The underdog of politics.
Jeremy Corbyn has always been something of an underdog.He was the underdog in last year's Labour leadership election, yet he defeated the odds with 60% of the vote. He has become an underdog with the press, which predominantly showcases his critics and focuses on his shortcomings without letting his voicebe heard. Heis the underdog even now, with many people believing he is not electable.
They say he is destroying the Labour party by refusing to turn it over to the more centralist/Blairite members, and that his type of politics had its heydey years ago and has no place in today's society.
But this underdog status, this idea thatJeremy Corbyn isn't 'like' other politicians and the fact that the establishment refuses to accept him, is precisely why his followers to like him. Because he isn't just an underdog himself, but he speaks for underdogs all over the country.
Other politicians let us down.
It is easy to underestimate how many people are sick of the establishment. People are tired of the shiny-faced, spin doctor-politiciansand the champaign socialists of the Labour Party. Politicians who appear to have no contact with or interest inordinary people. People are also tired of mainstream media, believing it biased and full of half-baked and ill-formed opinions. So if the politicians people have grown to hate and the very press that they don't trustdislike Corbyn so much that they seem desperate to be shot of him ...then he must be doing something right.
Perhaps it is a hatred of other politicians more than a love forJeremy Corbyn that compels people to vote for him.
What is it about Jeremy Corbyn that his supporters like so much? Rather than focus on his policies, many of which are admittedly controversial, people tend tofocus on Corbyn's personality and treatment of ordinary people.
Why would anybody vote for Jeremy Corbyn?
Many responses focused on how 'real' and 'genuine' Corbyn appears: "He (Jeremy Corbyn)seems like he doesn't know how to pretend or lie at all, which is extremely rare in mainstream politics." Another response explained:"Corbyn's not perfect. Sometimes he says the wrong thing, or doesn't say enough ,or dresses odd.and stutters because when he speaks it's not from a prompt.
But that's his appeal to me."
Some people focused on Jeremy Corbyn in his constituency and what Corbyn has done for regular people. "He supported someone (in Islington) who was applying for British citizenshipand then went to the citizenship ceremony. My MP would never do that." Jeremyalso appears to make quite an impression in person: "he came across as so genuine and actually caring about the people he was talking about that he seemed like a leader who would do Britain well."
For his supporters, JeremyCorbyn is a breath of fresh air. He is real, genuine and principled. He cares about real people, he cares about his principles, and he's not going to change for anything. Like him or loath him politiciansneed a new approach, and perhaps Jeremy can start us off.
