Even the Prime Minister's jokes are Brownies
Fraser Nelson 9:09pm
Like Matt, I was genuinely impressed by the defrosted Gordon Brown on display at the Google conference. However - and churlish though it may be - I’d like to point out that his Einstein joke (where he swaps places with his chauffeur) is a Brownie. The genesis of this fake and oft-repeated tale is here.
You may think the PM’s claim to have seen a banner saying “worldwide campaign against globalisation” is real because he used it in Jan08, Jul07, Mar07, Jan07 and Nov06 and (first) in a Newsweek article in Sep06. My guess is that he spotted this slogan not in a demo, but in an Apr00 article by William Keegan here. But it’s a good gag, and I applaud the sentiment.
Brown is never dazzling like Blair, but at the end of this I did think he will last those two more years after all.
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Comments
Water
May 19th, 2008 9:42pmCertainly seems like champagne for the brain.
mckenzie
May 19th, 2008 10:03pmFraser, I look to you for inspiration and hope, I admire you and see admirable qualities and I am grateful for your refreshing contribution to the maintenance of my sanity: please tell me you are joking and that you don't really think he will survive those two years. Personally he reminded me of John Lennon singing about a wonderful fantasy.
EyeSee
May 19th, 2008 10:18pmHave you heard his one about being a competent Chancellor, that is a rib tickler. All it needs for you to find it hugely amusing, is to be a politician, with your salary and pension secured against the damage this economic terrorist has done to the rest of the country. I'm sure Hitler had his good stories.
chris
May 20th, 2008 1:41amIt reminds me of around 99/2000 before the dotcom bust: People would buy everything online and books would become redundent. Business cycles would be changed forever for the better. People where investing in online companies which consisted of a homepage and nohing else! Suits Brown to a tee with his big tent, grand statements.
jdude
May 20th, 2008 1:56amI don't mean to sound rude nor disrespectful but how does this "Mr. Gordon Brown" have a job?
RW
May 20th, 2008 8:07amI'm not sure which Gordon Brown we are now supposed to admire and respect, the "relaxed, confident and witty" one (BTW I don't accept this analysis for a moment, I'm just quoting Matthew's gushing encomium to his hero) or the nasty primitive vindictive class warrior who, so we're told, personally approved the appallingly ill-judged "toff" election campaign in Crewe and Nantwich.
Brown can't have it both ways. Or perhaps he thinks he can, which suggests an alarming state of mind. Are there any more Gordon Browns waiting in the wings?
Perry
May 20th, 2008 9:55amLet’s consider which of these we supposed to admire . . ? I suppose time we tell. Meanwhile I remember Wislon’s endless mantra of ‘ . . . years of Tory mis-rule . . ‘
Now we have years of sorting out the priceless – in the sense of incalculable - heritage of Mz. Prudence of Noo-Lie-Bore : the behemoth of bonkers borrowing.
Carol Ann
May 20th, 2008 5:30pmI don't get all the fuss I thought it was boring, boring, boring! Maybe it's beacuse he was starting from such a low point.