We might learn from the portworkers of Rio, that how we conduct elections is as important as winning them.
I am reading at the moment a biography of Quintin Hogg or Lord Hailsham, who was for twelve years Lord Chancellor. In his first election battle in the 1930s he was attacked with a negative slogan. His simple riposte, ‘Vote for Hogg and save your bacon.’
An American journalist friend of mine who covered thousands of political speeches told me there was one man whose speech he never forgot. The candidate’s name was H.F.Mundy. Whenever he was introduced as the next candidate he would rise and smile and says, ‘Vote for Mundy on Tuesday.’ Elections in the US are on a Tuesday and he always won.
All this by way of saying that there’s not much humour in politics these days on either side of the Atlantic.
I was phoned up the other day by some party activist and asked whom I voted for last time. She was put out by my response. ‘I thought it was a secret ballot.’ Actually, I wouldn’t be much help to pollsters. I don’t believe in lying but one place I might be willing to compromise my principles would be to encourage people at exit polls to be economical with the truth.
I have been in many countries at election time. Once on the island of Cyprus. The country’s election law forbids campaigning in the 24 hours before the election. It happened that on the eve of this election we had a visit by Chief Walking Buffalo of the Stoney Indians of Canada. A priest generously offered to welcome him and show him the villages of his country. The whirlwind tour, with the chief in full regalia, proved very popular. In each village crowds gathered and the chief delivered a message of peace. I asked a policeman to translate for me what the priest was saying in his introduction.. He listened. He’s saying, ‘Chief Walking Buffalo has come here to tell you to vote for Archbishop Makarios.’
Lest any candidates at this election, successful or not, have swallowed too much adulation from their cheering supporters I would add some cautionary words from Winston Churchill. At one public occasion the moderator leaned over to him and said, ‘Doesn’t it thrill you, Mr Churchill, to see all these people who have come out just to see you?’ Churchill replied, ‘It is quite flattering but when ever I feel this way I always remember that if instead of making a political speech I was to be hanged, the crowd would be twice as big.’
If I could end on a more serious note. I have friends in Brazil, portworkers, who helped introduce into Rio the first democratic elections in the port. Their philosophy would, I fear, be too much of a challenge to politicians here: How we conduct these elections is as important as winning them.
These thoughts were recorded for BBC Radio Devon
NOTE: Individuals of many cultures, nationalities, religions, and beliefs are actively involved with Initiatives of Change. These commentaries represent the views of the writer and not necessarily those of Initiatives of Change as a whole.
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