Rivals fail to dent the PLP's dominance

If you want to read deep meaning into Wednesday’s by-election results, give up now.

The only thing that matters is that PLP won an overwhelming landslide victory. The UBP and the BDA didn’t come close to making a dent in the Government’s dominance.

Marc Bean’s closest rival got barely a quarter of the votes he got. Both his rivals, even together, got less than half the votes he got.

And votes are the things that count in an election.

The UBP and its supporters, hooping for some sign of rejuvenation, will have to look elsewhere and try new things. You can’t win elections with 17.03 per cent of the vote.

The year-old BDA, fielding its first candidate in any election, were close behind with 15.28 per cent. Just a few extra votes and the BDA could have bested the UBP — something that would have had huge symbolic importance.

But they didn’t quite do it.

So the many Bermudians unhappy with the ruling PLP remain crippled by their quandary: Do they support the UBP, and undermine the BDA’s promise of the painful stranglehold of “legacy” politics? Or do they support the BDA and undermine the largest, most experienced alternative to the PLP?

Wednesday’s by-election provided no help for them.

Indeed, the more you try to analyze the results, the more you find that every claim is un-done by a counterclaim.

Turnout was 40 per cent: The vast majority of voters in Warwick South Central did not vote at all. Surely that reflects dissatisfaction with the Government.

But the weather was cold, windy and rainy. A PLP victory was almost certain anyway. By-elections don’t attract much action: Pembroke West Central saw just 39 per cent of voters report for duty last year.

Besides, the percentages remained virtually unchanged from previous elections in Warwick South Central: The PLP got around 68 per cent, and their opponents got around 32 per cent.

Wednesday’s turnout, like opinion poll in recent years, shows that the PLP fails to inspire most Bermudians.

But Wednesday’s results, like opinion polls, show that the UBP and the BDA are even less inspiring to voters.

The results also suggest that the UBP and BDA are still feeding off each other. They have no hope of winning until they take votes from the PLP instead.

It’s going to take a lot more time, a lot more work, a lot practice and a lot more inspiration.

BDA Leader Craig Cannonier told the Bermuda Sun on Wednesday night: “Thus far, I can truly say I think people are just dissatisfied with the politics of the country and not in reference to any party.

“Folks are tired. They’re looking for us to lead them out of the mess that we’re in. We need to step up to the plate.”

People are stepping up to the plate, of course, and swinging at the balls that are pitched to them.

However they have yet to make it to first base.