DECISION 2017: FORGET SYNNOVATE, SAY HALLO TO THE OTHER ‘POLLING.’
By Jackson Omondi
It is one of the oldest tricks in the book and by far, the most effective polling. Forget the claptrap being peddled by local partisan pollsters. The most effective and reliable method of gauging public opinion is to float a wild idea and watch it being mauled by the public. And given the fact that alternative media is now outpacing the mainstream media in substantive coverage, those who set out to gather public opinion are just a post away from being inundated with feedback.
With the elections just under a year away, most political operatives have started to crunch numbers in a bid to figure out what fits with what combination. And to get there, names are being dropped left, right and centre in an exercise that is eliciting instant reactions and rich feedback for the political wizards to comb through.
One such theatre is in CORD where the issue is whether or not the Enigma should plunge in the race for Statehouse with many theorizing that RAO should back another candidate for the juiciest seat in the land. That statement alone gave RAO’s handlers a clear picture of what people think.
Musalia Mudavadi, a celebrated political ambulance-chaser, wasted no time in declaring that he is willing to join CORD on condition that he gets the nod to go for the top seat. In other words, Mudavadi wants RAO to act like 2013 never happened and dig deep down in his heart and repeat what he did to MM at Kasarani in 2007. After all, Kalonzo Musyoka once took off when he was really needed but that didn’t stop RAO from dusting him up fresh from the G7 political heartbreak and making him his running mate.
Mudavadi, is counting on yet another presidential promissory note and this time, he hopes that it does not get dishonored. I am sure that RAO’s political handlers actually keep tabs on current events and will note that MM has been missing in action from all pivotal moments in opposition’s effort to keep Jubilee in check.
He abandoned the struggle in 2002 and 2013, to pick him now would send a terrible message to supporters and will be dismissed as an act of desperation.
Despite previous charges of spinelessness, the last couple of years have been life-changing for Kalonzo Musyoka. For a man who was accustomed to the trappings of power for as long as any grownup can remember, Kalonzo’s reign as Wiper leader has brought to the fore a side of him that not many politicos would have imagined.
From soaking in teargas to downright sticking it to Jubilee in Makueni senatorial by election, Kalonzo has earned his stripes. Jubilee’s attempts to harangue him into begging for security and denying him his monetary dues have not put a dent on the man who has now reinvented himself as a steadfast soldier in the struggle and I am sure Team RAO are clearly in the know.
The difference between the two ( Kalonzo and Mudavadi) is like day and night. One can’t wait to be endorsed despite having done nothing to rate a mention while the other has been in lockstep with the Enigma through the struggle. When asked about his prospects in CORD, the Wiper leader has always maintained that all principals will sit down and chart a cohesive path that will put everyone’s interests into consideration enroute to political prosperity.
Judging the reactions from the two biggies and the overwhelming feedback from social media, RAO’s handlers now have enough granular data to look at. It is also instructive to note that RAO’s statement was a mere declaration that he is ‘willing’ to step down. The statement however, did not mean that he will not run for President. Who needs SYNNOVATE when you can get unfiltered feedback in real time?
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