Who's laughing now?

"If Grillo wants to talk politics, then he should start his own party, present himself to the elections and lets see how many votes he gets! After all why shouldn't he." That was a then secretary for the Democratic Party, Piero Fassino who, after blocking any attempt for Grillo to run as a candidate for party leader, taunted the comedian to stand up and be counted. (2009) 

Communist, racist, idiot. (Nouns) "I see a dictatorship."(Observation) "He just grunts" (impolite) "I see a whore going man with a tiny penis" (Artistic license to insult).* 

And yet over the last seven years, they've said a lot worse about the man The Economist has epitomised as one of the two clowns of Italian politics; the other of course is, Silvio. But why should the The Economist change the habit of a lifetime? Little are The Economist to realise, that's not the way into Italian hearts. 

"The web doesn't exist" (Living in a cave syndrome) "He reminds me of a fascist, no, more like a Nazi, he has the verbal violence of Goebels. A fascist-communist" (history confounding rhetoric) "He's struggling" (Opinion polls count for nothing) "Il Duce Beppe"* (they really love their fascism)  The list goes on, and on. 

Grillo, just kept going. His insults back to the political class were, of equal weight you could say. "Psycho-dwarf", "a 74 year old with no prostate", "He's been in liquid Nitrogen for 10 years" (Berlusconi). "A walking zombie", "The nearly dead", "He's not a fascist just someone who has no balls" (Bersani). "Problems living with her real life partner is probably something she's never had to worry about" (Rosy Bindi). "The Princess on the penis" (Elsa Fornero). You name a politician, Grillo has probably insulted them. 

The political class just sat there. They didn't, couldn't take the Clown seriously. His first party election, 8% of the vote in Emilia Romagna, a centre-left stronghold. His second one was in Piedmont, 4%. A movement born only a year before hand, and still, "Grillini, cockroaches with rare faeces". (Right wing journalism) 

The movement went to Parma, Pizzarotti, an ex IT engineer would win mayorship and with it a public administration debt crisis. There were those who doubted the young mayor could really do anything; after all, he's just an IT engineer. They of course would be tested on their comments. 

Sicily was next. There i Grillini would go onto become the third party of the island, a right wing stronghold. In return, the new assessors would each "give back €8000 of our wages so that we can use it as a microcredit to small businesses that need to start up and survive". 

And still, "the clown that laughs, instead he should be crying" & "Grillo is losing consensus". Well, not quite... 

"We're prepared to talk, let's hear what he has to say" (PD leader Bersani) "It's our obligation to now talk to Grillo" (Sel Leader Vendola) "For the good of the nation we need to talk to Grillo" (Bersani... again)

Elections it seems change things. Berlusconi looks like he did well, he lost over 8 million votes from the previous election result. Bersani and the democratic party actually lost 4 million. Grillo, the troublemaker, the clown, from 0 won the over 8 million votes, they are the most popular party in Italy.  

They now all want to be his friend; not bad for a "crazy, communist, fascist, racist, dictator, violent, faecal cockroach". 

Grillo reminds me of the saying, "He who laughs last, laughs longest". 

Gino De Blasio

*(Courtesy of the brilliant Marco Travaglio for piecing together this re-assumption of character)