Jamaica General Election August 3rd 2020

I have been predicting a JLP win for some time now but I did not know just how much they would win by. I also tried to explain to people that PNP is running a very poor campaign and doing a terrible job as opposition. The PNP have brought nothing new to the table and if the PNP had any plan then they did not communicate that plan to the Jamaican people either out of arrogance or ignorance.

The JLP have a Superior Public Relation machine and have been dominating the narratives for some time now. The PNP was too arrogant to respect that superior Public Relation machine and because they were too arrogant, they failed to counter it. The JLP could say anything about themselves and about the PNP who would ignore it as idle chatter, failing to see how it was resonating with the people. In the end the JLP Dominance in Public Relations and their ability to dominate the Narratives translated to JLP domination at the Polls.

The PNP now needs to answer the question of leadership first and then rebuild and redesign that party from the ground up using 21st century imagination and innovation. The party needs to reengage with the masses with a solid ideology and a vision for the future. The PNP is a party that have lost its identity, now disconnected from the grassroots and as a result they were slaughtered at the polls. The PNP took the people for granted and the people delegated them to a minor role. You cannot claim to be connected to the people and not realize that this was happening. 

What occurred was savage where safe seats were no longer safe and old timers swept aside by youngsters who look like they were born in the 90's. The last time the PNP got beaten this bad and worse than this, was 1980 when they only got 8 seats, so this too shall pass like everything else but the PNP have some work to do. 

I agree that most of the older members of the political class must start questioning their position and roll at this point, your time has come to an end and as a nation we have little to show for it.

But I am afraid you have created youths who are worse than the parents. For the older generation, this is not our world now, we are just along for the ride, best to find a nice mango tree to sit under, eat a sweet mango and enjoy the cool breeze. It is time for the youth to decide their own future.

NOT that I have any faith in youth because I do not. I do NOT see youth as the holy grail of politics and in fact I fear the youths callous disregard for human life, morals, values and decency. I find today's youth to be selfish and self-centered, full of self-importance with a over developed sense of entitlement.

I hear a lot of young people talking about change without defining this change. They themselves have no idea what form this magic change will take. Just replace the old with the  young and Bobs your uncle. I suspect these young people want their turn at the trough to feed, at the nation's expense and their access is being blocked by the older feeder who already gorge themselves. However, what a old person take 20 years to steal today's young people will steal that in a week.   

Arrogance is always the enemy of a political party that is given such an overwhelming mandate. The JLP’s second term will not be as easy as their first term. In the first term the JLP got the benefit of the doubt but I think they have used up all that Political Capital and now its down to business.

This second JLP term is defined by a Global Pandemic and Economic decline, which will require vision, innovation and discipline. The Jamaican people will demand more and expect more in this second term and the Government must demand more of the people. But screaming prosperity and declaring hardship at the same time will be a hard sell. 

In 2016 the JLP inherited good news from the PNP, a no me say so, a di JLP say so... 

First The Finance Minister Audley Shaw thanked the last Government for inheriting a stable economy that allows the current growth numbers… and then Mr. Growth Council himself Michael Lee-Chin does the same. It is hard to ignore facts.

..."Chairman of the Economic Growth Council Michael Lee Chin has acknowledged the efforts of the previous Government in putting Jamaica on a path for growth. In fact, the esteemed businessman has said that he is confident Jamaica can achieve growth." ....

"MINISTER of Finance and the Public Service Mr Audley Shaw did something we don’t see too often in Jamaica when he gave credit to his predecessor, Dr Peter Phillips for laying the basis for the economic progress the country is making.

In Parliament on Tuesday, Mr Shaw was not shy in saying very plainly: “I have inherited good news from the former minister, and we are continuing with the good news in the present Administration. We have stuck with the IMF (International Monetary Fund) programme, we have fiscal containment...” 

Jamaica General Election

JLP WON 7 TIMES	PNP WON 7 TIMES
GENERAL ELECTION 1962 – JLP	GENERAL ELECTION 1972 - PNP
GENERAL ELECTION 1967 - JLP	GENERAL ELECTION 1976 - PNP
GENERAL ELECTION 1980- JLP
GENERAL ELECTION 1983- JLP	GENERAL ELECTION 1989 - PNP
	GENERAL ELECTION 1993 - PNP
	GENERAL ELECTION 1997 - PNP
	GENERAL ELECTION 2002 - PNP
GENERAL ELECTION 2007 - JLP
	GENERAL ELECTION 2011 - PNP
GENERAL ELECTION 2016 - JLP
GENERAL ELECTION 2020 - JLP

In 2020 there is nothing to inherit but sickness, death, pandemic and economic decline.