At this point it’s a well-oiled bullshit machine https://twitter.com/ITVNewsPolitics/status/1298235883364265986">https://twitter.com/ITVNewsPo...
Fabricate or misreport the initial story, carefully curated to fit some culture war talking point. A day of newspaper "reports", ignoring the explanation, then 2 days of talk radio call-ins and Grimes-outliers joining in. Trending on twitter. Wait for it to reach a crescendo.
Then arrange a photo-op and get Johnson to say "I& #39;ve been told I& #39;m not supposed to say this, but by jove..." Come out with & #39;common sense& #39; response to the false story. Rile up the base, paint him as everyman truthteller against liberal establishment. Easy win after easy win.
In the past a lot of this tactic (pioneered by Johnson when he was a journalist) was aimed at the EU, as a "Euromyth" - bendy bananas, banning barmaids boobs etc. Before that, it was aimed at the "loony left" - BaaBaa White Sheep etc. I guess after Brexit we& #39;ll go back to that.