The problem here is not Lanisha Rolle, but rather Minnis himself and everyone knows it!

Minnis' leadership style and his ability to garner majority public support are open questions, but I think Mrs Rolle made a severe miscalculation with the knee jerk call. Rather than resolving anything she has fanned the flames. She's also achieved the opposite of her objective, she's made "poor" Loretta look like the abused person.

Everywhere in our country we see people dying because someone acted on "passion". It tells me that you don't make the best moves when you respond in that state. I don't know about Mrs Rolle's political future if she continues in this manner

Hubris = Minnis.

Minnis has had 3 years to show leadership. He is utterly incapable of being a leader, and is not the one to carry the FNM into the next election. Minnis at the helm is assuring a PLP victory.

If Minnis had any self-awareness, he would see this and step down and let someone who is capable of leading and has demonstrated proven leadership ability lead the way. It's essential this be someone capable of unifying the party and adhering to the original principles of the FNM.

Hold a proper convention (with ALL the rules and delegates in place) and let the chips fall where they may. I'll support the party, even if I don't like the leader, but until then as a voter I'm disgusted with Minnis's behaviour and his lack of leadership.

Capable of leading....those with any sense know that absolute power corrupts absolutely. A democratic process must exist, but checks and balances, and transparency preventing corruption and tyranny must also exist as part of that process. .

Ahh....I know, it's a dream, isn't it?

The Senator is clearly brown-nosing. You can smell the stench on her nostrils. I wonder what she was promised?

I agree Jack.. a junior senator speaking out like that. She needs to put all that energy into attacking issues in the upper chambers.

http://tribune242.com/users/photos/2016…

LOL

Looks like she killed something, had it gilded and put around her neck. I've seen those yellow bulbous stuff growing in the water, while swimming off the reef near Orange Hill.

Comrade Banker if you ever get sit on edge that 'dock' Izmirlian built, whatever you do -don't dangles your foots in sea waters below cause there are lots those flesh eating yellow things swimming below.

Now that's some funny stuff right there Banker. Really does look like some sea moss or sea flower around her neck. Bobbing for sea weed are we? Hahaha

> 'had it gilded'

a turd, perhaps?

Banker, you got it bad for LBT eh? Get over it. the necklace is nice - Bahamian made, I think, and not the issue here. no more fat shaming and throwing lowness either. if you have an issue with the woman - stick to what she says, does or has done. no place for all of those other diversions. it reflects poorly on you, not her.

I wish she would get a better stylist. Unfortunately in her position, image does matter (*man looketh at the outward appearance*). Her eye makeup is always too harsh, too much black eyeliner, the necklace is nice but it doesn't suit her. Sorry for digressing

I still don't know if she's the leadership material simply because she's "there", natural leaders seem to have the ability to draw people to them and to get things done, like Jeff Lloyd. It's not that everyone who worked for him liked him, he just got the job done with no major hysterics. Loretta on the other hand is fostering dissension, I find that troubling

What better proof do you need than LBT response to hurricane Joaquin????? ................ compare that to PGC/HAM

ThisIsOurs, when was the last time you heard anyone talk about PGC's or Brave's stylists? Or how they wore their suits? Why are women held to a very different standard than men -- especially when it comes to politics?

Loretta isn't fostering anything -- other than trying to help those of her constituency who have been ravaged by Hurricane Joaquin. She has not declared herself as a contender to Minnis. In fact, she is hesitant to put herself and her family through all the hassle and dirty dealings. If her supporters are the ones calling for her to run for leadership, how is she "fostering" anything?

very interesting and sad how these female politicians allow themselves to be used by their parties to cut down other women in the opposing parties- Hanna Martin and now this woman. who is Lanisha Rolle? What has she done for her country outside of the party? What qualifies this obviously inept, socially and intellectually challenged person for a senator post? my guess is absolutely nothing. if someone can set me straight- including Ms. Rolle, please do- I welcome the learning experience.

This is not Henry Taylor's PLP and this is not Cecil Wallace Whitfield's FNM we are dealing with now .................. these are leacherous, conniving slime that are out to destroy this country right under our noses .................... Time to clean house and boycott like Haiti ... if we dont watch out we are heading down the same road as Haiti in the next generation

1.2 million in military equipment. Sheeprunner we are there and cant see it.

It is time that the true FNMs stand up and take back their party from the imposters ........... if that does not happen before May 2016, therewill be NO victory in May 2017.

