Fred Mitchell, the ever-loyal Chairman of the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP), continues his now well-worn routine of warning the Bahamian public that the Free National Movement (FNM) is engaging in “nasty politics.” This would be a fair concern—if it weren’t for the fact that Mitchell himself, along with his fervent band of PLP loyalists, has already dragged Bahamian politics into the gutter with rhetoric far worse than anything they accuse the FNM of. The irony is almost poetic.

As 2025 begins, the PLP has seemingly donned its full war armor—not one of progress, unity, or even basic governance, but of hatred and division. Their political strategy appears less about solutions and more about manufacturing “battles” to justify their aggression. And leading the charge? The usual suspects, armed with baseless accusations, racial paranoia, and the usual dose of fear-mongering.

If there’s one thing the PLP has mastered over the years, it’s the art of weaponizing race to keep its base in check. Former PLP Member of Parliament Leslie Miller recently resurrected this tactic with his absurd remarks about “Project 2025,” claiming it was an FNM-led conspiracy to get rid of or suppress black Bahamians. Let that sink in: Miller, without a shred of evidence, accused the FNM—led by a Bahamian of color—of colluding with the “white man” to oppress black people.

This is nothing more than the same tired race-baiting narrative the PLP has peddled for decades, now dressed up with a modern, Trump-era twist. The story goes like this: The “wicked and evil white man” is always lurking, waiting to rob Bahamians of their future, and the only way to stop him is unwavering loyalty to the PLP. Never mind the fact that this narrative is divisive, outdated, and harmful. Never mind that it actively distracts from real issues like economic stagnation, crime, and governmental mismanagement. To the PLP, stoking racial paranoia is far more useful than governing.

Not to be outdone, Chairman Fred Mitchell has been busy playing his own twisted version of identity politics. In response to a claim made by the Member of Parliament for St. Anne’s, Mitchell saw fit to twist the discussion into racial terms.

• “Exactly what do you mean when you say ‘there is nothing good for someone that does not look like him,’ Chairman Mitchell?”
• “What do you mean by ‘when they see a man like Adrian White,’ Chairman Mitchell?”

Mitchell, who is no stranger to inflammatory rhetoric, seems to be openly suggesting that Adrian White—an FNM politician and a white Bahamian—is some sort of bogeyman to be feared. What is the message here? That Bahamians should view their fellow citizens through the lens of skin color rather than merit? That white Bahamians cannot represent or act in the best interest of the nation? If these statements had come from an FNM official, they would have been met with national outrage. But because it’s the PLP, we’re supposed to just let it slide?

The most laughable part of all this is that the PLP constantly portrays itself as the victim while being the aggressor. They feign outrage when criticized, yet have no problem unleashing the nastiest political attacks imaginable. They cry foul when challenged but are always the first to dive headfirst into mudslinging. This is not the behavior of a party that genuinely cares about the Bahamian people—it’s the behavior of a party that sees politics as a blood sport, where the goal is to destroy the opposition by any means necessary.

Let’s be clear: This is not governance. This is not leadership. This is not even effective opposition politics. This is a desperate attempt by the PLP to deflect from its failures and maintain control by sowing division. The Bahamian people deserve better than this petty, race-baiting, intellectually dishonest nonsense. If the PLP is truly worried about “nasty politics,” they should start by looking in the mirror.

Until then, their crocodile tears will fool no one.

The Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) fails for one reason, it is their nature.

END