INSIGHT: FNM leader 'never had it and he never will'

By STANLEY CARTWRIGHT

In politics, a party leader is the most powerful official within the organisation. He or she represents the members of that party, its views and ideologies.

A party leader is also the face of that organisation, a point of contact for the media and the general public. They not only represent their supporters locally, but also on the international stage.

A party leader is the physical manifestation of the “best” a party has to offer.

Their leadership crosses party lines, and can be seen throughout the country. They attract both young and old to give of their time, talent, and treasures for the greater good.

This type of leadership is born, not made.

By now you can see where I’m going with this …

Over the past few weeks, we have seen a treasure trove of Letters to the Editor by FNMs, coupled with calls to radio shows, numerous postings on Facebook by party supporters and stalwart councillors alike, who have expressed that Dr Hubert Minnis does not have what it takes to be an effective party leader; a general opinion that many of us have held for years.

The past few months have also revealed that he is not the most powerful official within his party, nor does he seemingly represent the views or opinions of the members of his party. Furthermore, he has done an abysmal job at managing the party’s relationship with the general public, and does very little to inspire party support.

In essence, Minnis has been an ineffectual party leader. But to be fair to him, no one, I would even venture to say not even the man himself, ever believed that he would be where he is today.

Now is not the time to continue to give Minnis a chance at ‘playing’ leader.

He never had it, and he never will.

He has been described by his own colleagues as the worst Minister of Health to ever hold the post. He has eroded the democratic processes of his own party, installing and appointing only those loyal and supportive of him - all to the detriment of the Free National Movement.

His penchant for shooting off press releases when every Tom, Dick, or Harry joins the party, applies for a campaign sticker, or walks past FNM headquarters has turned what could be an effective public relations exercise into a joke. And the less said about his Facebook pages the better.

What all of this points to is the whole question of leadership - or in Minnis’ case, the lack thereof.

This week, we saw yet another blunder when those loyal to him promoted the idea of a non-voting convention. These truly must be the last days. There should be a full convention, and sooner rather than later.

The party should view it as an opportunity to put forward its strongest possible candidates for all posts, and allow the delegates to vote - free of all undue influence or promises. If Minnis and his band of merry men are allowed to subvert the democratic ethos of the FNM, then how are they any better than the PLP?

The informed and observant swing voters are watching to see what happens and, as they did in 2007 and 2012, they will again be the deciding factor on who leads this country.

But the FNM has become a funny creature of late. Many supporters no longer recognise it for the great party that it once was.

It has become the party of excuses - with Minnisites coming up with new ones every other day. For the education of the wider public, let us go through some of the more incredible excuses, one at a time.

You just have to give Dr Minnis a chance.

Well, the man has had three years. How much more time do you need to “figure out” how to be competent? When Loretta Butler-Turner was his deputy, he blamed her for his poor performance but Peter Turnquest has been his deputy for over a year now. What’s the new excuse? If anything, he’s got worse! As mentioned at above, now is not the time for giving Minnis a chance to play leader, the FNM needs to win an election.

All this party infighting isn’t good, the PLP is the only one benefiting from it!

This one is true, but it is all the more reason why Minnis should not be the leader. As another writer recently highlighted, Minnis is actually the PLP’s secret weapon! They want him in the chair as Opposition Leader - nay, they need him there. The PLP’s internal polling shows this. With him in the saddle, they still stand a chance of winning the next general election.

Isn’t it odd that the PLP, with all they can say about Minnis, is never seen to be criticising him in public? There is a reason why: Minnis, by virtue of being himself, is doing their campaigning for them.

The man is that bad. He makes the PLP look competent. And trust me folks, you can take that one to the bank (just not BOB - because, well I digress).

Ya’ll (other FNMs) are the ones making him look bad.

Again, not true. And, by the ya’ll, they usually mean anyone who doesn’t have a slop bucket attached to their face, waiting for the gravy train to pull up. Because nobody’s a fool here. The people supporting Minnis know how bad he is. They know. But there’s something in it for them. Sources close to the party have revealed that Minnis’ inner circle is only pandering to his narcissism to secure their own delicate political futures, but behind closed doors acknowledge his obvious shortcomings. Think about it. Look at the list of characters, and you can figure it out. Deals have been cut, promises made, appointments guaranteed, with the one caveat “please, for the love of all that is Holy, help me stay in this seat!”

These other people just have better PR!

Again, not necessarily true. When you have a hapless candidate, its very hard to turn them into a rockstar. Just ask the guys who previously worked on US Presidential candidate Ben Carson’s campaign. No amount of flimflam oil would make that machine work. The same can be said here.