Comrade "Red Chamber" Senator Lanisha couldn't have been any more crystal clear with her words, when she called into the talk show.
Maybe Loretta and Richard will likewise be crystal clear about Loretta’s leadership intentions and stop with the masquerading?
The reds have a serious leadership problem and more than Senator Lanisha needs put away the popcorn long enough to speak out and stop hiding from the red party's deepening leadership problems – cause all across Bahamaland’s done knows, so stop with the damn cover-up.
Where in the hell was the rules enforcer Montagu MP's voce of red unity when his red party’s chairman calls for snatching away the rights of convention delegates to vote for the reds leadership?
Richard you are done ranked high among the most unelectable red shirts come 2017, so don’t push your luck..
I think there may be a new red leader on the horizon.

http://tribune242.com/users/photos/2016…

>Maybe Loretta and Richard will likewise be crystal clear about Loretta’s leadership intentions and stop with the masquerading?

Naw - dems sneaky cowards.

Somebody above asked that I have it in for LBT. The answer is yes. And you will find out why in the quote above by Tal of all people!!!!!!

You lose a convention and you either get behind the leader or slobber off somewhere. You don't do the backhand sh*t that LBT has been doing since she lost. It goes to character. And that, ladies and gentleman, is why LBT is not fit to be leader, or not fit to be an MP. This country has had enough of that crap. She hasn't got the intestinal fortitude to confront Minnis directly, honestly and publicly.

Minnis een that bad a leader. He is no politician, but we don't need politicians. We need people with sound fiscal business sense, economic sense, common sense and a work ethic. We don't need more politicians.

So Loretta, put down the fork, take off the carcass around your neck, buckle down, and either be a patriot or don't let the door hit yer azz on the way out. Right is right, and you een doing things right.

Having LBT as leader of the FNM is no better than having Crisco-Butt of leader of the PLP or government.

I was right when I said a couple of years ago, that someone with the right ideas of how to save and progress the country, could never get elected here - not even as dog catcher. The electorate is too dumb or ethically challenged. This situation proves it.

FNMs are supposed to be better than the PLP, and LBT een showing it.

I have noticed the constant attacks over the leadership capabilities of Dr Minnis is on the rise. I think we are forgetting that the now ensconced political party had members fighting in the House and embarrassing the country with the late Anna Nicole. We were all incensed back then at the cowardice of the Christie administration.
Yet our short term memory developed Alzheimer or dementia as he is back in power. I would give Mrs. LBT a try but at the moment Dr. Minnis is the person who was chosen. We used to say PM Christie was spineless ( but yet persons voted for him and will do so again if he decides to run like he is threatening to do). So it is unfair to classify Dr Minnis in this same group of invertebrates as we did our PM.
Can Dr Minnis be worst than a leader who called a referendum and spent tens of thousands of dollars to then nullify the results? A leader who is insisting on carnival while some hurricane hit islands are still in recovery? Can he really be worst than a leader who throws the police under the bus, makes numerous empty promises? I can go on and on.
You all are making it seem as though the current leader has raised the bar so high that Dr. Minnis doesn't stand a chance of doing a better job. Not that I am saying there is no good in this current leader. His party has done a lot of good I am sure. After all this current government has perfected the ability to borrow funds so that should count tor something.

yes he can be worse. I think your argument is one of the worse I have heard in awhile. Minnis is not what the country needs. he and Christie and 90 percent of those currently in parliament and the senate need to hold hands and trot off into the sunset. The slate of candidates he chose out the gate doesn't bode well and if anyone thinks he will stand up the the Chinese etc. if given a chance need their head examined. a brief conversation with the man indicates pure acreage between those ears. i had hope in Pintard but I guess he is too close to power to see clearly. sad. . the FNM was better off with Cash as chairman. Pintard should have run for deputy leader.

No one has torpedoed his reputation more than Dr Minnis himself. Unfortunately for him, no one ever wins the argument of I'm awful but they're worse so don't scrutinize at me.

If I were Minnis (and I'm not), and I wanted to redeem myself, I would ensure Duane Sands was always by my side. He may not be popular with the electorate but his responses always seem to be on point and appropriately timed. Whoever is advising Dr Minnis, and that includes Dr Minnis, is making a gigantic mess of the situation.

one last thing- everyone talking as if this is A Minnis vs LBT fight- but is it really? Jjust like Marco Rubio is waiting in the wings for Trump and Cruz to kill each other so too is someone , probably more than one person in the FNM. I am convinced the party will not go into the 2017 election with either one as leader.

