Can Branville McCartney succeed where Dr. Bernard J. Nottage failed?

As Third Parties Enter
The Bahama Journal Editorial

Third parties are today all the rage.



Some who now yearn to jump ship from this or that small third party’s helm are apparently concerned far more with burnishing their egos rather than with even trying to deal with the real issues that now face the Bahamian people.

Even now – we wait to hear, see and understand what difference any of these can reasonably make in the time left before general elections must be called.

No matter what some self-styled leaders might or might not do – when the rubber hits the road, the Bahamian people will have the last word.

While we do not expect it – we will not be particularly bent out of shape were some who now vie under this or that label that is neither PLP or FNM to do better than even they might now imagine.

Only time will tell if – this time around – they do better than all others that have ever sought to make a dent in a status quo that respects and reflects the joint-hegemony or rule of the Progressive Liberal Party and their nemeses in the Free National Movement.

These parties are today as they have always been: entities that bear all the markings of brothers in arms bent on running things in a place that is probably too small for both – and so they fight as they have been fighting for the past very many years.

That fight now pits two of Sir Lynden’s and Sir Cecil’s men against each other; wit their struggles mediated and oiled by money.

This is the backdrop against which the smaller and so-called "third parties must vie.

Interestingly enough, some of these efforts have been – from the get-go- little more than artfully constructed machinery designed to dupe gullible media.

In recent times, there has been one party that – at one time – seemed to be on track for making a difference that could have been decisive.

We refer to Dr. Bernard J. Nottage and his idea-rich Coalition for Democratic Reform.

As the record shows, the CDR’s leader was decisively beaten when he dared try and go up against this nation’s two largest and richest and best organized political machines.

When Dr. Nottage sought to lead the Progressive Liberal Party [from the inside, so to speak] he was again trounced.

In recent times, as Branville McCartney has tried to do what he thinks he must, the thought has apparently taken hold of him that he can succeed where Dr. Nottage failed.

As in the case of all others who are looking, we shall see what will become of this man’s dreams of greatness in a Bahamas where money talks and in which Big Money speaks really big.

In contradistinction to Dr. Nottage and his CDR, most of today’s so-called Third Party efforts seem to be built on little more than press releases, promises and artful grand-standing.

This stuff always borders on the farcical, particularly when some of those who would lead throw good money and bad to the winds.

Here media matters; and for sure, when media personnel starved for copy are prepared to ‘big up’ practically everybody who turns up wearing the legend that, they are leading this or that "party".

That we live in a media-saturated culture is self-evident. This is now so pervasive that there are now people who just love to see their names in print; and who know that the press will report their every word once they say that they are leading a party.

Making matters even worse has to do with the fact that practically every man and his uncle now have access to media that could broadcast their views to the world.

Whether these views are coherent or not, practically everyone can feast off some of that ego boost that comes with being known.

If they are agreed on anything, practically every man and every woman who would lead this or that so-called Third Party, is agreed that old folks should cede power to men and women who are either young or younger.

In more than one celebrated case of this ilk, there are men and women who have grown old waiting for their chance to take hold of the reins of power.

And then, there are some other men and women who have an appetite to be seen and heard and thought of as having something of the "visionary" sort to say about where this country of ours should be headed.

While some of these efforts are ‘slick’ enough in appearance, we fear that they will rise no higher than a proverbial lead balloon.

Time will tell and the Bahamian people will be heard.

May 11th, 2011

The Bahama Journal Editorial

Bahamas Blog International