‘Boris is a very tough, very resilient person. … I’m sure he’ll come through this.’ That was David Cameron on the Prime Minister.
‘I’m confident that he’ll pull through because if theres one thing I know, he’s a fighter.’ That was Dominic Raab.
I’m quoting those two simply because they’re the most prominent examples, but there are lots of other people who have spoken of Boris Johnson in similar terms in the last day or so.
Those words are well-meant. Both men sincerely wish Johnson the very best, and are speaking as a sign of support and in Cameron’s case, real personal affection. Likewise all the others who have talked about Johnson as ‘tough’, ‘strong’, a ‘fighter’, the sort of person whose personal character will help him ‘beat’ coronavirus.
This sort of language is natural and well-intentioned. At times like this, we all want to look on the bright side, to put the emphasis on the positive possibilities.
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