The Talk! interviews... Between Penitence and Purgatory - March 16, 2001

By Earl Bousquet

 The revolving door of politics offers many lessons in the life of any politician. How these lessons come, how they are taken, what is learned and just how much of what is learned influences his or her behaviour pattern. But above else, politicians, like everyone else, are human beings first of all; flesh, blood and bones with hearts, feelings and family.

Life’s lessons have as much importance as the strategies and tactics adopted in politics. The need to maintain a permanent, genuine link with “the people” and take their views into consideration, is normally theoretically accepted by politicians. Putting it into meaningful practice, however, has proven, more often than not, to be easier said than done.

Same with family. Politics has a way of robbing the family unit of  much quality time at home. Here too, history has shown, time and time again, that individual political success can often come at the expense of sacrificing or neglecting the family unit. The tactics employed can easily isolate the politician from the family and widen the distance between the family unit and the political figure. If this phenomenon isn’t handled properly, as history has shown so many times at so much personal cost and grief, the politician’s success can be at the peril of the expense of the successful functioning of the unit as a collective.

Each of the last three guests on Rick Wayne’s Talk! show reiterated all of the above. Peter Josie, Sir John Compton and George Odlum have each given long years of service to the political process. Their decades of involvement have touched the lives of every St. Lucian over the age of 30. Their battles against and between each other are both historic and legendary. They have kicked and kissed and embraced and cussed each other over the years, each living long enough to publicly or privately offer some remorse, however genuine or grudging.

Rick Wayne has also been a staple in the country’s political diet over the years. He worked with and fought against each of his last three guests at some time during the last three decades. He knows each of them better than most. His approach to each guest, on each show, therefore, was obviously tailored by his profound knowledge of their individual histories and their roles in the present political scenario. What the host elicited from each, therefore, has to be seen in the context of what each interview contributed by way of a better public understanding of where and what their minds and thoughts are at this point in our evolving political history.

What the interviews (“discourse” included) revealed – calls (or no calls) notwithstanding – was that each of the three see themselves as having a continuing leadership role to play in the country’s politics. There have been some slight shifts in their historical positions on a few issues, but, in the main, neither has gone through a process of fundamental change in their political approach, outlook and modus operandi. Each have problems with the political status quo and each see the proposed “alliance” as a means of rescuing, adjusting or otherwise uplifting their own place in the political landscape. But it is also clear that each of the guests have also misread the political tea leaves when it came to the preparedness of the public to accept the concept of changing the present political system.

The stark difference in their respective perceptions of the “alliance” they all claim to support were also clearly defined. Odlum’s idea of what the alliance should be is in stark contrast to that of the UWP, the latter insisting it (the alliance) is designed to replace the SLP at the next elections. Indeed, it is quite clear that there is much to be done to define and explain what is being proposed and the public will have none of it unless they are sure of what is being offered.

All three interviews offered telling glances of the discomfort of souls wedged between Penitence and Purgatory. But if any offered any cause for emotional and psychological sorrow or unease on the part of viewers, it was certainly that with George Odlum. He would be the last to solicit or accept expressions of sympathy or sorrow. But there is no way any of those of us who have know the man over the years – or have worked with him – could have sat before out TV sets on Thursday without harbouring some feeling of deep sorrow.

Here was a soul being torn apart from within. His wet eyes, his twisting and sometimes contorted expressions, his drawn face -- all revealed a picture of one not at ease with his thoughts, uncertain about his actions and concerned about the effect of his intentions on family, friends and supporters.

The poetic letter by his daughter faxed to the show and read up front by Rick was both timely and sad. Timely, because it had the telling effect of letting Brother George know that he was being watched, not only by the TV viewers that night, but by the entire national audience – including, his own family. But sad too, because the letter -- and his own subsequent admissions -- confirmed that “family” had not been part of his consideration till then as to the likely effect of his apparent intentions.

Much had happened earlier that Thursday to influence what Odlum had to say that night. He said and heard much between his morning interview with David Vitalis for this weekend’s Mirror before leaving home and his arrival at DBS that evening. He talked briefly to Cabinet colleagues that morning, took several calls, met many close friends and supporters. Almost everyone knew by then (as he also told Vitalis) that he’d instructed that his personal belongings be removed from or “set aside” at his ministerial office. For two days, all media houses were predicting or speculating that he had resigned or would be resigning. Reporters were soliciting comments on his impending resignation. He was being named as the person most likely to lead the proposed opposition alliance. There was word that the Prime Minister already had his dismissal letter written. Speculation was rife as to who would be his replacement. And some of his strongest and most loyal supporters over the years were telling him, all day long, that inasmuch as they still love and respect him, the would not follow him into what his daughter described as “an alliance of lies.”

By the time he got to the studio, the weight of the opinions he’d heard thus far weighed heavily on his mind. Most was obviously not what he’d expected. If he’d given Vitalis the impression that morning that he was going all out to back the alliance and fully expected to be fired by the Prime Minister by next week; and if the words from his mouth suggested he would be among those making a grand appearance on a UWP platform on the Boulevard when the alliance is launched on Tuesday, then all that changed by the time the programme got under way.

No other lesson in a long life in politics could have been more telling for Brother George. And no one who has understood his history – from Rat Island, Forum and SLAM in the early 70s, through with the SLP from 1974 to 1980, through the political wilderness of the 80s, to his political revival and comeback of the 90s and his return to office in another Labour government – could have been immune from having a tight heart or being brought close to tears watching him on Thursday evening.

The high level of national expectation and anxiety that preceded the Josie, Compton and Odlum interviews had much to do with the public wanting to gauge for and by themselves what they had to say about their roles in the future political life in the country.

Josie’s interview didn’t contain many surprises, if any. Sir John made it absolutely clear that he was back to his old political self. But in Odlum’s case, it was not that clear-cut.

Odlum admitted personally facing three options as far as his political future goes – and which of them he saw as most attractive, at least on that night. But he also made it clear he hadn’t yet made his final choice, even though he may be close to it.

But Odlum is not the only one with choices and decisions to make at this point in the nation’s political life. The Prime Minister, the Cabinet of Ministers and the St. Lucia Labour Party also has some hard choices to face and face. By his own several admissions, Odlum has seriously brought into focus the question of the level of his comfort with being part of a government he does not think is doing all it can to go the right places and do the right things.

Whether George is prepared to continue as a Labour minister and how much further he is prepared to go; whether he will indeed continue to associate himself with a coalition of forces bent on toppling and replacing the government and party he is still a part of; or whether he will Call That George and retire to a Choiseul of twilight nights and fond memories for what’s left of his time, is a matter of his personal choice. But his role in party and government from here on is a totally different matter that involves many more minds and even more serious political consideration.

Josie and Compton each left their respective interviews satisfied they had had their say. Neither will have to hold discourse or talk with their party colleagues about what they said. But Odlum and the Labour Party certainly have much to talk about what was talked about on Talk!

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