Opinion: Dr. Jekyll, Mr. Hyde, And Mr. Bean
[Opinion column written by OBA Senator Lynne Woolridge]
There are two Marc Beans.
The first one is Marc Bean, the Opposition Leader, who stays on script, urging Bermudians to cooperate and work together.
The second is the Opposition Leader who goes off script, expressing anger and scorn, rudeness and making threats.
It’s a departure in which his words and their venomous delivery call into question the balance needed for anyone who aspires to the highest office.
Friday night witnessed another episode in his emergence as a Jekyll and Hyde character.
In a debate on immigration, Mr. Bean likened the OBA’s approach to “lady-of-the-night-open-legism” that would sell out Bermuda for 30 pieces of silver.
The Speaker ordered him to retract the remark, though he repeated “ladies of the night” a few minutes later. My colleague Pat Gordon-Pamplin was outraged, calling it “disgusting” while noting there was a respectful way to disagree “that the Honourable Member clearly has not learned.”
The exchange was one more indication of an approach to politics that is more about two sides, bare knuckles and vulgarity than the collaboration, common ground and hope espoused by Premier Michael Dunkley.
Mr. Bean clearly has a toxic view of the One Bermuda Alliance and their supporters. Almost from the day he became Leader of the Opposition, he gave voice to a grim, twisted view of the party that won a majority in the 2012 election. He has called us “demonic” and “practitioners of The Dark Arts”. When our members have spoken he has referred to “the smell of sulfur.”
And senior colleagues have said he has used threatening language against MPs on the floor of the House – always with his microphone off.
Often, he has provided glimpses into how his mind sees politics working. In March, during another anti-Government diatribe he said this:
“It’s the contracts. That’s the real reason why you all fight and sacrifice to get into this House to have political power, cause that’s the gravy train. Yeah, hello for those of you who are just coming into politics, that Politics 101 around the world.”
Hmmm.
I’d say that’s about the most cynical view of politics I’ve ever heard; perhaps a view developed during his time as a Government Minister.
And then last month there was this extraordinary, conclusive statement during a late night sitting of the House.
“There will be no hotel development!”
I suppose you can look at those words a couple of ways. Perhaps it was a pessimistic statement of the odds against hotel development given the record in recent decades. But that would mean he sees no hope at all for the revival of tourism, and that just can’t be.
Or it could mean that Mr. Bean was intimating there would be no hotel development in Bermuda with the OBA in power. Some of my colleagues considered it a veiled threat to scupper developments we are pushing at sites from St. George’s to Morgan’s Point.
Given what I’ve seen of Mr. Bean over the past year and a half, I’m inclined to think his political agenda is bigger than the national agenda or, more specifically, the jobs and opportunities Bermudians need now.
Sure, he might want Bermuda to succeed – how could he not – but just not under this Government. And he’s been working overtime to turn back the decision the voters made in December 2012 to drop a PLP Government that had brought the Island to the brink of economic disaster.
The angry, extreme words I’ve heard too often from the Opposition Leader are not the answer for Bermuda. They send the wrong message to the outside world, and the investors we need to help turn around the economy, and they send the wrong message here at home.
Bermudians need encouragement, optimism and a unifying message. I don’t see that coming from the Opposition with Mr. Bean as leader.
- Senator Lynne Woolridge
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Well written and very informative as a majority of sane and up to date right minded people share her commentary and facts.
Disgusting comments made by an MP.
Wake up Bermuda.
Shalom.
MB acts the way he does because he believes all you have to do is stir up hate & mistrust to get folks to vote PLP. He does not think that it is necassary to inpire people to vote PLP. I got tired of the toxicity of the PLP and left.
I feel the same way about Marc as the leader of the PLP. I have voted UBP, split a vote between UBP and PLP (when we had two votes each), voted PLP and now OBA.
I cant see me ever voting for the PLP again if it is led by him. He is a smart, and a good debater, but not a good leader and certainly not the person that I would like to representing us. We all know how leaders that were angry and filled with hatred destroyed many countries.
The PLP needs a more reserved leader. Someone that has good ideas, goals and direction and someone without a personal agenda.
The “Leader of the Progressive Labour Party in an insult to all Party members
I couldn’t have said it better. Kudos to Senator Woolridge — spot on.
WOW…she sounds a bit bitter doesn’t she. Funny she speaks more in op-eds than she does in the Senate.
Doesn’t sound bitter at all…point out where you see that.
Bitter? How so?
WATCHING YOU SURE DID IT’S NOT YOU WHO IS THE BITTER ONE….
LOL
I often catch glimpses and sounds of the former PLP Premier when Marc Bean #2 is at the podium.
MMM I never heard her use words like that how so?
A very good article.
I said it a couple of weeks ago. Marc Bean is all about bravado and machismo. He shows no compassion or nuance. It’s just anger and venom. It’s all about how tough he and the PLP is and that is it.
