Thompson’s Sorry State

Callers to the call-programme, “Tell It Like It Is” for Wednesday, October 24, 2007 would have heard the professionally disgraced Peter Wickham in his usual valiant defence of the politically embattled Leader of the Opposition delivered of himself comments than can only be described as comical. Wickham is now at pains to find that one thing which could explain why the electorate has remained disinterested in Thompson after all the political blood letting for which he Wickham invited the DLP to pursue and the eventual ousting of Mr. Clyde Mascoll.

Having accepted the results of his most recent poll which revealed that between 1994 to the present, Thompson’s popularity at the national level has grown by a pitiful 1% up from 27% in 1994 to 28% in 2007, he is now forced to ask himself what is wrong with Thompson? Wickham’s failure to accept that Barbadians do not trust Thompson and for good reasons has now been prompted to proffer his own reasons which border on absurdity.

To suggest that there is nothing wrong with Thompson and his political management style is absolutely absurd. Thompson’s entire political life is replete with actions and utterances that tell the grave and frightening story why he has remained, for Barbadians, that unpalatable and indigestible political pill to swallow. Thompson’s failure to provide the political and intellectual leadership that the DLP so desperately needs at this critical juncture, has denied this once formidable political beacon of its rightful place within the body politics of this country.

 Further, Thompson’s blood-sport approach to politics has led to the continuing haemorrhaging of the natural constituents of the DLP resulting in a fracture and weakening of the Party’s political foundation. How could Wickham not see what is so transparently wrong with Thompson? Since the death of the Rt. Excellent Errol Barrow, the DLP has continued to suffer from a severe leadership defect.

That today, under Thompson, the DLP’s Afro (Black) support continues to fall while its Anglo (White) support spirals upwards is testimony of the extent to which the political make up of the DLP is changing. As shown in the last poll the BLP’s Afro (Black) support stood at 90% while its Anglo (White) support stood at 1.5%. Conversely the DLP’s Afro (Black) support stands at 87.0% while its Anglo (White) support stands at 2.2%. These statistics speak volumes and may well explain why the working class Barbadians, like Mr. Mascoll, Hamilton Lashley and others for whom Barrow built the DLP can no longer feel at home at George Street. 

The current sorry state of the DLP must fall squarely on the shoulders of Thompson. While some may argue that leadership is born and not made, it is believed that he has been given more than enough time to develop the skills and intellect required to accomplish the task. That he can only muster a 28% rating while Prime Minister Arthur enjoys a comfortable 52% speaks more to his lack of political skills and intellect than anything else.

He simply does not have what it takes to lead the DLP. The sooner DLP members accept this fact and relieve themselves of this political excess the better off they will be. It is unlikely that Wickham will do little or nothing to help refocus the DLP away from its current path of self-destruction since he sees his interest best served under a Thompson led DLP.

Since Thompson and Wickham have already been condemned as bad political products any attempt to re-brand and resell them can be considered an act of fraudulent marketing.