I'm beginning to think the FNM, as we know it, is finished and there will be a major split, the current situation seems to have no resolution .

Wow, Lanisha Rolle set all this in motion. I would dump her like a bad penny. I would have done it yesterday I'm not saying the fracture didn't exist, I'm saying she clumsily and deliberately triggered the landslide .

the fact that she is still in place and that Minnis has yet to respond almost a week later. speaks volumes. he needs to step down at the same time.

Greentea - Hopefully that is the case, and the person waiting in the wings proves to be the real deal. That is someone with a loud or flamboyant personality that is just perfect for rallies and verbal comebacks, who says the right things and actually keeps their their word. In keeping with the traditional roster of “qualified” PMs, I suspect this division will only result in more calls for Hubert Ingraham to lead the party and the country once again.

**................. Whatever happened to freedom of speech and just plain truth? .....................**

Lanisha Rolle has nothing to apologize for.

She had something to say and displayed more fortitude than all the jelly-belly MP's including Mike Lightbourn that stood silent and allowed little emperor Ingraham to run the FNM over a cliff.

Telling the truth is a problem for Lightbourn, but bull-schiting and deceiving the electorate is just fine, dandy and acceptable.

People jockeying for position and money have sat silent while watching our country destroyed right before our eyes.

Congratulations Ms. Rolle for standing up for what you believe in. They may not like you but **MUST** respect you!

I don't dispute that she has a right to speak or that was she said was true. I believe everything she said other than the "jealousy" bit, that was a REALLY silly statement to make.

What I seriously question is her judgement that this was a battle worth fighting and the time and arena to fight it in. I find it below the judgement of someone SELECTED as a leader. Her responsibility to me is greater than an elected official because someone actually sat down, examined her and said, she's perfect for this job. And then she pulls this rash stunt

Best to stay out of cat fights when there is so much work for both of them to do to help save this country.

If Dr. Minnis was a smart politician, he would have called a snap convention at the height of his popularity. He missed the proverbial bus. Every day his image is being rapidly diminished. He will be FORCED to call a convention this year, by then even Edison Key could beat him for leadership!

I predict that Loretta Butler Turner will be the next leader of HM Opposition in the House of Assembly and the next Prime Minister of The bahamas after the next general election is called ............ either that, or we might as well kiss this country goodbye ...... I will vote for LBT and Brent ........ and I invite Greg Moss and Bran to get on board with the new movement to bring change to this country and get rid of the PLP and the FNM

I am voting for Minnis. This country is in a crisis. We need someone who know how to get from the bottom. LBT and her main supporters(Lightbourne and Symonette) never experience a hard day in their life.

Deddie I had a hard life too but I can truly say I try my best NOT to romanticize those days. It might make me more empathetic to the poor but I also understand the results of poor choices. Poor though we were, my ma insisted that I go to school and do well- my neighbor would cut school every chance they got. It's only one factor but I can't say I am still struggling like that- but guess where my former neighbor is? Minnis don't even share his up from poverty story right. U know why? He has tried too hard and for too long to forget that part of his life. The man cannot connect to these fellas - the average Joe- I have seen him fail at it. If a hard luck story makes you empathetic to the poor we all need to vote for Greg Moss - now that is a story and he ain't forget.

To be honest .............. the citizens of this country find themselves between a big rock and the deep ocean .............. what choices do we have to elect honest, patriotic, unstained civic leaders to Parliament in 2017?????????

I invite my fellow commentators to suggest at least 50 names with reasons for the nomination.............. but the people usually get the leaders they vote for/support.

The bottom line is that no one is saying anything that can save the Bahamas now. All of this stuff is just distraction.

If Minnis was a policy wonk, he would have elucidated the policies that he is planning to implement. I think that he thinks that a steady hand on the tiller is what is needed. It's not really, but it is the best answer now among the choices.

Perry Christie is hellbent on a legacy that will economically destroy the Bahamas. He knows that everyone considers him a lily-liver, indecisive weakling, so he is going to paint the VAT and NHI turds gold and call them jewels in his crown.

