Wishy-washy Bran, who confuses politics with public relations, has resigned from the FNM, betraying the constituents who elected him.
No surprise. McCartney has been hinting at such a move for more than a month. He has refused to attend FNM meetings and rallies and has made a number of cryptic public remarks indicating a lack of loyalty, sincerity and decisiveness.
Bran McCartney thinks he is so slick. He doesn’t realize that resigning from the FNM is betraying the very people who elected him on the FNM platform.
If the people of Bamboo Town wanted an independent candidate, or a PLP candidate, they would have voted for that in the last election.
McCartney, who apparently thinks politics is all about posturing and public relations, may have shot himself in the foot with this latest stunt.
Bahamians are not as stupid as he thinks. McCartney, following in the footsteps of his indecisive mentor Perry Christie, thinks he can simply “go with the flow”, remaining on the fence until he sees which way the wind blows.
But Bahamians are tired of that. They have matured politically and are looking for leaders who can decisively commit to, and execute, a plan.
Thinking that 10,000 people would descend upon Bay Street for a demonstration against the sale of BTC to CWC, McCartney carefully waited until just the right moment to announce his resignation from the FNM. He figured that reports of his resignation would appear in the same newspaper as reports of the mass turnout of demonstrators, so he postured to resign in a way that would make him look like the hero who blocked the sale.
This time, Bran may have gotten the wind direction wrong.
The paltry turnout of demonstrators vindicated Mr Ingraham and spoiled Mr McCartney’s public relations scheme.
McCartney has also hinted that he may be heading an independent third party. However, savvy political analysts say that a third party, starting only months before a general election, has virtually no chance of being a real force in Bahamian politics.
