The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

We the people gave Minnis and the then opposition FNM a massive victory in May, 2017. We were allured by the many, now bogus, promises made by them plus we were dead tired of brother Christie. Since being elected it is to be admitted that back-to-back events, the hurricanes and now the ongoing pandemic created grave difficulties for the incoming government. It is how it reacted to and dealt with the effects that has now turned many Bahamians off with the PM and his halting administration.

With scheduled general elections just around the corner, any number of so called polls are popping up like flies out of the woodwork. They have all, so far, polled according to them that Bahamians prefer Dr Minnis over the erstwhile Hon Philip ‘Brave’ Davis, QC (PLP-Cat Island), Leader of the official opposition. The margin is slim and I wonder if these polls are based on scientific data or willy-nilly?

In addition it is not likely that the authors of these so-called polls have spoken to persons residing in the inner city and suburbs of New Providence where the bulk of the unwashed masses live; work and hang out under the trees and in the watering holes. They say that they used the telephone to poll persons. Well tons of Bahamians here in New Providence do not have access to land based telephones so how did the pollsters reach out to them? Did they or their associates actually walk the streets one-on-one?

If they had done the above they would easily have come to the stark conclusions that a large number of potential voters are eager for the PM to call general elections and to get rid of this administration at the earliest opportunity. Minnis did not cause any of the hurricanes nor did he invite the pandemic in. Politics is a brutal business and so with the accolades for the good you have the condemnation and personal blame for the bad.

Fake polling as opposed to reality on the ground is a threat to democracy. There is no way under the Sun that Minnis could out poll “Brave”. The former is now loathed while “Brave” is seen as the Prime Minister in waiting. A seasoned and successful businessman; a distinguished Queen’s Counsel; a man who has compassion; a heart and a soul when compared to the incumbent PM is head and shoulders above him.

I am not a serious betting person, but if I were to bet I would bet that “Brave”, in any scientific and reality based polling would politically slaughter Minnis with one hand tied behind his back. The cry in 2017 was: “Rock with Doc.” We don’t hear much of that drivel any more. Now the cry is: “Throw some political rocks at Doc” My, my what a difference a day makes.

ORTLAND H BODIE Jr

Nassau,

July 25, 2021.