LBT is a spoiled brat and doesn't know that her strings are being pulled by HAI fomenters. The FNM sheeple are too blind to see that, and really are not astute enough to recognise subleties in what is required to put the Bahamas on the right track.

The task of saving the Bahamas requires rectitude, honesty, forebearance and an altruistic drive and ambition to finally root out corruption and evil for once and for all. That means righting history by holding another Commission of Inquiry. It means jailing all of the PLP kleptocrats from whatever era that they were in, and returning all of their ill-gotten gains back to the treasury. It means facing our national identity truthfully and finally setting ourselves free -- freedom from the lies of our history.

It means economic diversification. It means cutting the civil service by over half, and embracing the technology era. It means revamping the social structure. It means child support laws. It means rectifying the inequalities for women. It means ripping up the educational system and starting anew with STEM (Science Tech Engineering Math) training for ALL students. It means getting rid of the Bahamian dialect so that all Bahamians have a chance at using the Queen's English to get ahead in the global village. It means dollarizing the economy so that Bahamian entrepreneurs have access to startup and business capital from abroad. It means having a viable path to citizenship for the stateless among us. It means having an illegal immigration policy supplanted by one that works (it is not an unsolvable problem -- an enlightened approach will work - and Fweddie is at the bottom of the spectrum of enlightenment).

The Augean Stables have to be cleaned and it is a Herculean task. Most of the heavy lifting can be done by economic means -- drastic economic means -- as drastic as VAT or NHI were but with intelligence, not like the ill-thought-out merde of the PLP -- but with positive results for ALL Bahamians. Yet no one in politics currently can see the forest for the trees.

So abandon hope all ye who live here.

Come on Banker ............ no more name calling, start being part of the solution .................. give your suggestions of who you would like to see representing us in Parliament come 2017

I have already stated that none of the candidates of any party can do a complete job. As a business oriented solution, I would vote for Minnis, Symonette if he ran, and most of the FNM. I would kick Edison Key out of the caucus. I would kick out all of the whiners and failed FNMs. I would make it a meritocracy. I would run a slate of candidates with a median age of 38 years old. And I would vote for every untainted newcomer on the ballot. DNA has no solutions, nor does Greg Moss. I would be prejudiced against voting for anyone who is currently a practising lawyer. I would vote for Adrian Gibson, and tech luminaries in our midst like Y**** B****. To cover off the tourism aspect, I would vote for the guy who owns Exuma Adventures (his name escapes me now but he was president of the Association of Tourism Operators). In other words, I would make it a meritocracy, and not a federation of uneasy egos and professional gravy-sucking politician pigs.

I agree with you on all but not about getting rid of the Bahamian Dialect. Please note the various dialects throughout the US, Canada and the UK.... but we as slave descendants have to speak like the queen to 'have a chance' ?! disagree totally.

Being educated and articulate yes. There is no shame in having an accent or dialect, and believing there is, is just another symptom of the colonial mentality. That Colonial mentality is one of the big things preventing us from progressing as a nation.

Progress does not = white-washing our culture or vilifying our language. Next thing we gone have to stop eating Bahamanian food, stop listening to Bahamian music, and stop being Bahamian altogether!

Boy yall really gat it bad. . .Minnis chillin while LBT and her peoples them are pushing for him to walk the plank. . .on his own volition!! LBT all over the place "losing" her cool and playing typical politics while Minnis "battened down" the hatch and just moving forward without a ppeep!! Yall just making a lot of "us" who are not in dat party take a second look at the Doc!! He so cool under fire. . .taking no prisoners and changing things. . .ending PAPA and his crew's power of they party!

Mr. Watson made some statements in the papers this morning that wrapped it up nicely. . ." she don't have a right to be in the Senate. . .she did not earn it. . .she has no sense"! From where I stand. . .it looks like the good Doc "taking they party" over and not letting them "run things" like they own the party!!

Hell. . .I think I like the Doc so far!! Now them LBTites are saying the last convention vote was "rigged" and LBT should have won!! Well muddo sick. . .what a bunch of cry babies.

Yinna LBTites forget one thing. . .we the public give yall election wins. . .not yinna party!!

I SAY LET DR COOL BREEZE DO HIS THING. . .WE LIKE THE FELLA. . .MR SMOOTH AND HE WILL NOT LET ANYBODY RUN THINGS TO THEIR OWN ADVANTAGE!!!

