Dear Editor,

I wonder if Free National Movement (FNM) candidate for North Abaco Greg Gomez knew exactly what he was getting himself into when he initially sought the nomination for the opposition party. It probably never crossed his mind that the government of The Bahamas would throw its immense weight behind his main challenger's campaign, Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) standard bearer Renardo Curry, even to the extent of holding an historic Cabinet meeting in North Abaco. Last year this time Gomez was a relatively unknown itinerate preacher of the gospel and an unemployed educator. Today he is a household name in The Bahamas.

Every Bahamian who follows politics knows the FNM candidate. But that political stardom and notoriety have come at a heavy price. Because he has decided to contest the by-election on behalf of the opposition FNM, he has subjected himself to the wrath of the governing PLP and its relentless public relations machinery. Making matters worse is the fact that he has been chosen by the FNM to carry the mantle of former prime minister and North Abaco member of Parliament Hubert A. Ingraham. I believe one of the reasons certain social media websites ruthlessly opposed to the FNM have relentlessly broadsided Gomez has to do with the fact that he is Ingraham's successor.

Unlike many FNM candidates of the past, Gomez has been put into the PLP lion's den, and he has managed to come out with at least his campaign intact. Gomez is probably having second thoughts about entering frontline politics. It probably never dawned on him that politics in this country is a cut throat industry where only the fittest survive. Unlike the May 7 general election when all 38 constituencies were contested by 133 candidates, the North Abaco by-election will feature only three candidates.

This means that the national media and the two dominant political parties can give that race their undivided attention. That can be a good thing. But it also can be a bad thing, especially if you have a checkered past. Thankfully, the FNM has chosen a candidate who has a squeaky-clean past, notwithstanding the PLP's best efforts at pummeling his image in the press. Had that not been the case, the PLP would have already destroyed Gomez's fledgling political career. The PLP has taken the FNM candidate to task on his past and current work status and his lengthy stay in the United States.

Because of his lengthy stay in the United States, according to the PLP, Gomez is unknown to the people of North Abaco. Why vote for a stranger? Another issue that has become fodder for the PLP and the national media is whether Gomez has been forthcoming when he claimed he had taught at three schools in the United States. He didn't help his cause after struggling to remember the names of the schools when he was interviewed by The Nassau Guardian. At the time it appeared that he was fibbing, to put it mildly. I could sense that certain hostile elements were hoping for his claims to be untrue. Had that been the case, Gomez might as well have conceded defeat to Curry.

Thankfully, the FNM candidate has been vindicated by The Nassau Guardian, after it reported that the Office of Public Relations in the Miami Dade County Public Schools confirmed that a Greg Gomez had taught at Carol City Middle School, Lawton Chiles Middle School and Thomas Jefferson Middle School. But why didn't he simply give this information to the prying press from the get-go? By struggling to answer a simple, elementary question regarding his employment at the three schools abroad, Gomez had put his party in a precarious predicament.

His interview performance with Guardian Radio was subpar, to say the least. In fairness to the FNM candidate, this may be due to the fact that he is not accustomed to being in the media limelight. He is a political rookie. He was just probably being bashful during the interview with the prominent newspaper. Now that he has acquitted himself in this regard, it now remains to be seen how Gomez and the FNM will deal with the aggressive campaign machinery of the governing party as the days wind down to October 15. So far, Gomez has made several gaffes.

But I still think he can give Curry a good run for his money, notwithstanding his party's aggressive campaigning. If Gomez manages to pull off an upset win in that contest, then that would no doubt puncture the PLP's gigantic ego. As it stands right now, the pressure is really on Curry to win, not Gomez. Curry has been given a significant head start by his party. It is the PLP that continues to pound its political chest in that area. For the governing party, with all of its resources, to come up short of a victory would be nothing short of a major embarrassment and disappointment to its candidate. -- Kevin Evans

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