{"id":49839,"date":"2014-02-25T10:26:29","date_gmt":"2014-02-25T15:26:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.bahamasb2b.com\/news\/target\/why-christie-and-minnis-fear-loretta-butler-turner"},"modified":"2014-02-25T10:33:21","modified_gmt":"2014-02-25T15:33:21","slug":"why-christie-and-minnis-fear-loretta-butler-turner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bahamasb2b.com\/news\/2014\/02\/why-christie-and-minnis-fear-loretta-butler-turner","title":{"rendered":"Why Christie and Minnis Fear Loretta Butler Turner"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Loretta
Loretta Butler-Turner<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

There is a political saying that if you see a turtle balanced atop a fencepost, it didn\u2019t get there by itself.\u00a0\u00a0One moral\u00a0of the axiom is that if one views something in politics that seems untoward, there\u2019s a high probability that it has\u00a0been manufactured to benefit certain interests.<\/p>\n

Dr. Duane Sands understands the axiom, especially after indicating last week that he was considering running for\u00a0Leader of the FNM.<\/p>\n

Within hours of his indication, the highly capable and viable contender for the leadership was derided in the print\u00a0media, on Facebook and elsewhere online, a likely a coordinated attack by someone given to such tactics.<\/p>\n

The good doctor, among the best medical minds in the country, should not be deterred by those less gifted and less\u00a0accomplished.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, watch during the course of 2014 for a confluence of contrivances, often by strange political\u00a0bedfellows, to derail the upward political trajectory of Long Island MP Loretta Butler Turner.<\/p>\n

In the public imagination and reportedly in a variety of private polls Butler Turner appears to be leading Prime\u00a0Minister Perry Christie and Opposition Leader Dr. Hubert Minnis on various markers of leadership.\u00a0\u00a0Butler Turner\u00a0is increasingly viewed as a better leader than the aforementioned, one of whom is weak and the other inept.<\/p>\n

More dramatically, Butler Turner has passed a threshold which no other Bahamian woman has attained in the\u00a0nation\u2019s history:\u00a0\u00a0She is seen as a viable prime minister by a large and growing number of Bahamians.<\/p>\n

Christie passed this threshold some time ago, though many, likely a majority, now view him as too incapable and\u00a0incompetent to serve as head of government.\u00a0\u00a0Dr. Minnis has not passed this threshold.\u00a0\u00a0It is highly unlikely that he\u00a0ever will.<\/p>\n

APPEAL<\/strong><\/p>\n

Christie and Minnis fear Butler Turner for a number of reasons.\u00a0\u00a0They realize and perhaps envy her political appeal.\u00a0\u00a0She appeals not only to FNMs, including many disaffected with the party.\u00a0\u00a0She also appeals to nonaligned voters,\u00a0many who voted for the DNA \u2013 and more PLPs than Dr. Minnis can ever attract and more PLPs than the PLP\u00a0would like to lose.<\/p>\n

That she is the granddaughter of Sir Milo Butler has its own appeal for those who revere the late Father of the\u00a0Nation.\u00a0\u00a0Yet Butler Turner has her own appeal as a highly intelligent, articulate and savvy politician who represents\u00a0a new generation of Bahamians.<\/p>\n

The late P. Anthony White often remarked that Butler Turner possesses her grandfather\u2019s courage.\u00a0\u00a0That courage\u00a0and the fact that she doesn\u2019t fear her political opponents must also give pause to Christie and Minnis.<\/p>\n

Butler Turner\u2019s appeal was obvious to those who heard or read a recent address she gave to a group of Toastmasters\u00a0during which she offered a compelling insight of her vision of leadership:<\/p>\n

\u201cEffective leadership is not defined by age or race or gender or class or social background.\u00a0\u00a0Effective leadership is\u00a0determined by the imagination, a combination of gifts, experience, willpower and the ability to see beyond limited\u00a0horizons, beyond limited mindsets, beyond tunnel-visions limited by blinders and prejudicial thinking.\u201d<\/p>\n

Butler Turner went on to mention Joan of Arc:<\/p>\n

\u201cShe was a brilliant military strategist and a woman of enormous courage, helping the French to win a string of\u00a0unexpected victories against their English foes late in the Hundred Years War in Europe.<\/p>\n

\u201cCombining her imagination and considerable military gifts, Joan often rejected the timidity and the cautious\u00a0strategy that characterized the leadership of many of the officers around her.\u201d<\/p>\n

Butler Turner went on to say:<\/p>\n

\u201cPlease permit me this gentle humor.\u00a0\u00a0I imagine that after she started winning battles, that many of those around her\u00a0became less interested in her hairstyle, the clothes she wore and other incidentals, and more interested in her\u00a0thoughtfulness as a strategist and as a leader.\u201d<\/p>\n

INTRIGUING<\/strong><\/p>\n

The address was intriguing for a number of reasons.\u00a0\u00a0Foremost, the speech was nonpartisan.\u00a0\u00a0In a rare occurrence it\u00a0was published in full in a daily, in the\u00a0Insight\u00a0section of\u00a0The Tribune.\u00a0\u00a0Further, the address attracted considerable\u00a0public interest and was reportedly read by quite a number of people.<\/p>\n

Butler Turner\u2019s appeal is in direct contrast to a floundering Christie administration, which is one of the reasons that\u00a0the PLP fears her.<\/p>\n

The bloom that was the yellow rose of the PLP\u2019s May 2012 electoral victory quickly fell away, a near perfect image\u00a0cum metaphor of what the party promised, a rose, and what it delivered, an empty stem with thorns poised to do\u00a0potential harm.<\/p>\n

