Why serious candidates lose to crowd-pleasers

In his last election campaign rally, three days before the August 9 election, the governor aspirant stood on the roof of a large, black, fuel-guzzling vehicle. The tight-fitting polo shirt, skinny jeans and designer sports shoes he wore were clearly at odds with his grey hair.

In a country where 65 per cent of voters are below the age of 35, it's necessary to connect with the youth. The aspirant's vehicle was surrounded by a large crowd of men and women gyrating to campaign songs about the aspirant's honourable qualities.

The aspirant made some dance moves for the crowd, smiling in satisfaction as they ululated in unison. On voting day, the crowd did not disappoint. The aspirant beat a dozen opponents to bag almost half the vote in his county; a landslide by any measure.

Here's the thing: critics say the aspirant did not present a clear manifesto. On that particular issue, he and the 16,100 other aspirants across Kenya are not entirely to blame. Voters have shown they are not interested in practical ideas.

Voters are more interested in large convoys, dances, loud music and handouts, ranging from Sh50 to Sh100. Wherever the aspirants went, they found outstretched hands with the question, "Utatupatia nini (What will you give us)?"

This situation is mirrored across the country. The "serious"-looking aspirants with lots of leadership experience aren't winning elections. Instead, the aspirants who sweet-talk crowds, crack jokes and compose catchy tunes seem to prevail over their competitors.

There's also the category of aspirants who get into power by giving out money. Watching adults queue for hours, waiting for Sh50, speaks volumes about the worrying levels of poverty in Kenya.

The crowd-pleasing tactics explain why Kenya's county governments and Parliament are getting filled with celebrity lawyers, musicians, radio DJs, comedians and flamboyant evangelists. Experienced politicians unable to roll with the crowd inevitably are losing out. Why? Because the crowd possesses the power to hire and fire through the democratic electoral process.

HEADLESS DEMOCRACY

"For our democracy is proceeding without its head. How long, one wonders, can it go on performing this miracle? It is ruled by impulse rather than by reason and the brain. In our government and politics, national and local, there is no real leadership today. We are managed by demagogues and buffoons."

That quote was made in 1928 by US writer Henry Carey, who was complaining about his country's democracy. Wouldn't this description fit today's Kenya? In his writing, Carey gave the example of an elected mayor who was fond of street fighting and receiving news reporters in his bathtub.

Modern-day democracy owes a lot to the founding of the United States back in 1776. Democracy was first practised in Greek cities thousands of years earlier, but the United States was the first large-scale experiment in democracy. Despite these honourable beginnings, matters soon unravelled into what has been described as "mob rule".

"Democracy is nothing more than mob rule, where 51 per cent of the people may take away the rights of the other 49 per cent." This particular quote is widely attributed to Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the United States. The statement captures the weakness of the presidential system of democracy. The winner takes over the government, while excluding the loser.

In the quest to gain votes, politicians pander to the wishes of the mob. This gives rise to populist tendencies with politicians portraying themselves as, "anti-establishment." According to the Cambridge dictionary, populism consists of political ideas and activities intended to get the support of ordinary people by giving them what they want: tax cuts, promises of jobs, higher government spending and higher wages.

Kenya is not the only country experiencing the equivalent of mob rule. Former US President Donald Trump rose to power by appealing to a large section of voters disillusioned by mainstream party politics. During the 2016 US presidential campaign, Trump promised to bring back factories that had relocated to China, crack down on illegal immigration and get US allies to pay for defence. "Make America Great Again" was Trump's rallying call.

Trump lost the 2020 election, but his mobs took the unprecedented step of attacking the US Congress. Five people died in the melee, which left 138 police officers injured.

Sri Lanka has suffered a catastrophic economic collapse that forced the President to flee the country. Among the causes of Sri Lanka's economic collapse are populist measures, such as abolishing Pay as You Earn (PAYE) tax, reducing the VAT rate to 8 per cent, and abolishing the national development tax. The measures were popular with voters but led the country into bankruptcy.

Book author Ann Coulter explains how the power of the mob influenced Roman governor Pontius Pilate in the Biblical story of Jesus Christ. "Pilate gave the mob the choice of Jesus or Barabbas, a notorious murderer and insurrectionist," Coulter says. As an insurrectionist, Barabbas would have been well-skilled in inciting mobs. Unsurprisingly, the mob "spoke with one voice", demanding that Jesus be crucified.

GETTING QUALITY LEADERSHIP

How do we stop people from winning elections merely by cracking jokes, dancing in public and dishing out money? Kenneth Roth, executive director of advocacy group Human Rights Watch, believes the ultimate responsibility lies with the voting public. Roth says populists get support by proffering false explanations and cheap solutions to genuine ills.

"The antidote is for voters to demand politics based on truth and the values on which rights-respecting democracy is built," Roth says. That means voters should place realistic demands on political aspirants, while rejecting those who create an "Us versus Them" narrative. Truth-based politics is one where politicians are interrogated on their track record in leadership, not on the flashy lifestyles they post on social media.

It will take years to undo the culture of voters waiting for gifts from politicians, but it is possible to change that culture with civic education.