Dear Mahama advocates,
The electioneering season promises to be fascinating, full of campaign trail soundbites, empty slogans, platitudes, and swinging momentum – which is why as advocates of Mahama, it’s important owning his policy message and carrying it across to the electorates.
There’s no point making yourselves a hostage to fortune in an attempt to water-down Bawumia’s headline-grabbing policy proposals like credit card scoring – Bawumia says his credit score card policy would leave many families better off. Whether imagined, opaque or a ploy to wind back the generosity of the electorates, it’s your responsibility as an advocate for John Mahama to mount the obvious alternative argument without necessarily getting bogged down in outrage at Bawumia’s new proposals.
Again, don’t seriously over-analyse any policy proposals from Dr Bawumia in order to make some grandiose point that shows prejudices rather than discussing what Mahama is offering.
Mahama in his last media encounter did a yoaman’s job in explaining his flagship 24-hour policy, and setting out the NDC’s grand masterplan to refashion the Ghanaian society and overturn the NPP failures – He’s offering a positive vision for the country that provides workable solutions to the daily needs and concerns of the average Ghanaian voter.
For me, Mahama’s bullet-point summation of his 24-hour policy ought to be the talking point for the entire electioneering season.
So yes, the work is cut out for you – Stay on message, and on the issues.
My point is not about saying don’t hold Bawumia’s feet to the fire – By all means, hold Bawumia accountable to his 2016 promises – the exchange rate and the tax politics, but don’t let the demagoguery of political opportunism deflect attention from what Mahama is offering, lest you make Bawumia’s plans more popular while Mahama’s own struggle for attention.
In actual fact, there’s no sweeter corrective to the Bawumia politics than parroting what Mahama is offering.
In essence, just allow Bawumia to over promise – Even if his promises are vague, don’t spend time and effort having a go at him – Don’t let Bawumia’s promises suck oxygen out of the main issues that Mahama is proposing.
At the end of the day, the discerning Ghanaian voter will definitely tune out all the noise and vote purely and wisely.
Let’s get it!!!