When the good doctor opted for his jaunt on a local jitney to travel to his office on Bay Street, he proved to us all that he is, in fact, his own worse nightmare. This opprobrium act has been burned into the memories of voters who will not let the FNM forget it!

The humble beginnings of former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham are well-known throughout the length and breath of this country. And never, ever, has Ingraham attempted to parade himself in such an obnoxious fashion to ingratiate himself with voters.

Again, let’s not forget that Dr Minnis is his own worst enemy in this regard. In an attempt to try to overcome this constant battle with, and assault on the English Language, the man actually holds more press conferences with the media. I guess we are truly in a “quagmire of web”.

It’s too late to change him now so we might as well come together and get behind him!

Again, not true. The FNM will not win the next general election if they don’t make a change in its leadership. The idea that the FNM will become the government by default is ignoring the huge demographic of supporters who see Minnis for what he is, and have decided that come hell or high water, they would rather not vote, or vote against the FNM to ensure that Minnis does not become Prime Minister.

The way that it is often characterised is as follows: “if he is this bad, this incompetent as party leader, you can only imagine what will happen if he were Prime Minister. If what he has done to the FNM is any indicator, this country would be ruined.”

It’s The Tribune, The Nassau Guardian, the talk-shows; they are all against Doc!

No one is against the good doctor. The media is calling a spade a spade. It is only those who have something to gain by maintaining the status quo who continue to prop him up. The sooner the party at large accepts this, and moves in unison to correct it, the sooner the public will regain faith in the FNM.

Let us turn our attention now to what transpired this week.

Fresh off a successful birthday fundraiser where she raised over $55,000 for her constituents still suffering from the impact of Hurricane Joaquin, Loretta Butler-Turner was attacked on the airwaves by a junior FNM Senator in her own party, Lanisha Rolle.

Ms Rolle, who is rumoured to be very close to Dr Minnis, thought it was fitting to attack the former deputy leader of her party - the most dynamic FNM MP in the country.

Tongues were wagging throughout the capital when Ms Rolle’s erratic - and very emotional defence - of her leader was played over the airwaves, again, and again, and again. Maybe her attack was a strategic communications move - but if so, it failed. What has resulted is a questioning of Ms Rolle’s competence and whether she should be allowed to remain in her post. Clearly, she is not there to do the people’s bidding.

To Ms Rolle we have a word of advice: “it is better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than speak out and remove all doubt”.

Sit small, Ms Rolle.

Supporting this rebuke of Senator Rolle was Floyd Wilmott, a huge financial backer of the FNM and close ally and friend of former Prime Minister and FNM leader Hubert Ingraham. Mr Wilmott called in to the same radio show to express his outrage with Senator Rolle. Mr Wilmott not only expressed his disgust and alarm at what the Senator said, but also threatened to pull his financial support of the party.

No doubt many FNMs find themselves wondering what in the blue-blazes they will have to endure in this upcoming week. I would venture a guess that Peter Turnquest, the Rick Santorum of Bahamian politics (and that’s being very generous to Mr Turnquest), will entertain us by pounding on his chest, if rumours are to be believed. But as the Russian proverb goes, “appetite comes with eating”. So we await to see what Mr Turnquest does. No doubt he is emboldened by his newfound status in the party, but a word to the wise is sufficient.

The FNM must decide for itself where it would like to see the party go from here. The country is watching, and hoping for this once great institution to provide them with a choice. If none is offered, the public will go elsewhere, and quite possibly remain elsewhere.

2017 is closing in fast, and as the Prime Minister mentioned last week, “he’s running out of time”. The same can be said for the FNM.

Comments

jackbnimble says...

"The idea that the FNM will become the government by default is ignoring the huge demographic of supporters who see Minnis for what he is, and have decided that come hell or high water, they would rather not vote, or vote against the FNM to ensure that Minnis does not become Prime Minister."

How true.

I think this is the biggest fallacy regarding Dr. Minnis' leadership. That he will win by default because the PLP is just that messed up.

By the time the fools following him realise he ain't the anointed one, it will be too late.

I shudder for the FNM!

Posted 25 January 2016, 5:05 p.m. Suggest removal

Publius says...

PLP or FNM. My selection at this stage? None. It is a reality that a selection will be made whether I take part in the selection process or not, but it is also a reality that neither of the options are ones I can vote for in good conscience.

Posted 25 January 2016, 5:37 p.m. Suggest removal

SP says...

1010% agreement PLP and FNM are the worse of the worse, of the worse!

