The Perspective
Atlanta, Georgia
September 17, 2021

As Liberia heats up for another political season, the Liberian electorate, along with its supporters and other key stakeholders in the American Diaspora, find themselves falling head over heels in love with their respective and prospective candidates. Once the decision is made to choose a candidate, the average Liberian will move mountains performing all sorts of trivialities, including singing, dancing, and holding circuitous debates to justify their choice. This process could be described as putting the cart before the horse, as this is done without even vetting the candidate, which should be a prerequisite in the process.

According to my observation over the years, Liberian politics is personality-driven, a personal love affair between the candidate and his constituency … one that could be described as a popularity contest between the ones we like and others we can’t stand, for one reason or the other. But running and winning national contests should transcend such sophomoric and mindless tendencies.

It is my belief that Liberia is in a dire need for leadership as it dangles on the edges of the abyss. What is at stake could not be more dire than now. The trajectory requires a fundamental shift in paradigm. Instead of continuing the age-old tradition of personality-driven politics, we must now concern ourselves with the substance of ideology and philosophy. Instead of the question, ‘Do I like this candidate’, or, ‘From which part of the country does the candidate hail’, let the question become ‘What is the prospective candidate’s track record, and does he have a chance to win’?

It is time to move away from trivial to substance; the substance of probing such thought-provoking questions as: What has this candidate done to convince me that he has the requisite skill sets necessary for the job?  In other words, are his acquired skills commiserate with the required skills for the job he seeks? Has he ever done anything at this magnitude? Does he have the potential to win this race? And most fundamentally, ‘What does he stand for? Do his viewpoints even complement mine? In other words, do we have a similar outlook and expectation for our collective future… a common cause? It is essential to ponder and establish this framework in the earlier stages of the affair. That is, before so much emotional energy is disbursed.

Once the framework is established, additional probing and queries must follow: Can my candidate do it alone, or does he need to establish a coalition with similarly poised candidates --- and that’s when ideology becomes essential. It is necessary to know and trust the other coalition partners. In the case that the forming of a coalition materializes, is my candidate willing to abide by the rules and regulations established? Are the coalition members bound by honor and duty? Is the candidate willing to make himself subservient and answerable to the established rules, or does he see himself above the rules and guidelines? If so, is that a character flaw? Obviously.

Does the candidate realize and accept the ultimate probability that in a national election, it may require more than an individual candidate’s personal accomplishment and track record to win? Does the candidate have the ability and desire to attract and retain the support of other stakeholders of diverse viewpoints? Is the candidate capable and willing to collaborate with other individuals who may upstage him at some events without bruising his ego? Or is the candidate so concerned about being the most outstanding or most popular in the camp? Being able and willing to invite others with diverse areas of expertise and working with them harmoniously to achieve the desired outcome, is a sign of maturity. A candidate who relies only on his strength to run and win a national contest, is ultimately demonstrating weakness and an apparent character flaw. What is needed, and this cannot be overemphasized, is the ability and desire to build an umbrella campaign that will stress inclusiveness.

These, and other thoughts and questions, must be pondered and deeply scrutinized before a potential voter, or supporter, commits himself to a potential candidate for a national race. Care must be taken not to diminish or disparage other candidates who may have the potential to help one win. It absolutely does one’s campaign no good to turn potential allies into enemies, just to satisfy or feed a bloated ego. A campaign, especially in seeking a national office, is not necessarily just for the benefit of one candidate; it is clearly for the benefit of one’s entire constituency who invest hope and tie their aspirations to a successful outcome.