Running from George Worme's side

I had promised myself to leave that NDC leadership thing alone -- and maybe I will still do eventually after this.

    I must confess there is a huge chunk of me, for largely selfish partisan reasons,  that wants Nazim Burke to become leader.

  I understand the fears of William Joseph, George Worme and company about Naz as leader. But truthfully, I would love having to deal with some "raw meat" for a while to come.

   Additionally, anytime it seems like I would end up on the same side on any issue as George Worme, I begin to get worried.

  And so for that reason, I ain't joining any Naz fight-down.

  (I know it  is self-serving in my regards. But pardon my indulgence just this once.)

  With talk swirling of the majority of the current executive wanting Franka Bernardine to become leader instead -- because of the growing fears of what Willie called the "raw meat" syndrome  -- Burke has obviously, and rightfully, upped his mobilization offensive.

   Jenny Rapier was whipping the women's arm in line to ensure that there is total support for Burke.

  He, in turn, has consulted two public relations people locally to help recreate his image in the lead up to the convention -- one has taken the job; the other said they can't do it because of client conflict.

    That, of course, is natural and fair, for Burke; a man, who in spite of having the majority of delegates -- at least at this stage -- is seeming to have so many questions remaining.

   Those PR consultants will have a hard time -- and good luck to my colleagues on this professional job -- because of Burke's penchant to -- well, to use an American political term -- "mis-speak."

  In defending and promoting his leadership credentials Sunday, Burke said that people outside of the party are opposed to his leadership because they know that he is the only one that will be "tough on NNP."

   Basically what Naz did in that comment is to suggest that Bernardine and Tricks, and whoever else might aspire for leader, can't make the grade because somehow they will be "soft on NNP."

   Was that another Naz classic "throw them under the bus" tactic that Willie complained about? The tactic he used so well against Tillo, re the Sewang affair?

  It is the same line of argument his cronies have used against Joseph -- that somehow because he stands on the other side of Naz's argument -- he is "soft on NNP."

   There is this growing intolerance -- and you hear from his supporters on telephone call-in programmes -- that this is "Naz time now"; and that anybody  thinking of contesting against him  is somehow in some NNP conspiracy.

   But, anyhow, that is the king of paranoia I have come to know so well.

  His sponsors have also been fatally arguing that "outsiders" should not be  "dipping their mouths" in NDC business.

   Which, funnily enough, brings the argument to Willie's point. Winning at convention might be easy, but is winning nationally possible?

   You see, political parties are not boy scout organisations -- and so what happens to all of them is of interest to a wider populace -- even non-members; simply because political parties can become governments.

   It is anybody's guess at this stage if Bernadine will run. (I am betting, maybe wishing really, that she won't).

  But to her eternal credit, in the midst of what Willie called the coordinated "online assassination"against him from inside the party this past week, she came out in defense of his right  to his positions, without imputing any motives to his statements.

   It was indeed a class act.

  And it was in contrast to the coordinated smearing of Willie's good name and character on the two radio programmes that Naz is in control of -- Heartbeat and the Eagle Eye.

    I have had my bruising intellectual battles with Willie through the years -- both as colleague and foe. He can give as good as he gets, but it never was personal nor nasty.

  Willie has a mind of his own. And for me I always joked with him, that he is too right wing to exist  -- but he ain't a bitter man nor a jealous man -- as they have tried to make him out to be.

  I was actually surprised that he joined the party a couple of years ago in the first place -- because we always agreed on one thing through our years of arguments -- we ain't joining no party; don't care who it is.

    Like Franka, Patrick Simmons showed his worth also this past week. He said all the right things about unity and healing.  Tricks is a man with his positions, but never a divisive fella -- not even in the worst days of acrimony.

   The problem the likes of Franka and Tricks face going forward, is that their attitude will not be the dominant one under the Naz NDC  -- unless he somehow gets a conversion of an on-the-road-to-Damascus type.

  Not that I am complaining about that.

  As a non-member who should not have "dipped my mouth" in the first place, I will be cool with the continuation of an attitude that has weakened the NDC. 

  I guess that will now put me and Naz on the same side.

  Well, anything -- once I am not on George Worme's side!