NOW ABOUT THAT CONVENTION. . .I SAY GO HAVE IT DOC COOL BREEZE. . .LET THEM VOTE. . .WE GAT YA BACK!! BE STILL PM HUBERT MINNIS. . .SIR! HE DOES REMIND ME OF LOP. . .**COOL UNDER FIRE**. . .WHILE LBT ALL OVER THE PLACE SLAPPING PEOPLE. . .CUSSING OUT MP IN THE HOUSE. . .TRYING ANYTHING TO GET IN THE PAPERS!!! HANGING OUT WITH DOC COOL'S BIGGEST CRITIC. . .WHICH I THINK IS A CONFLICT OF INTEREST. . .HEHEHEHEHEHEHHEHEHEHEHEHE! THIS GER BE LONG!

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahaha. . .

Aha ... a clear thinker in the crowd.

Really cant see or imagine Doc representing us abroad as PM or running a Cabinet (its just a quagmire of web)................ SMH

Oh. . .and you can imagine a Bahamian PM who lived in the Bahamas all her life speaking "merican"? That fake accent put on by LBT has always been tacky with me. . .I know her from childhood. . .she accent changed after she gone in Parliament or there about. . . pure Yankee she done come! Hehehehehehehehehehehe!

licks2, I've known LBT since childhood too, and her speech is very understandable -- no doubt picked up from years studying in Boston. But in no way, shape or form does she sound "merican, as you put it. You clearly haven't spent much time there! As you may also recall, her parents and grandparents also spoke eloquently, so I'm not entirely sure what your point is.

Most of us who are educated can speak properly when the need arises and can go "bush" just as easily. It doesn't change who we are on the inside nor our message.

Let's not worry about the petty, which seems to be the order of the day lately. Our country faces huge crisis and needs all of us to rebuild.

Comrade Banker is on the right page with his post;: "the bottom line is that no one is saying anything that can save the Bahamaland now".
All of this stuff is just nasty political distractions". - cause the constant fear messages by the opposition parties abd in and by our news media headlines highlighting crimes and "rumours" of corruption and of our nation's deteriorating democracy - has turned so sensational that, that is what will end up more than any other thing -to bring our still beautiful, still best in the world Bahamaland, to her bending bankruptcy knees.
Banker where is the vision of a Pindling? A Pindling who will not be about peddling fear, but hope?

Pindling was not peddling hope. He ultimately was peddling nose candy to Americans. We would have all been better off if Lynden Pindling stayed in Jamaica where he was born.

Father of the Nation!

I believe that many of the reasons provided as to why neither Minnis nor LBT seem ready to lead are valid, but there is no such thing as a perfect leader and we certainly never had one. With this public debacle, the entire party comes across as incapable of leadership. The chairman curiously feeds into circus distractions like the theoretical ramblings and rantings of individuals on Facebook, but issues that matter to the general election and the future of the country, get only the same level of lukewarm responses. Is the FNM hoping to win the election based on the social media antics of PLP allies and appointments? Even in the case of BAMSI, a real issue which they exposed, is not being pursued with the tenacity one would expect from the official opposition. Barack Obama was coached and managed into winning a very uphill battle as the leader of the Democratic party. If the FNM had a coherent message or strategy that they believed in, that should be the focus (as it always should), and a catalyst to help steer the population away from voting based on political personality. They need to get with the times and stop relying on the power of personalities to win.

Great post!

loud and clear kalik

Can anyone show me where LBT has been campaigning for the party leadership after she lost her bid?

Minnie = old boys club and old guard. LBT = new generations. Simple really right? Of course not.

The generation that the candidates represent is not the big issues here. . .BUT WHO ARE THE PERSONS BEHIND THEM. . .therein lies the problem. . .THE OLD BAY STREET BOYS WANT LBT. . .NOW WHY YA THINK THAT IS SO?? THEY KNOW THAT LBT IS A HOTHEADED WEAKER OF THE TWO. . .BUT THEY CAN'T CONTROL DOC COOL BREEZE. . . LBT IS A PUPPET. . .IT SEEMS!!

I find it hard to believe this train of thought: Doc is from Bain Town in the shadow of Dr. HW Brown and Loretta is the grand-daughter of the one-man band who took on the Bay Street Boys since 1937 ........ this is hard to believe that any of them would cow-tow to the old white guard ...... there are more senior PLPs who are financially in bed with the old white guard than Minnis or LBT