Garth Rattray | The smell of politics is in the air

Just like petrichor (the earthy smell that occurs when rain falls on the dry ground), the smell of politics is becoming pervasive. In fact, the smell of politics never truly left; it hung around, clinging to public service announcements, the revealing of projects, and the dedication of buildings, and highways.

That distinct odour assails us throughout political rallies, in town meetings, when governments announce their successes or partial successes, whenever special appointments are made, and when Parliamentarians criticise one another.

Now that general election is due later this year, the odour is wafting across the country and incrementally increasing as the clock runs out on the big event. What most people do not realise is that politicians carefully strategise whenever they speak publicly. A lot of planning and thought goes into their words.

Politicians employ several techniques to woo voters, build trust and gain their support. They try to be persuasive and relatable by appealing to people’s moral values. They do ‘image moulding’ with carefully planned speeches, public appearances, and interactions. When politicians go door to door, they are not simply being friendly and engaging in social interactions with their constituents. In the August 2023 publication in the Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics, scientific evidence was presented proving that personal, face-to-face, door-to-door campaigning was more effective than mainstream and social media in garnering support and votes.

The personal touch allows politicians to directly address the concerns of their constituents. It gives them the chance to answer questions, to be more informative, and to provide clarity on their stance on various important issues. Electioneering includes – community handouts, transient labour opportunities, grandiose promises, the extensive use of the media, targeted messaging, influencer messaging, endorsements, social pressure, peer-to-peer persuasion, public forums and debates. Subliminal techniques include dulling and/or blurring images of opponents, and/or playing boring or ominous background music whenever their image appears.

COMMON ENEMY

Political candidates revel in creating a ‘common enemy’. This is usually the opposing political candidate, an entire political party, or the policies and past performances of that party. Sometimes the ‘enemy’ is a subset of individuals within society or an existing [unpleasant] situation that can be blamed on the failings of a former government. In identifying a common enemy, there is always a call to action, a sense of ‘I can remedy this with your help … we can do this together’ and an urgency about dealing with the situation.

During the 2011 parliamentary elections, voter turnout was 53.2 per cent, in 2016 it was 48.4 per cent and in 2020, although in that year Jamaica had 1,913,410 registered voters, the voter turnout plummeted to 37.85 per cent. A whopping 62.15 per cent registered voters refused to vote! It is painfully obvious that political candidates have a lot of ground to cover. Before embarking on strategies to increase voter turnout, our politicians must ask themselves why voters are staying away from the polls. They must ask what is repelling them.

Voter mobilisation is crucial to winning elections, and politicians know this. Low voter turnout is always blamed on ‘voter apathy’, a passive mental state of a lack of interest. However, low voter turnout should be seen as voter abstention, the active process of declining to vote. A small number of voters at the polls sends a big message to our politicians … but they are in denial.

Voter mobilisation strategies include simplifying voter registration and educating voters about the electoral process. People need to be told about their right to vote (some say it is a civic duty), and about the importance of participating. Sadly, in Jamaica, it has been long known that many voters are paid or bribed into voting. In the past, some voters were threatened into voting for a particular political party.

VOTE BUYING

Vote buying remains enigmatic. Although politicians consistently denounce vote buying and deny knowledge of any such thing, it is regularly and flagrantly practised within many communities. Earlier this year, a multi-series special report, “Democracy On Sale” was presented on TVJ News. The series exposed the reality of vote buying and underscored some of the reasons that some constituents readily engaged in the practice.

Electioneering, including vote buying, demands phenomenal amounts of money. Everyone knows about political donations – some of which are not above board. However, citizens were made aware of the dark underbelly of electoral funding last year when a somewhat inebriated [former] People’s National Party candidate for Trelawny Northern, Dennis Meadows, publicly condoned and glorified scamming. He apologised and sought to explain that he was driven to distress by “the deluge of taxpayers’ money that was used for political inducement” ( Jamaica Observer, February 28, 2024).

There is a thin line between the smell of politics and the stench of politics, I hope that our politicians do not cross it.

Garth Rattray is a medical doctor with a family practice, and author of ‘The Long and Short of Thick and Thin’. Send feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and garthrattray@gmail.com