As if it needed another nail in its political coffin, the Christie administration's botching of Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival exposes a level of ineptitude that is deeply embarrassing for many Bahamians.
If Prime Minister Perry Christie expects us to believe that the decision to postpone carnival was one taken by the Bahamas National Festival Commission (BNFC), then he really has no regard for the intelligence of the people.
BNFC Chairman Paul Major has also said the BNFC determined it would be best to postpone carnival so it does not conflict with political rallies.
This was a bizarre statement.
It made no sense whatsoever.
Just Thursday, the commission called the media to a press conference to announce plans for carnival.
We were told that international artists Machel Montano, Bunji Garlin, Denise Belfon and Beres Hammond were all booked to come.
We were told carnival is scheduled for May 4-6 in Nassau.
We were told all the Nassau events will take place at Arawak Cay, as a part of cost-cutting measures.
We were told the Music Masters semi-final competition will take place in Grand Bahama April 28-29.
And we were given ticket prices, etc.
We understand that the decision to postpone was made on Friday.
But at that press conference last Thursday, BNFC CEO Roscoe Dames told the media that commission officials were giving the election season no consideration.
Dames was asked directly by one of our reporters whether the commission has any concerns about the effect the election could have on carnival.
He responded: "I'm not a politician. I've been hired by the BNFC to produce Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival.
"I think that question should squarely be directed to the prime minister who is involved in politics.
"I'm pretty much the CEO of a festival, and that has no bearing on my job whatsoever in delivering you a product and doing it at a reduced cost."
So on Thursday, the commission had no election consideration. It was a question for the politicians, we were told.
On Friday, the commission suddenly decided that it needed to consider what is going on with the election.
What hogwash.
These people really must take us all for fools.
It is incredibly insulting.
We, of course, can think of richer language to express the outrage so many people feel as a result of this feeble-minded decision.
On Monday, Major told us that after the commission became aware of when Parliament was going to be dissolved, it decided that carnival should not compete with the election.
He said people should not have to decide whether they want to go to a political rally or carnival.
By that justification, the IAAF World Relays (scheduled for April 22 and 23) and the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup (scheduled for April 27-May 7) should also be delayed until after the election season.
Bahamians should not have to decide whether they want to attend a political rally or go to the relays or beach soccer.
At least that is what Major and others would have us believe.

