When Will Elections be Called

Deciding when to call an election is sort of like gauging flood water. It rains a little heavy, but the river looks OK. You go to bed, but when you wake up it's because the house is moving. It was too late for the house when you went to bed, you just didn't know it.
Portia is one of the biggest crowd draws this country has ever seen. She came in with a massive approval rating in 2006 and it slipped through her fingers in a matter of months. The teacher was begging her to call it in mid-2015.
Andrew came in with good intentions, but circumstances didn't cooperate. Things are progressing slowly, but crime is still high, growth is low, and corruption is rampant. Right now he can blame the opposition's 22 years in power, and the people will probably agree too, but for how long?
Petrojam, 5 in 4 is dead, people still locking their doors. Tight. How many more bad surprises can he push aside? BTW with the way things are leaking, he might be forced to dodge another (possibly bigger) corruption missile before he can take action.
When does it start to become Andrew's fault? When does it become too late to escape the river? He can't afford for that point to come late in his current term. After working out his soul case to get here, why would he risk it all like that? I don't believe it for one second.
He feels that somewhere in a second term, eventually people will start to feel the benefits of the current (slow) progress. Worse, if they lose, the opposition will get the credit! Ha!
Sounds like he is already beating the drums for next year.
-RG

In response to:
The fickle nature of politics

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Barbados Election and the Change Vote

The English speaking Caribbean is very similar culturally and politically among its member states. So when the old "politicos" see a country throw out one entire side of parliament (and the incumbents at that) they start looking around to see which country is next. The current opposition in Jamaica has formed government for so many years over the last generation that the JLP is still basically the opposition here. Notice how Andrew painted them as such in his recent speech, talking about their 22 years in power. If I was one of the experienced election watchers at Old Hope Road, I wouldn't be too happy to see the apple cart turned over in that violent fashion so close to home. -RG In response to: Attorney elected new leader of Barbados opposition party
Read more

Corruption and Growth

5 in 4 is dead. Crime and corrupyion robbing 'Prince Anju' of 3% to 5% growth every year. He knows he can't afford to lose that much longer if he wants another term. Somebody is going to jail. But who? Imagine the shock when they go to Anju to ask for protection and realize he will choose a second term over them in one second flat. Every time. -RG In respponse to: Brazil's Lula negotiating surrender — ally
Read more

Chinese Infrastructure Funding

We don't have any talk in that particular deal. The Chinese put up over $700 million in hard currency and we gave them less than $50 mil worth of land. The question is not this deal. The question is when they come to collect for all that they have given us, what will the price be? These are eastern cultures you're dealing with, they are very patient and think long term. By the time they come for the things, it will be to take what's theirs, not to ask for permission. -RG In response to: Thursday, May 11, 2017
Read more