Black Immigrant Daily News
Well-known public commentator Kevin O’Brien Chang has sought to provide an explanation about an informal poll that has been garnering some attention on social media looking at local politicians and their popularity ratings.
Chang in an interview with Loop News made it clear that he posts poll questions on the social media platform Twitter all the time, for fun and to generate debate.
Chang in the latest poll posed questions about who is the most liked and most disliked politician in Jamaica.
Both questions have generated thousands of responses combined with Twitter followers not being shy to state their preferences.
Prime Minister Andrew Holness was rated the most disliked politician and Opposition Spokesperson on Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Lisa Hanna voted the most liked, just edging out Holness.
But, O’Brien Chang was quick to acknowledge that such polls were unscientific, lacked methodology, and are easily manipulated after the responses to both questions fluctuated wildly and with some persons suggesting motive or that the ‘polls’ were rigged.
Some social media users commented that the poll had backfired on O’Brien Chang after the question about “Which Jamaican politician do you dislike the most” showed Opposition Senator Peter Bunting registering 52 per cent among respondents after 500 votes. Prime Minister Andrew Holness had 11 per cent, National Security Minister Dr Horace Chang 12 per cent and Opposition Leader Mark Golding 25 per cent at this stage.
However, after 1,331 votes, Holness was voted the most disliked politician with 45 per cent of the votes. Bunting had shrunk to 28 per cent, Golding 15 per cent, with Chang holding firm at 12 per cent.
For the question “Which Jamaican politician do you like the most” there was a similar trend where Holness was leading with 59 per cent after 513 votes were cast. Golding had 26 per cent, Lisa Hanna 12 per cent and Bunting four per cent at this stage. However, after 3,278 votes, Hanna had overtaken Holness with 45 per cent of the votes with Holness slipping to 41 per cent, Golding 12 per cent, and Bunting two per cent.
To underscore the unscientific nature of such polling, O’Brien Chang pointed out that in a span of just 16 minutes, 569 votes were cast for Hanna, pushing her from 12 per cent to 52 per cent.
Despite the lighthearted nature in which such polls are usually done, Hanna, told O’Brien Chang in a post: “Respectfully Kevin, having made the decision of not doing representational politics, I’d prefer not to be included in these polls”.
O’Brien Chang responded: “With all due respect ma’am you are still a politician until you resign as MP”.
“And you were not coming last in the likeability poll,” he added.
Hanna, the Member of Parliament for St Ann South East, and who for many years has consistently ranked among the most liked politicians in official public opinion polls, announced last week that she would not be seeking reelection when the next General Election which is constitutionally due in 2025 is called. She has won the seat four times for the People’s National Party.
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