In any general election, public support depends heavily on the number of allies that each party manages to rope in.
These allies can take the form and shape of NGOs, commercial organisations, media gurus, whatever, and their aim is to give the impression to the electorate that they are impartial and independent and what they say is therefore not dictated by politics.
It is a system that worked for the Nationalist Party during the last general election and the EU campaign, where we witnessed staunch Nationalist supporters who divested themselves on paper from the party affiliates and invested in the set up of so-called independent organisations to echo and promoting the platform of their Nationalist party from a so-called independent voice.
Now that the elections are approaching, we are once again witnessing the mushrooming of such organizations. The Nationalist Party, rightly so, is leaving no stone unturned to make sure that they are pulling its rope and that they are there when the party calls for them.
In the forthcoming general elections, the issue shall once again be not what Gonzi or Sant say, but who is siding with whom. And as long as the majority of the so-called independent organisations continue to join forces with the Nationalist Party, Gonzi’s voice will ring out clearer and louder. And the electorate, who is tired of our politicians, will listen to what these groups and their choice will definitely have a bearing on the choice of the electorate.
In case you haven’t noticed, whilst the PN reaches out to these organisations and makes sure that there is one such in every field, the MLP will continue to limit itself to the resources it has in Hamrun. People want to see new faces and if the same thing is said by a politician and repeated by somebody from an organization, be it the Chamber of Commerce, or GRTU or Economic forum, that will add another feather in the cap of that politician. But if the politician finds no allies in what he proposes, then I am afraid that his proposals will not sell.
This is the problem with Labour and Alfred Sant at present. They may have the best solutions and visions for this country and they have not been able to sell it or they think that they can sell it within their compounds, through their radio and television and the newspaper. I am afraid that with this old strategy, they will not be able to go further than their usual and faithful supporters. But as we all know, it is not the faithful that win the party an election but the floaters: and floaters are not influenced by what the political parties say.
Floaters are influenced by what the technocrats say, by what environmentalists say, by what out economists say, by what our importers say, etc. The Nationalist Party discovered this way back during the EU referendum campaign, and it was Fenech Adami’s strategy to have these allies behind him at most of his dealings with the press. Not that he needed their encouragement, but he needed their support in order to convey the message to the people that it is not the politician who is speaking but the constituted bodies and the technocrats who are saying what is good for this country.
The strategy comes in most handy on Election Day when the political stations are sworn to political silence but it has now become common to see the political stations inviting guests in their programme to discuss their non-political organisation, but who are automatically associated by the viewers to their support for any of the government or opposition views and programme.
This is more common on Net TV than on Super One. In effect, Super One has to be very vigilant these coming months so as not to cause any harm to its party in the coming elections. How, you may ask? Simple. In this schedule Super One television roped in productions from production companies who are known for their sympathy with the Nationalist Party. I am not aware of any condition in their contract that they cannot appear on any other television station.
I can bet that we will see many of the people in these productions on Net TV so that the people who normally see them on Super One will automatically say: even this one who appears on Super One rallies to the Nationalists? And if any of you think that I am exaggerating or being far-fetched, I can assure you that this will be a strategy that will be used by the political parties.
Of course, Labour does not have a selection to choose from because in these years it has failed to enlarge the circle of Labour sympathisers personalities on its station so that most of the viewers are sick and tired of seeing always the same people presenting political activities or fund raising marathons on Labour television. I cannot think of anybody appearing on Net TV at present who is a Labour ally and Labour will find a hard time trying to find any.
On the other hand, Super One – notwithstanding that we are on the eve of a general elections – has stuck to its commercial policy, without keeping in mind that these people can turn the tables during the election campaign and lobby for the Nationalist Party and instantaneously be given airtime on the Labour Party station. It will not be these people to confuse viewers, but the Labour Party, which will be promoting such programmes and personalities on its political radio and television mediums, while at the same time, the same persons will promote, for their own reasons, the Nationalist Party.
In the meantime, we are witnessing the gearing up and the mushrooming of new allies for the Nationalist Party. This and that forum is being established on one pretext or another. The participants in political discussions on Net TV are now mostly these allies and the politician is in a minority, thus sending the message, I repeat, that the party’s programme is backed by civil society. Compare this setup with that of Labour: on One TV you always see the same circle of guests who represent themselves and do not get the same message across to the viewers. Obviously, the floating voter will opt for the Nationalist’s programme, if he or she sees that that programme is supported by so many organizations!
But these are pleasures – or rather tears – yet to come.