Audley Shaw statesmanlike National Broadcast.

I watched Audley Shaw last night on the television and he certainly has begun to act the part as a leader in waiting , but  he must first get past “poster boy” Andrew Holness. Make no bones about it, the JLP need a Andrew Holness, he represent the future of the JLP and Jamaica’s politics, but we must first see off the likes of Portia Simpson Miller , PJ Patterson and that well oil PNP election machinery.

Audley gave a responsible and measured presentation, one that focused on not he Audley Shaw as the messiah, but on what they(JLP) was able to achieved in just 4 years, after assuming a limping economy and  then ran into the worst economic recession the world has ever seen.

Audley, did not say he was “challenging” Mr Holness, instead he said (maybe cowardly so), that he will allow his name to be entered into the contest for the leadership of the JLP. He used the few minutes he had to give a broad view of his general plans not just for the JLP but for Jamaica, while at the same time, pointing to the flaws in his own party.

One thing I have come to realize over time, is if you want to be truly open and honest, you must never be afraid to start with yourself and the organization that you claim to represent. You must complete a SWOT analysis of the organization in a honest fashion, lay the cards on the table and bare it all for the group to see.

Audley in his speech was critical of his own party and while many believe this is blasphemous I do not share that view one bit.  He said the party in opposition was/is fast asleep, while the PNP destruction  of the Jamaican economy and the will of the people moves on in earnest. He promised that as opposition leader, he will not play possum, instead he intends to reach out to labourites, make once dormant labourites wake up and take the challenge to the PNP.

Audley Shaw is not really my favourite politician and I get the feeling that , he truly believes he can help lead Jamaica out of its economic quagmire. I get the feeling that Audley believes in himself, he is of the view that the JLP offers the best hope of economic growth for Jamaica, but first the JLP have to win the national elections.

Mr Shaw is fearful that at age 61 if he does not make the move now, it’s not only curtains for him, but also for the JLP , whose love affair with leaders who continues to lose and believe they have the god given right to lead, even if its not the right time.

Mr Shaw’s presentation was not “off the chart” but he gave a reasonable good account of himself and he was very measured in his approach.

Should Audley continue to take the high ground leading up November, he has a very good chance of coming out victorious and this in my view will give the JLP  a very good shot at victory come 2016.

I guess you can all figure out whose camp I am in at this time and its not because I like Audley or conversely dislike Andrew, but as I wrote recently, to get what you want you must be at the right place at the right time.

Andrew Holness is standing in front of the goal but is unable to score, because as soon as he gets the ball it’s take away from him and the times he was in very good position to score he was not getting the ball.

Here comes along a player with less skills and intellect than  he and the other strikers, gets behind the defender and scores  a (the winning) goal.

Moral of that point.

It’s not necessarily your best and brightest “players” who scores and gives you victory or improves your chances at attaining victory.

Germaine “Tuffy” Anderson did that for the Reggae Boyz

Porta Simpson Miller has done that for the PNP.

 

Get it.

PS. I guess I am about to get under the skin on some persons.