The late U.S. speaker of the house “Tip O’Neill” came up with a catchy phrase “All politics is local.”
This phrase encapsulates the way in which a politician may find success while running for office.
The phrase argues that a politician’s triumph is directly connected to his/her capacity to comprehend and influence the concerns of his/her constituents.
While this is a remarkable talent, I argue that this is not necessary for the Bahamian politician.
Politics in The Bahamas is not local at all; rather one can compare Bahamian politics to an NBA or NFL championship game.
The electorate wears the color of their favorite team, cheering and jumping around as each political point is scored.
The rhetoric of previous promises ignored, as politicians are able to rally their supporters by music and catchy phrases, providing the feeling of a bar room game night. Bahamians this must stop!
We must allow politicians to run on their records. How can we allow an incumbent to fill the airways with promises and after five years jump and cheer to the same rhetoric?
Or how can we allow a new politician to arise asking for our vote, just because he/she holds a LLB, PhD or some other professional status, without possessing a record of service?
One may ask what services are out there.
My answer to this is simple; Local Government, boy or girl scouts, youth ministry, etc. Is there a voice out there that can respond to a politician who after 10 years in office, still mock us by saying, “My people love me!”
Yes we love you, but what have you done for us lately? Bahamian politicians have an uncanny ability to instill amnesia on us by a visitation, a T-shirt, and a rally, while asking us for a second term: THIS MUST STOP!
Bahamians, search deep in your heart and remember; remember when you called your politician and was ignored.
Remember the promises of new stadiums and highway name changes that were never accomplished.
Remember the promises to return your calls or visitation dates that you never received. Remember Bahamians, remember!
In five years they will be back with the same trickery, making the same promises and it’s up to us to remind them with this catchy phrase, “WHAT HAVE YOU DONE FOR ME LATELY?”
OW
