Vexed Bermoothes

In a recent Bermuda Sun column PLP Chairman David Burt advocated the use of aggressive tactics by declaring that

“In politics, you’re either defining your opponent or you’re being defined by your opponent.”

And that’s exactly what he’s up to with his excited statements in today’s Combined Opposition:

Mr. Burt however, said: “Trevor Moniz has served as a UBP MP for 15 years. He doesn’t represent change in any way. He’s a member of the UBP’s old guard and is widely considered to be the most right-wing member of the House of Assembly.  With Trevor Moniz, the only kind of change you’ll see out of the UBP is a shift away from the mainstream and toward the far right of the Bermudian political spectrum.  The elevation of an old guard, right-wing party stalwart like Trevor Moniz clearly shows that the same old UBP powerbrokers, those uninterested in change, are still firmly in control of their party.”

With this attack, he’s defining his opponent negatively.  It doesn’t matter if it’s uninformed and delusional – it’s now widely broadcast as a pre-judgment for all those people who don’t know Trevor Moniz.

Meanwhile, the UBP is just mousing along.  Polite and uncertain of themselves.  Could someone please add a little piss’n'vinegar to their coffee?

Of course, Mr. Burt runs the risk … like Julian Hall … of just being treated as partisan “noise in the system” by the public.