Sir Lynden Pindling is the greatest politician in modern Bahamian history. He took charge of our "first" political party in the 1950s and led it to victory in 1967. He then held power for 25 years. During that time, the Pindling-led government built many of the institutions of government we now take for granted.
Hubert Ingraham and Perry Christie were "pupils" of Sir Lynden. Both served as Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) members of Parliament and Cabinet ministers. They were fired together in 1984 from Sir Lynden's Cabinet. Ingraham and Christie survived as independents in 1987 and both eventually became prime minister -- Ingraham three times and Christie once.
This election campaign has been a battle. Ingraham and Christie, the PLP and Free National Movement (FNM), have given every effort to win. Ingraham and the FNM even used an excerpt of Sir Lynden's farewell address in the House of Assembly in 1997 to further their cause. In it Sir Lynden described Ingraham as "the most illustrious protégé of mine thus far".
Sir Lynden's widow, Dame Marguerite Pindling, and the PLP have taken issue with this.
"I will never forget -- and I know Sir Lynden never forgot -- how mean Mr. Ingraham was to us back then when we were at our lowest point," said Dame Marguerite at a PLP rally Friday night at Clifford Park referring to the period after the 1992 general election when the FNM defeated the PLP.
"It was so cruel and so unnecessary. Mr. Ingraham had already won, so why was it necessary to be so ungracious and so unkind? Sir Lynden was very deeply hurt by that. He really couldn't understand it. Neither could I."
Dame Marguerite went on further to say that Sir Lynden passed the torch on to Christie, referring to the current PLP leader as his rightful heir.
Sir Lynden was so dominant and successful a politician that success is what will earn his protégés the title of heir. Just being handed the leadership of the PLP is not enough to qualify anyone to be heir to our longest serving prime minister.
Thus far Ingraham has won three general elections. Christie has only won one. If Ingraham wins the 2012 general election, without question, he is Sir Lynden's heir. By doing so for the forth time and in the wake of the Great Recession, a roadwork debacle and a crime problem, Ingraham would demonstrate that he has made a similar deep connection to the electorate as Sir Lynden -- that connection being that Bahamians think these leaders are more worthy than any of their contemporaries for an entire generation.
For Christie to be in the discussion regarding who is Sir Lynden's heir, he has to win this election. With all the challenges the FNM has faced this term, the PLP has all the ammunition it needs to win. If it does not, it is likely because not enough Bahamian people think Christie is the right man to run the country.

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