I mean “ladies of the night”? Jesus, man, who are you?
he’s a misogynist bully, that’s who he is. in any other country he wouldn’t be allowed to sit in the House for his remarks.
Marc Bean’s appeal is to those who simply don’t know any better. Those who haven’t actually figured out that he doesn’t have any ideas. Those who think you can build something up by simply discrediting the ruling party. By making noise for noise sake.
Sadly they are wrong.
It is a mathematical fact that half the population is below average intelligence. PLP had to get elected somehow…..
He has “Political Tourettes Syndrome”.
One second he is nice as pie, the next he is sprouting all sorts of nonsense.
thanks to Bermuda’s long history of racial polarization
better the devil you know than the devil you don’t
That just it we all know both devils here don’t we. Everyone knows are politicians we see them everyday. Walking around.
LOL is it their fault you dont speak and make your self known to them?
“And senior colleagues have said he has used threatening language against MPs on the floor of the House – always with his microphone off”
Marc is NOTHING and his threats are like him,full of hot air,he certainly doesn’t frighten me!
Wow, does she mean Jekyll & Hyde like the milk man and his dirty mouth!I find it funny Pat Gordon-Pamplin, didnt show her disgust when Dunkley used the “F” bomb in the house.OBA TRASH,can’t deal with unsweetened truth!
Well the difference is the IMAGE of the milkman is highly excepted in a Capitalist Society so they can do no wrong and if they do wrong it’s excepted.
History proves it, all the evil that Europeans inflicted on people of color and the remnants of today and can justify it and you get bent out of shape because someone reminds you of it?
LMFAO
Hey kunta, two words to you:- boko haram!
Language is nothing….these lot have done ship that should negate any govt. position.
If you don’t want people to say it…don’t run for public office…because that is what it is….public office….
MoooooOOOOOO!
Of course history repears itself..m*****f****** don’t listen.
Probably has a love hate relationship here and there….it is to be expected….what can you do?
Hey mark…I can confirm your test results for bipolar disorder have come back both positive and negative.
This woman is laughable!
What thing that I have always judged when it comes to politics in this country and that is the nature of the political base of a political party.
Senator Lynne Woolridge may refer to opposition leader Mark Bean as jekyll and hyde; but if you read the blogs you will see that her UBP/oba political supporters are all jekyll and if you are going to talk about a contraction in statements and behaviours than that which exist in the herd mentality of the UBP/oba is a clear example.
Of course what we are talking about here is the use of metaphor and any politician worth his salt can turn a phase by using just such a technique to get his point across. Isn’t that what Senator Woolridge is attempting when she refers to opposition Leader Mark Bean as Jerkyll and Hyde; a metephor to get her political point across? One thing about opposition leader Mark Bean he is adapt at using metaphor in parliamentary debate and if Senator Woolridge has chosen such a path to criticize the opposition leader than his use of metaphor in political debate is no less a legitimate form of political discourse in the realm of political debate as that which the Senator has chosen to use.
Alvin please take your medication. PLP Leader’s name is M A R C
Babbling its called… Look how easy it is to entice people with words. Or is it just about sticks and stones?
that’s the problem with fake A@@ politicians who think you have to stick to a phony A@@ script. I admire Marc Bean for not being a stick to the script puppet like she wants him to be and telling it like it is. There’s to much of this fake BS when they get in front of the camera. Get in there Mr Bean and don’t hold back on those BS-ers.
I am not for or against the PLP and I may even vote for them again one day but I can assure you that I will NEVER vote PLP for as long as Marc Bean is with them. I don’t care if he is the leader, a shadow minister or whatever. As long as he is there, I’m voting OBA.
PLP, please take note … you won’t win if you keep Bean as leader.
A well written view point. Factual and unemotional. Too bad we don’t see more of this. Mr. Bean is far from a role model for young Bermudians with his vitriolic disparaging and often crude remarks. Keep up the good work Ms Woolridge, you are merely stating it as you see it.
The People’s Movement led by AME Rev. Tweed will soon push Mr. Bean aside and he will form his own White Hill Tea Party
Here we go again, deflecting from the real message of the Opposition Leader!
Some of these comments just confirms the truth for me, It’s quite obvious that some people will except, all kinds of bull when it comes from the gov’t side but let the opposition leader state the truth, and some folks freak out.
It appears, that it’s OK for a certain group of people to be called Kool-Aid drinkers, anti-foreigner, and f***ing stupid,simply because they want to have equality,and justice in their own country.
So when a Bermudian stands up and tell the truth, rather in the house or on the street, he or she is lambasted . In my opinion the right thing to do is speak the truth, it may hurt some people, especially if one has become accustomed to accepting lies. as the saying goes “SOME PEOPLE CAN’T HANDLE THE TRUTH.” Now I’ll wait for the haters response.
Man,give me some of that “Ganga Tea”. The PLP must be consuming it by the gallon.