Recall, the PLP failed to win a majority of the popular vote largely because of the party\u2019s abysmal performance in\u00a0office from 2002 to 2007 and widespread lack of faith in the leadership of Perry Christie.<\/p>\n

Back in office, Christie and the PLP did not disappoint in terms of the low expectations of most voters.\u00a0\u00a0Sadly,\u00a0almost two years in office and the PLP has been dramatically worse than expected, with even many who voted for\u00a0the party stupefied that Christie is worse than before.<\/p>\n

He presides over a staggering litany of failure and a slew of out-of-control ministers.\u00a0\u00a0He has grown imperious.\u00a0\u00a0He\u00a0is increasingly out-of-touch.\u00a0\u00a0He appears delusional on many fronts.<\/p>\n

One of Christie\u2019s delusions is that one of his overriding challenges is that of public relations.\u00a0\u00a0A good\u00a0communications program is essential for any government.\u00a0\u00a0But Christie\u2019s greater challenge is not one of\u00a0communications.\u00a0\u00a0His core problem is one of failed leadership and poor governance, which no amount of public\u00a0relations can fix.<\/p>\n

Still, the PLP is engaged in an ongoing public relations program to confuse and bamboozle voters, much as it did in\u00a0its election campaign, offering fluff and bluster over substance.<\/p>\n

This is on dramatic display with the PLP\u2019s continued efforts to dress up the outcome of the negotiations with Cable\u00a0& Wireless (CW) on BTC as a grand success and the fulfilment of a promise, neither of which is the case.<\/p>\n

GAMBIT<\/strong><\/p>\n

In yet another public relations gambit there has been a call for a select committee of the House of Assembly to\u00a0review the agreement with C&W for the purchase of a majority stake in BTC.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0If there is the need for such a\u00a0committee, it might be called to review privatization efforts at BTC in general.\u00a0\u00a0Remember Bluewater?<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, amidst disastrous press and plunging ratings Christie is desperately attempting to revive his public\u00a0standing.\u00a0\u00a0There was the ill-conceived Christmas with the Christies, which failed on a number of levels.<\/p>\n

A ZNS reporter not much seen on the TV evening broadcast after the 2012 general election, suddenly, curiously,\u00a0now seems to be near exclusively detailed to report on the prime minister.\u00a0\u00a0There are other reports of the PLP\u2019s\u00a0media relations strategy.<\/p>\n

In the end, Christie\u2019s political fortunes will be determined more by policy and programmatic accomplishments than\u00a0by public relations.<\/p>\n

Yet, there are two powerful trump cards that he holds and that are critical to his political survival: The\u00a0approximately 1,600 Stalwart Councillors (SC) of the PLP, and Dr. Hubert Minnis.<\/p>\n

Having stacked the PLP with SCs loyal to him, Christie is virtually unbeatable at a PLP convention.\u00a0\u00a0In the FNM\u00a0the equivalent of a SC is a Meritorious Council Member (MCM), of which there are approximately 60 in the party.\u00a0\u00a0In the PLP there are approximately 200 SCs in Bimini alone.<\/p>\n

When Sir Lynden Pindling demitted office as PLP Leader there were between 100 to 150 SCs.<\/p>\n

The last time Dr. B.J. Nottage challenged Christie for the party leadership the former appeared to win the votes of\u00a0the regular branch delegates.\u00a0\u00a0Christie demolished him with the votes of the SCs.<\/p>\n

Russian President Vladimir Putin might marvel at how Christie has so structured the PLP in order to remain as\u00a0leader.\u00a0\u00a0If Christie wants to stay on as PLP Leader he can likely do so for as long as he desires.<\/p>\n

With the SCs trump card in his back pocket, Christie has other potential plays in his playbook and another trump\u00a0card.<\/p>\n

One of the manoeuvres is the supposed bogeyman of Hubert Ingraham returning as FNM Leader.\u00a0\u00a0Christie uses this\u00a0to great effect to rally the PLP base while providing a supposed rationale for his remaining as party leader.<\/p>\n

His second trump card is the ever bumbling and incapable Dr. Minnis, whom Christie must thank his lucky stars, is\u00a0Opposition Leader.<\/p>\n

Christie\u2019s calculation is clear and plausible:\u00a0\u00a0With Dr. Minnis as FNM Leader and with Branville McCartney\u00a0leading the DNA into another election, he [Christie] can lead the PLP to another victory, tying Ingraham in terms of\u00a0electoral wins.<\/p>\n

As it is likely that Dr. Minnis would lead the FNM to another defeat, one of the only people with the tenacity and\u00a0the appeal to upend Christie\u2019s bid for a third term is the MP for Long Island, more of which next week.<\/p>\n

By:\u00a0 Simon<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Watch during the course of 2014 for a confluence of contrivances, often by strange political bedfellows, to derail the upward political trajectory of Long Island MP Loretta Butler Turner.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":50,"featured_media":24096,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"facebook_10223285771444175_51037792744":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[93,74,142,60,168],"class_list":["post-49839","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-opinions","tag-corruption","tag-fnm","tag-incompetence","tag-plp","tag-politics-2"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bahamasb2b.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49839","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bahamasb2b.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bahamasb2b.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bahamasb2b.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/50"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bahamasb2b.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=49839"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.bahamasb2b.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49839\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bahamasb2b.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/24096"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bahamasb2b.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=49839"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bahamasb2b.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=49839"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bahamasb2b.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=49839"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}