting having Biden in the White House.
When I originally tweeted I described this attitude or preference as snobbery. I guess I instinctively see it as valuing style over substance. However, I think this is perhaps revealing my own bias too. Maybe I only see this as snobbery because I myself am working class, and I naturally view this desire for manners as some kind of wet nimbyism. When perhaps Trump's detractors may have a very good point. Maybe decorum is more important than I'm accounting for.
Plus there are no doubt myriad other things I'm simply unaware of. So I probably shouldn't be so judgemental either way. I do think there's a huge cultural dimension to these feelings for Trump though.
It's just hair..
Returning to Boris and Trump I think it's also possible that Boris may be feeling happy mainly due to the endless comparisons he's had to put up with. It must be pretty annoying being referred to as 'Britain's Trump' continually.
I actually don't think the two men are the slightest bit alike when it comes to their styles and personalities. People pick up on the floppy mops of blond hair, but it really is nothing more than that. It's literally just a coincidence. This visual caricature created by the hair must make it feel like they've both turned up in the same costume when they meet in person though. So it no doubt adds a layer of awkwardness that wouldn't otherwise be there.
It really can be quite annoying when you get mischaracterised by people. It may seem minor, but I'm sure it's irksome for Boris. Especially if in reality there's no chemistry between him and Trump. So he might be relieved to be out from under that shadow.
Finally..
Before I go I should probably note my thoughts on the actual Biden/Trump situation.
I have no clear idea what's going on, however my instinct is that Trump will remain president. I can't really flesh out the path that keeps him there, but I just think that the court room is his perfect battleground. He's spent his life dealing with legal cases. It's meat and drink for him. So I think he'll edge it.
This may be my bias of course, being such a huge Trump fan. Whatever happens though I don't think it's anywhere near as settled as many currently believe it is.
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