Posted 26 January 2016, 6:44 a.m. Suggest removal

Zakary says...

<ul style="list-style-type:none">
<li><p align="justify" style="border-left:1px solid;color:gray;padding-left:10px;">He has eroded the democratic processes of his own party, installing and appointing only those loyal and supportive of him - all to the detriment of the Free National Movement.
</p></li>
</ul>

<p align="left">It’s amazing how everyone starts talking about democracy all of a sudden. Newspaper so jokey this week. I don’t know where to even begin.</p>

<p align="left">Bottom line is, as much as people itching for the first woman prime minister, Turner isn’t necessarily what one would call a “saint”.</p>

<p align="left">Tribune, don’t you think you showin' your hand a bit too fast?</p>

Posted 25 January 2016, 7:54 p.m. Suggest removal

ThisIsOurs says...

And she's not necessarily the first woman just because she's "there", no one is entitled to be leader, male or female

Posted 25 January 2016, 11:31 p.m. Suggest removal

banker says...

Sit small yerself Cartwright.

Posted 25 January 2016, 7:58 p.m. Suggest removal

Publius says...

Can't, that's not the writer's real name!

Posted 26 January 2016, 12:58 a.m. Suggest removal

killemwitdakno says...

Bites at ankles for real

Posted 25 January 2016, 8:03 p.m. Suggest removal

killemwitdakno says...

Sooo Ms.Rolle isn't married?

Posted 25 January 2016, 8:40 p.m. Suggest removal

Publius says...

The problem with these FNMs is they keep on stating the problem but have yet to tell the country what solution they are going to present to us by way of leadership in their party. They choose their leaders, not us. The Bahamian people at large have no say whatsoever in who a party of delegates chooses to lead them. So if they FNM keeps telling us not to vote for them under Minnis, but is not telling us who they would put in his place and when, then what the FNM is telling the country is not to vote for the FNM - period. The general election is only months away now. The FNM has succeeded in convincing many of us that Opposition is where they love to be. Why these FNMs, who are bellyaching to us, cannot understand that is amazing. But anyway, let's go ahead and get the congratulations for the PLP's re-election going, secured in large part by the biggest traitor to the Bahamian people in recent years - the FNM.

Posted 26 January 2016, 1:05 a.m. Suggest removal

All4One says...

Actually, the problem with ALL of these parties is that they're only intent on pointing out what the problems are, but no one bothers to detail possible practicable solutions. I really despair for our little country.....

Posted 27 January 2016, 12:34 p.m. Suggest removal

SP says...

**FNM hierarchy betrayed Tommy T. & shameless treachery of Minnis is insupportable**

The FNM higher-ups repeated penchant for dishonesty against their own is unsavory and will certainly lead to their demise.

Bahamians cannot be foolish enough to trust these unseen forces that used Minnis to hold the entire party together and are now cannibalizing Dr. Minnis.

Undoubtably "behind the scenes puppet masters" Symonette and Holowesko will also once again betray Bahamians just as they did when little emperor Ingraham was their black faced puppet.

The FNM has consistently publicly denounced Dr. Minnis and those loyal to him. Minnis and his team should leave the FNM and join Greg Moss in creating a formidable party that the PLP and FNM *couldn't possibly beat*.

Face it, we all know the PLP and FNM are an absolutely corrupt crew of pirates with a handful of people stealing our country blind and destroying our people no matter which side is power.

With Minnis and his crew joining Greg Moss and running on an anti-corruption ticket, they would ***easily*** win the next election by a landslide finally giving us a chance to root out corruption and deal with 4 decades of intrenched political systemic piracy that has destroyed our people and country.

***We are dam sick and dam tired of the PLP and FNM friends, family and lovers fraternity!***

Posted 26 January 2016, 6:31 a.m. Suggest removal

Publius says...

Clearly you don't know the inner workings of that party. Minnis himself was part of the grouping that helped to remove Tommy when he was leader, and all in the know are aware of Minnis' actions with respect to the 2012 general election. Whatever he believes he is getting now he should recognize as simply reaping what he has sowed.

Posted 26 January 2016, 9:38 p.m. Suggest removal

butlers says...

STANLEY CARTWRIGHT, While I can't agree with ALL you write I, as a founding member of the FNM thank you for writing with such passion. One thing I have learned these past few months is that we have a great many intelligent and concerned Bahamians that actually understand what our future should be and can be. Politicians are who they are, but I think we need to look at each as to the real reason they enter politics. Keep up the good work.
JBB

Posted 10 February 2016, 10:51 a.m. Suggest removal

Log in to comment