Laughing stock
The carnival postponement has made The Bahamas a laughing stock.
Many of the people who booked travel here for May 4-6 are understandably incensed.
"This is ridiculous. I feel like I could cry. Perry must've lost his mind," said one Florida man, whose parents are Bahamians, when he called into a Guardian Radio show on Monday afternoon.
Social media exploded with outrage over the news of the postponement.
"How do you change the date a month away when flights and hotels have already been booked and paid for? THIS IS HORRIBLE!" one woman posted.
Another wrote: "I'm so disappointed in how this is being handled. You are not taking foreign attendees into consideration at all. I have a lot invested in this already..."
Some carnival business people are also upset.
Stephan Rolle, owner and promoter of the Bahamas Carnival Cruise and Bluemonkey Bahamas, said on Monday his company is set to lose over $25,000 and visitors who have already booked their trips may lose well over $150,000 in total.
"To postpone now, at this point, is very disappointing, very scary," he said.
"I don't know what tomorrow is going to hold for me. When my travelers get wind of this, it is going to be very scary."
It is nonsensical to postpone carnival so Bahamians do not have to choose between political rallies and carnival.
It is hard to wrap our minds around what the powers that be could be thinking.
More than anything else, this may reflect just how incredibly out of touch the prime minister and his government have become.
Did he or anyone else consider the grave implications of such a decision?
What could possibly justify it?
Worse, would Christie not have had some idea when he intended to call the election, or did he only recently have a revelation?
Would he not have known that carnival would be from May 4-6 and the implications of those dates?
Why is he acting as if we had an unforseen national disaster or some other kind of disaster that gave the government and the commission no other choice but to change course?
Bahamians have long talked about carnival and the general election in the same breath.
This is the third year the carnival dates have coincided with the PLP's election anniversary.
It is why many people joke -- although not everyone is joking when they say it -- that carnival is a PLP anniversary/election party.
Did the commission not know that carnival would likely coincide with election season?
It is inconceivable that the commission only now thought of these matters after getting a heads up that Parliament would be dissolved next week.
It is incredulous that it would think its explanation would fly with sensible people.
Would the prime minister and the commission not have considered how damaging such a postponement would be for The Bahamas' image and the Junkanoo Carnival brand?
Carnival is Christie's baby.
He fought for it.
He took licks over it.
He defended it at every turn as critics accused him of pissing away tax dollars, yet he has determined to damage his own product and mar his already frail legacy.
Again, this just does not make any sense.
We spoke to one Cabinet minister left shaking his head. That minister appeared just as confused as the rest of us.
"I have no idea what Christie could possibly be thinking," said that minister, admitting embarrassment over the whole sorry affair.
If the primary purpose of carnival -- as stated repeatedly by Christie and Minister of Tourism Obie Wilchcombe -- is to drive visitors to our shores, then why would they anger so many visitors? Why would they piss off so many Bahamians?
Why would they make this decision based on politics?
Why would they cause harm to whatever economic prospects may have come from carnival?
For sure, the implications are far-reaching.
In a statement yesterday, the commission revealed that the Music Masters Semi-Finals will take place in Nassau instead of on Grand Bahama.
Again, this is five days after announcing the event will be in Grand Bahama.
The northern island is being cut out of carnival altogether.
Millions of tax dollars are being spent, and Grand Bahama, which is in the economic doldrums, is being shared out. Why? Because someone woke up on Friday and decided to orchestrate a royal mess.
If Grand Bahamians aren't already disgusted by this current administration, then they have every reason to be now.
We imagine it is near impossible to calculate the financial implications of these changes, but for sure the Bahamian people have been screwed in the process.
Just how much of our tax dollars has been wasted?
How much money are the commission and the Bahamian people swallowing as a result of incompetence and failure to properly plan?
We are now being told that carnival will be May 18-20 -- obviously after the election.
The postponement places the event in greater doubt.
What if the Free National Movement comes to office?
Would carnival be postponed further? Would it be axed altogether?
FNM Leader Dr. Hubert Minnis has repeatedly said carnival should be privatized. He is no fan of the event.
Will those who decide to make new arrangements for the new dates be placed at financial risk again?
What would it take for the carnival brand to be rebuilt?
Who really can have faith in any future plans?
Who really can have any more faith in Christie's ability to lead and make sound decisions?
These are all things to consider.

Spin
How really did this ill-advised decision come about?
It is hard to believe the story being fed to us.
Even after the prime minister confirmed the postponement to the media, some PLPs argued vehemently that The Nassau Guardian was telling lies in reporting on Monday that carnival was being postponed.
Elcott Coleby, the deputy director of Bahamas Information Services, posted: "The general public is advised that The Bahamas Festival Commission, nor the government of The Bahamas, has taken a position on the delay of the 2017 Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival activities. Any news story about a delay of the 2017 Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival is baseless, unfounded and is pure speculation and should be regarded in that light."
When The Guardian informed him on Monday night that the new carnival dates are May 18-20, as revealed by the festival commission, he responded: "That decision was made today (Monday) during the renaming of the road at the University of The Bahamas, today. Before today, like when The Nassau Guardian story was written, talk of a delay was pure speculation."
Father help us.
These are the people we depend on for credible information, spewing garbage.
PLP Vice Chairman Obie Roberts also spent the day on social media seeking to discredit The Guardian.
When the commission finally revealed a new date, Roberts went into spin mode.
He wrote: "There is a plot by the schemers to derail carnival popularity, create international and domestic emotional uproar just before the election then turn around and blame the government, who has no involvement with the day to day running of the carnival commission... follow the money and who's involved. There is a pattern of consistency here of the plotters whose hands are on the wheel leading this scheme to embarrass the government.
"All of a sudden Junkanoo Carnival press release is in circulation today (Tuesday) but not yesterday. I smell a plot to sabotage..."
No matter how PLPs spin and deflect, it is just impossible to divorce Christie from this decision.
Almost $30 million in tax dollars has been spent to date on carnival.
This is not a private venture.
This is a public venture.
Even if the commission came to the prime minister -- again, only one day after announcing carnival plans to the public -- and advised that it wanted to postpone carnival, he ought to have recognized what a foolish decision a postponement would be, based on the implications.
The commission is appointed by the prime minister.
He has the final word on what happens with the event.
Anyone who believes otherwise is swimming in Kool-Aid and existing on another plane altogether.
Blame for this latest fiasco is not to be placed at the feet of Paul Major and the festival commission.
Blame must rest squarely at the feet of the prime minister, who is showing increasing signs of coming unhinged.

Click here to read more at The Nassau Guardian