Here’s another one who thinks he’s charming and charismatic
Evarist Bartolo, who spent years writing an ‘anonymous’ column for the Labour newspaper KullHadd, under the pseudonym Maria l-Maws, has told The Malta Independent that his “charisma, intelligence, enthusiasm for making things happen and sense of humour” are what make him stand out as a potential party leader.
I’m busy right now trying to think of at least one sensible reason why anyone at all might think it’s a good idea to tell a reporter that he is charismatic, intelligent and humorous. Not one springs to mind.
Let me just run that scenario through my mind. Reporter: Why do you think you would make a good Labour Party leader? Maria l-Maws: Oh, I have lots of charisma, I’m intelligent, can make things happen and yes, I have a sense of humour, too.
Does the Labour Party breed arrogance, or does it just attract hopelessly arrogant and self-satisfied individuals?
I did agree with Maria l-Maws when he damned that jumped-up twerp with faint praise: ‘I like Joseph and believe in his potential’ – take note, ‘potential’ and not ‘qualities’ – ‘He is doing very well as one of our members of the European Parliament.’ Left unsaid: and that’s precisely where he should stay.
Maria l-Maws thinks that he has cross-party appeal, and that he can ‘connect to the people inside the party and beyond’ through his ‘ideas, energy, experience and proven ability.’ Maybe so, but lots of people also think that he’s a bit of a snake in the grass – or should that be a mouse in the wainscot? You never know what that man is thinking, whether he has his own amusing little agenda or whether he’s just along for the ride. He was so unconvincing on that last pre-election episode of Bondiplus, trying to defend the indefensible in Labour’s electoral proposals, such as they were. He looked so shifty and uncomfortable, and then he came out with that amusing little attack on his host. ‘Better be careful, or we’ll know that what they say about you is true,’ he threatened Lou Bondi, in that dreadful snake-in-the-grass way that he has with insinuation. ‘What do they say about me?’ Bondi asked. ‘They call you Gonziplus.’ Oh ha ha ha, tres amusing. If there’s one thing he has in common with his friend Fred, it’s the inability to crack a joke. At least Fred doesn’t think he has a sense of humour or boast about it.
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“Charisma is the result of effective leadership, not the other way around.”
— Warren Bennis and Burt Nanus
Leaders: The Strategies for Taking Charge
@freethinker
Charisma is the result of DNA.
To the TOM’s question of what they would do if they lost the election, Sant replied – It’s a hypothetical question and I don’t reply to a hypothetical question. Gonzi said – I’ll take a holiday! I think that sums it up.
Let me tell you how much leadership skills and charisma Maria l-Maws has. When Mifsud started criticising Sant following his abusive power of incumbency re-election in 2003 Bartolo accused Mifsud in l-Orizzont that he was like Sansum pulling down the temple on Labourites heads.
This same Maria l-Maws that brought the temple down by instigating early elections in 1998 and by declaring openly with colleagues in 2003 that if Malta joined the EU he would retire from politics as he cannot be in politics with Malta in the EU.
And now he wants to lead Labour to make most of the EU! For all I know the next he says is that he is going back to his Karl Marx roots!
Did you forget that EB once called all nationalists ‘zibel’ and, as if it was not enough, he continued ‘u niskuza ruhi maz-zibel’. Maybe it was ‘charisma and charm’ working overtime.
By the way, does anyone remember how EB threatened Professor Kenneth Wain on Xarabank before the 2003 elections, when he made it abundantly clear that Professor Wain would be a ‘persona non grata’ in a potential Labour administration? – Did I hear someone say something about charm and charisma?
With so much charisma, intelligence and enthusiasm in the Labour camp, why oh why didn’t they win this election?