Shuffling the political pack

TERRENCE HONORE

THESE ARE times when our card-playing days reflect on our political ways. This came to mind when I heard of the recent announcement by Prime Minister Rowley to change the portfolios of some ministers. It’s much like the act of shuffling a deck (pack) of cards. Or so I thought.

But while it matters little to many, some among us take great stock in analysing the significance of such a move made by those in power. While we ponder the politicians’ posture, like poker players sitting across the table of life, staring down each other and wondering at the real meanings behind the shift and shuffle. But in the craft of politics, like in the game of cards, shuffling, although sometimes necessary, can make things either worse or better for the protagonists.

In a search for clarity on the subject I sought the Cambridge dictionary which defined the word shuffle as: “verb (move around) to move similar things from one position or place to another, often to give an appearance of activity when nothing useful is being done.”

However, I expect that there would be differing views on this interpretation, in our context, given our different political persuasions.

But to the layman, shuffling is a simple task of moving the cards from side to side. But there are cards that you shouldn’t put too close to others and some just wouldn’t fall in line. And every leader must have an “ace in the hole,” I am told. But sometimes it seems that you cannot hide the jack far enough, no matter how well you move around the cards. At other times it seems like you just have to throw them all into the air and see where they fall.

But seriously, there must have been much study for this dramatic move. Like the SEA students getting set for their examinations, the leadership must have stayed up many nights studying the cards to get it right. However the questions still hang in the air. Who to put next to whom? Should I shuffle this way or the other? But like in the game of all fours, care must be taken with the action, as the opposition is quite adept at “hanging the jack.”

Shuffling moves seem more like chess than a game of cards. Political parties, opinion leaders and strategists study the subtle movements of others...looking into the eyes of those on the other side of the seating in Parliament, shouting and throwing picong, with all the antics, to disturb and distract, to get each other to make wrong moves instead of prudent governance.

But those are the things that keep you up late at night when you hold the reins of government. You are tempted to do the shuffle and say like our first prime minister, “Let no donkey bray.” And you can’t let the swearing or the plaintive cries of the resigning players make you take your eyes off what is on the table. It’s only a small economic pot we’ve got.

But shuffle as you may, or shuffle as you might, there is a science to this practice. Knowing how this thing is done is as important as knowing how to play the game. Like the late Kenny Rogers sang in his country and western classic song, “You’ve got to know when to hold them,/Know when to fold them...and/If you're gonna play the game boy,/You gotta learn to play it right.”

So, every five years the people will call for a change of players and the game begins again. Then eager-eyed senators will deck off in their Sunday best and sit in the Senate among the crafty who know how to play themselves well. That’s how the game is lost or won.

But sometimes as the drama unfolds, one lowly minister might just begin to think he’s a king, or another might give in to a corruption thing, or one might just get too tired of the bacchanal. Such are the dynamics of the political deck of cards.

The leader has to avoid a headache, thinking hard about the next move to make. Because the truth is, you could shuffle the cards to the side but incompetence you can’t hide.

Ultimately, the political “game of cards” is won not just by the way you choose to play but how well you learn to shuffle. When you shuffle the deck you have to be careful as some cards fall away or just disappear, fading from the front bench into political oblivion.

But even the best card player knows that you must be keen and sharp before and after you decide to shuffle the deck.

Sometimes the leader keeps the pack in their back pocket, waiting for the change of players at the table at the next sitting of the Senate as the right time to show the “hand.” There must be wise timing in the shuffling. When you have the right suite it’s sweet, but sometimes things could get bitter before they get better. There are times when you know you just have to shuffle the deck and say, “What the heck.”

But then again, I am not an expert on political shuffling, but I must say, just remember to always pray before you make your play.