I think many who voted for Johnson weren’t politically engaged or became politically engaged through the Brexit campaign, where Johnson was then seen as the populist White Knight arriving just in time to strike the killer blow to the EU dragon, I don’t think they were too aware or interested in his past or what he stood for beyond his germane Brexit position.
Corbyn won the Labour Party leadership by offering something different to members who’d become disillusioned with a continued shift to the centre and he promised to take the Party back to traditional values, I think this rhetoric was something that firstly Brexit and secondly Johnson recognised as having appeal and managed to spin a narrative of change despite 10 years of Conservative power, it had the twofold impact of neutralising Corbyn as the change candidate and Brexit allowed a distancing of previous governance.
The reality was that these were tools used to allow an unsuitable candidate into a position he should never have been allowed to ascend to, the actions of Gove in the post Cameron leadership election show how those that knew him best were willing to do their utmost to stop him becoming leader, they were scared by the May election performance, she was always only a short term measure, whilst those who would be king aligned themselves in the shadows, the reaction was Johnson, like a rebound relationship where hasty mistakes are long repented, and this is where we are.
I don’t think trying to guilt trip those who voted Conservative is the best way of getting people back on board, the lack of defence by anybody of his actions speaks louder than any attempt to get apologies, for some, I’m sure, it was the case of a lesser of two evils, for others the narrative of opportunity and change struck a chord, a lot of us knew that this would not happen but you can’t castigate those that mistakenly believed it would.
This board is at its best when it unites behind a cause and the support that posters offer each other on here is a massive part of what makes this forum such a great place, I have no problem criticising those in public life who I believe deserve it but I hope I’ve never made it personal with any poster on here, we should always play the ball and not the man, when we turn on each other that’s the worst of this board, given the circumstances of what’s happened we should reserve our ire for Johnson and his actions, I don’t see a single post in his defence so let’s enjoy that united condemnation and not try and create needless divide.
When you're wrong you're wrong.