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•
Impact on the JLP
o
The lack of a debate and the problems created by the proposed tax break encouraged
24 of the 120 JLPs in the study. Eighteen (18) of these respondents stated explicitly that
they would not have gone to vote if the combination of the PNP skipping the debate and
their struggles with the tax offer did not present some degree of hope. One UM mature
female explained how it affected her: “I had given up even when they were talking
about 1.5 million; but when I hear Andrew break it down to the $18,000, and see the
PNP struggling with it, I called my husband to drive up from the country to come and
vote. I reasoned that it was not important whether or not it can work. Jamaican people
love freeness. It did sell off.”
•
Impact on the Uncommitted
o
Eleven young (5 males, 6 females) uncommitted respondents voted JLP due to being
turned off by the PNP’s skipping of the debate
o
Four (4) males and 1 female voted PNP due to feeling insulted by the proposed tax
break.
o
Eleven (11) working class uncommitted (5 males, 6 females) were drawn to the JLP by
the proposed tax break and voted.
Other issues that affected the Uncommitted
•
Baby scandal and how it was treated: 3 uncommitted females voted JLP
•
Andrew’s house: 9 working class males voted for the PNP
•
Shifting of youth Pryce and Crawford: 8 young UM female ‐ JLP
The net positive impact of 74 for the JLP represents 24% of the sample, compared to the PNP’s 28 or
9.2% (see Chart 4). The bottom line is that when calculated the JLP benefitted from the net effect of the
PNP skipping the debate and the tax break offered, combined with 3 secondary issues. The skipping of
the debate was mostly negative for the PNP, while the proposed tax break was mostly positive for the
JLP or trivialized. Had the PNP gone ahead and participated in the debate there would have been no
major shift. The JLP would not have had the tremendous space they had to manoeuvre. Throughout the
study people (especially females) expressed that they felt triggered to protest against the Leader of the
PNP when she showed too much confidence on the day of the election “expressing that she could not
lose – knowing very well that she just ducked from the debate I wanted to hear.” Note that 5 women
expressed that their trigger to vote against “Portia – not the PNP,” came as late as Election Day. The PNP
could have remained in power had they participated in the National Debate.