Listen to me… I tell people all deh time, politics in these Virgin Islands does move like a pot on fire. You think it just simmering nice-nice, then all of a sudden something bubble over and everybody running to see what spill.

Now look at this here. They saying Vialet out front with 19.6 percent. Stacey right deh behind with 18.8. Then you got a whole 18 percent saying, more or less, ‘none of the above’ or ‘somebody else must be out there,’ and I can’t even blame them, because half the time the people trying to catch up with who serious, who testing the water, and who just walking through the room to hear their own name call.

And let me tell you what really make me smile. Vialet leading, and I’m sitting down saying, ‘Wait now… he running?’ Because I ain’t know that man was in the race like that. Apparently, plenty other people get that memo before me. Maybe before him too. Lord, have mercy. Only in these islands you could be leading a thing while the rest of us still trying to confirm the thing start.

Then they say Roach sitting at 9.4, Donna Frett-Gregory at 8, and the rest of them spread out in little pieces after that. Which tell me this field ain’t settled in nobody spirit yet. The people looking, yes. The people listening, yes. But the people still shopping. That is what that sounds like to me.

And they say this poll go across St. Croix, St. Thomas, and St. John. Five hundred ballots. Paper and phone. Margin of error plus or minus 4.4 percent. Weighted by population and demographics and all them nice official words people does use when they want to make sure you know they was doing homework. I hear all that.

But I still got one plain island question: who is Rattan Polling?

No, truly. Who is that? Because some of these names does enter public life like everybody supposed to nod and say, ‘Oh yes, of course,’ and I don’t do that. I like to know who cooking before I start tasting the soup. But the people dem say it tain’ nothing new.

And when you look closer, the support itself telling a story. Vialet drawing more strength from St. Croix. Stacey holding steady across St. Croix and St. Thomas. Roach looking stronger on St. Thomas. Donna leaning there too. So this ain’t one clean chorus. This is three islands humming different parts of the same song.

But baby, let me tell you where the real story live, because it ain’t in the little racehorse numbers alone. The people say economy and jobs first. Healthcare and hospital care right there. Cost of living pressing down too. After that come corruption, roads, crime…all the things people been carrying on their back day after day.

You know what the old people say: when belly tight, purse flat, and body hurting, campaign sweet talk does sound like breeze through broken louvers. Nice to hear, but it ain’t fixing nothing.

That is why I don’t get too drunk on poll numbers. Poll does show mood. Poll does show frustration. Poll does show name recognition. Sometimes poll even show pure confusion. But Election Day? Election Day is when people stop chatting and start choosing.

And let me not skip over this little jewel here! Smokey Frett tie with Foncie? Both at 1.6? Eh-eh. What a thing to tell the king. That one there sound like one of them old market conversations where two people reach the stall same time and both leave with one small bag.

So what all this telling me? It telling me the people tired. Tired of strain. Tired of bills outrunning paycheck. Tired of healthcare being a worry instead of a comfort. Tired of hearing plenty and seeing little. And it telling me too that nobody really have the whole crowd locked in yet. The field open, the people watching, and everybody better come with more than slogan and good shirt.

Because at the end of the day, this electorate don’t need courting. They need convincing.

Ain’t nothing new under the sun. The people will listen polite, smile small, and still wait to see who really come to do the work.”