Jaevion Nelson | Today’s voters want more

Elections tend to reveal an awful lot about our politics – how people think, what they want and are willing to do for power, and, sadly, unabated political tone deafness.

The by-election in Eastern Portland on April 4, 2019, showed that very clearly and the results, I suppose, revealed what the voters think, want and, ironically, will do whenever they get the chance to teach politicians a stern lesson in politics.

Politics isn’t as easy as it’s portrayed on Scandal, The Good Wife or House of Cards (especially in such a small country like Jamaica). We don’t have the luxury of baiting voters with disparaging sentiments or a scandal about anyone, who they may know and love, and expect to be victor.

It requires much more than what we see on our favourite television series. So those who wish to be elected in any seat ought to pay attention, get organised and be focused to stay on top of the political game. To do otherwise would be rather foolish and ostrich-like.

It is abundantly clear that the political landscape has changed tremendously in Jamaica. Not many seem to realise and appreciate the changes that are taking place.

I’ve noticed, for example, that similar to 2007, people are breaking away from their family traditions, with their support for candidates they have much ­confidence in, and may even vote differently from their parents.

Fascinatingly, younger people and young professionals, although they still may not vote, are becoming more engaged in the democratic process. They’re talking about and paying attention to politics. They’re using their agency to influence how politicians politick and scold (to some extent) individuals from the parties they support whenever they do something they think warrants a public ‘backsiding’. They openly support those who give them a glimmer of hope and who they feel will deliver good for Jamaica.

As one of my friends rightly said on Thursday, “The age of entitlement politics is over. Politicians must compete for the hearts, minds and votes of the people. Nuttin nuh pudung fi nuh party again.”

Both parties must pay attention and should not be complacent in any seat, save for the garrisons which might be the only real safe seat at the moment. If people are unimpressed they will take action.

MORE CONFIDENCE

Frighteningly, even after losing five seats since the 2016 general election and national polls which show more and more confidence in, and likability for, the prime minister and the Jamaica Labour Party, the People’s National Party seemingly did very little to change its strategy. This is telling.

At the end of the day, political and communication strategies employed have to do more than remind us of who is bad and who is better, and cannot simply speak to those who are loyal to any one party. It has to be a cocktail – it has to tell us what the party has done, what it can do or will do, how something being done can be improved and, most importantly, it has to speak to all Jamaicans.

The communication has to be packaged in a way to speak to party loyalists, those who are on the fence, those who just want good for Jamaica (regardless of who is in power), and those who have lost hope in the political system.

Lastly, as I said on RJR’s ‘Beyond the Headlines’ with Dionne Jackson Miller during the discussions as we awaited the election results on Thursday, politicians have to give voters more than ideas at the time of the election and must break away from what we/they have been accustomed to.

The things that are particularly important to Jamaican voters in 2019 are: representation, political organisation and machinery, candidate selection, and political strategy and campaign.

Ultimately, the party that manages to do this will always come out on top.

- Jaevion Nelson is a human-rights, social and economic justice advocate. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and jaevion@gmail.com, or tweet @jaevionn.