So Portia has put it all to rest in the People's National Party leadership race, as she said, there shall be 'no more argument'. Hmmm, said My Friend P. Now, doesn't that sound familiar? No more argument, argument done. Same script, different party.

Anyway, it is a fact that Portia has pretty much settled the leadership issue, and the idea of being defeated twice in two years must make supporters of the doubly vanquished Peter Phillips understand that they need to toe the line or get off the field, or else the concept of democracy, as the PNP likes to spout it, is all a load of poppycock!

P and I, however, have a separate issue that has bugged our little minds since the 2006 PNP leadership race first put Portia at the helm of one of Jamaica's most critical institutions. At what point in time in the history of the country did it suddenly become something of an embarrassment for someone to be educated and not be dirt poor and scraping to survive?

Yes, you have read right! Portia's biggest plus is her humble beginnings. Humble beginnings are all fine, and when one rises out of such conditions it is indeed something to be lauded. But, so what if you have not had what must now be viewed as the luxury of humble beginnings and you are achieving stuff - Is it suddenly to be valued less?

Critical to growth

A middle class in any society is so critical to its growth and development - people do not want to be poor and downtrodden - no, they want to be everything but that. So when we place symbols of glamour around poverty and its associated ills what is the message that we are sending to people? The number of people in a single generation that will make Portia's leap are not many. And the majority of us can trace our family history back to two or three generations and the abject poverty was there.

Glorify poverty

Much of the substance of what we like to call the Portia 'P' factor [Poverty, Power and Politicking] is engaged in her humbleness and the glorification of poverty that it makes one wonder. Of course, I can't but emphasise that the depth of her campaign was driven in that direction by horrible, and what one might actually think of as hatefully, snob remarks by those who deemed themselves to be more lettered than her. And it was in fact an attack on the intellectual prowess of Portia and those who she represents that has led to this peculiar state of affairs, where it is now near a shame for someone to seek higher office and be anything less than arising from the bowels of society.

Prove self

I realise how twisted the whole affair had become when I heard a speech where Peter Philips was trying to validate his position as a representation of the masses by pointing to what he painted as the humble beginning of his father. I felt really saddened for him. He needed to convince people that "Hey, I have got some poverty in my bones too!"

Well, Peter, they really did not believe you because - take a look in the mirror, it really just ain't true, Doc!

There is something that just doesn't feel right in the dynamics that are at work here, and My Friend P and I hope quietly that we are getting it all wrong and seeing everything out of context. We really hope we are.

Email comments to myfriendp@hotmail.com.

At what point in time in the history of the country did it suddenly become something of an embarrassment for someone to be educated and not be dirt poor and scraping to survive?