Submitted by Stephen Williams
According to the latest Cadres Poll, Freundel is out front. Wow!!! With that said, the DEMS must, therefore, press home the advantage as a result of our favourable showing.
However, I am somewhat sceptical about Wickham’s findings, that despite the fact that Freundel is ahead of Arthur, the DLP is still marginally trailing the Bees. I wonder if it is a case of who pays the piper, calls the tune! We all know the obvious bias of the Nation Group of companies. But, however you analyse the poll, it’s a body-blow for the Bees.
I am no political scientist, but I believe I have more than a modicum of common sense. It stands to reason, and rightly so, that if Freundel has surged ahead (in my humble opinion, he was ahead for some time) he would consequently bring along the DLP.
So, it must have been heart-wrenching for the Nation and the know-it-all Wickham, the avowed nemeses of the Prime Minister, to admit that Freundel Stuart is ahead of ‘Owing Arthur’ in their latest poll. Only last month, they were arguing it will be a landslide for their side. This must be a bitter pill for them to swallow.
The DLP cannot be attracting MASSIVE crowds at every turn, and still be trailing. Look at the West Terrace meeting. The struggling Bees said we had only 4,000 last Friday night. Well, if that is how they estimated it, from here on in, we will be attracting as much as 20, 000 at all of our remaining mass meetings. Lord have mercy!!! Can you imagine the PEOPLE? As they say, it would be like Federation. You do the math – which venue will hold the people?
For some time, and I see it day after day, night after night, the people of Barbados have been warming to Freundel; not only Dear Loving People, but a cross section of Barbadians – even reasonable Bees. And, do you know why? He is DECENT. They don’t have any dirt on him. No scandals, no cussing, no infelicities – just a calm, cool, steady and astute leader.
We have constantly reminded the public what Harold Wilson said decades ago in Britain (1964) ‘a week is a long time in politics’. Remember, the Bees were beating their hollow chests a few months ago. So, we have to stay the course, and be on the attack. The BLP will not take these poll results ‘lying-down’. Those guys will go on the offensive and will be ultra-aggressive. Lies, accusations and dirt will rain down on us, as only the Bees can dish out.
I guess the last poll was done more than a week or so ago – because I detected a more sober-sided and restrained Wickham, while he hosted Brass Tacks recently – and I suspected his findings weren’t very self-satisfying. If the poll were done between last Wednesday and Friday, we would have gone clear. But, you know what! My reading of the mood of the people is: WE HAVE GONE CLEAR. IT’S NOW A SPRINT TO THE FINISH
So, as the momentum grows, we have to be vigilant. Stick to our message, and attack them and counter-attack them without offending the sensibilities of voters. We have to be like the proverbial Boy Scout – Be Prepared! Remember, to be forewarned is to be fore-armed.
With God’s help, we won’t be the ones seeing red come Thursday night. COME OUT AND VOTE, AND URGE EVERBODY YOU ENCOUNTER TO DO LIKEWISE – VOTE DEMS, VOTE DEMS ALL DAY.
Now, as far as ‘Owing’ Arthur is concerned, we have to go after him as a failed leader. Since the BLP has been promoting leadership as an issue, we must continue to dissect Arthur’s leadership, his mismanagement and his abuse of power when he was at the helm.
There are countless instances of his autocratic and ruthless style and his impetuous temper that left scores of Barbadians not only scared stiff of him but also offended, hurt and devastated. Too many persons were paralysed with fear of OSA, to the extent they became immobilised. We have passed that point; we cannot go back to arrogance and oppression. Those days are behind us. WE WON’T GO BACK.
It’s senseless returning to warm-over, greasy soup. The old people always tell you such a diet isn’t good for your stomach; it gives you Montezuma’s Revenge – aka diarrhoea – ask the wind-up doll, Muscle Mary.
Leave a Reply to Gabriel TackleCancel reply