Ronn Torossian |
Johnson is riding high. He came out passionate about the Brexit because he’s passionate about England. He wants his nation to thrive, so it’s tough to fault him for his position. He may not look like a cover model, but he plays the part of the statesman exceptionally well. Disheveled, sure, but he’s every bit the dedicated political figure at the tip of the spear that cut through Britain’s ties to the continent.
Johnson’s so popular he can give a speech about the future of Britain and never once mention a desire to move into the Prime Minister’s residence on Downing Street, even though everyone who heard the speech walked away assuming he’s the next PM. That’s strong PR right there. He’s writing his ticket with someone else’s pen, in someone else’s handwriting, while everyone else is reading and nodding their assent.
It was current PM David Cameron who announced the timeline for Johnson’s ultimate coronation. Cameron said a new PM should be chosen before October, the month in which Cameron plans to step down. All Johnson needs to do through the rest of the summer is shore up his support and continue to push for the reforms he’s already won for his party and his cause. That alone should help him sail into the top spot on his part and his political machine.
Will there be challengers? Quite likely, but Johnson just won his biggest — and the biggest — political fight happening between now and then. Voters, especially politicians, like a winner, and there just isn’t sufficient time for any other name to create such a tall hill to stand upon. The position is Johnson’s to lose.
And he could lose it if he implodes or goes somehow off the deep end. There may not be much happening between now and October, but there’s plenty of time to bungle this and that. Not that Johnson will. Again, he doesn’t have to do much. He just needs to maintain the public relations wave he has rolling now and manage to stay atop the board.
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Ronn Torossian is CEO of 5WPR.
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