Jason Micallef is good at manipulating people not at leadership, where you have to keep track of myriad facts and have honed some strategy skills in politics.

He proved to be inadequate in that programme on Xarabank.

If he doesn’t have the skills to deliver good leadership, then he must be manipulating the delegates. That type of person is very dangerous in a position of power.

Why did Eddie select a relative outsider for successor? To make sure that the machinations and manipulations going on behind him are dealt with in one fell swoop.

[Daphne – Lawrence Gonzi wasn’t an outsider at all. he was a cabinet minister and speaker of the house. But if you mean that he wasn’t involved in circles working against circles, then yes, you’re right.]

I’m surprised he has been ousted from party leadership but these people plan long term and he’ll be back. The next sign of him preparing for an assault is when he starts clearing the area around him of competition, to go for leadership when the party is going through the next crisis. His friends in the party don’t realise that most probably he’s their biggest enemy.

Unfortunately I can only draw parallels with ‘big’ history, I’m not saying Jason is any one of these, just drawing parallels on behaviour in attaining leadership and their effectiveness as statesmen: Stalin, Mao and to an extent Hitler were good at manipulating people and keeping their roost safe no matter what the cost to others.

Again, I’m not saying Jason is any of those, simply that they are the poster examples of manipulation and bad leadership. I could have mentioned Cheney or Hoover but the examples would have been less clear to somebody reading in Malta, perhaps.

Manipulation does not make a good leader but unfortunately the Labour grass roots are not savvy enough to see the difference. They are blinded by the pearly whites and charming smile.

Do not underestimate Jason – I think he knows how to play his cards right. And he understands Muscat’s inexperience at running the party.

‘cargo cult’, that brings back memories. Remember the Italian film ‘Mondo Cane’, exploring weird cultures around the world? This motley crew would have had the starring role.

If Labour doesn’t change tack soon, they’re going to end up losing another election. It’s not enough to go through the motions of an electoral campaign. You have to know what you’re doing.

Why is Jason still there? I still remember the Xarabank programme post election and he looked clueless about the numbers whilst Joe Saliba was on top of HIS game.

Labour looks like a cargo cult, complete with wooden control towers and make-believe airplanes waiting for the goods to fall from heaven.

Labour is gradually becoming a force majeur. First it was Joseph’s earthquakes, now it is Alex’s thunder.

If you add to that the fact that some of their speakers sound like a volcanoes erupting (Anglu, Toni, Joe Debono Grech), I would not be surprised that if they are elected to government, then it will be Armageddon.