Collie Buddz on the Premier's appearance at his concert: "I thought it was pretty cool that he showed his support... He's not the Premier for nothing and he runs the country. He took time out to come down there and show support."

There's been a lot of scuttlebutt surrounding the Premier's appearance at the Collie Buddz show. One partisan UBP flack known for both his hyperbole and race-based innuendo went so far as to claim that scattered boos at one concert indicate that the Premier is "increasingly irrelevant to a youth interested in the future."

Nonsense. Politicians get booed at entertainment and sporting events all the time, regardless of their popularity. Consider Senator John Kerry. In the 2004 US presidential election, Senator Kerry won his home state of Massachussetts with over 62% of the vote. Yet, in his hometown of Boston, when he was riding on the high of his party's upcoming national convention, he was roundly booed by Boston baseball fans. This isn't the only example. Gordon Brown was booed at a music awards ceremony. Hillary Clinton was booed at a 9/11 benefit concert. Tony Blair was booed at Diana's concert. And, Bill Clinton was booed at a Willie Nelson concert. These are just a few examples of a well documented phenomena that politicians around the world have experienced.

The fact is, that almost all politicians, regardless of their popularity, receive scattered boos at entertainment and sporting events. And, this fact has absolutely nothing to do with either their personal popularity or the popularity of their policies. To claim that it does is intellectually dishonest and patently incorrect.

Premier Brown is one of the most pro-youth politicians in Bermuda history. He was the first Bermuda politician to join Facebook, the popular social networking website. He regularly participants in discussions and has over 400 'friends' on the site. It's a place where Bermuda's youth have direct access to their leader. In addition to his presence on Facebook, he's worked with organisers to promote two Open Mic nights where he engaged young people in a dialogue about Bermuda's future. He's gone on a college tour, engaging scores of young people studying abroad. He's a regular on Hott 1075. And, not only did he go to the Collie Buddz show - he's a fan who is well versed in the music. Premier Brown is a strong advocate for Bermuda's young people because he knows that our young people are our future.

Come election time, we'll see who wins the youth vote - the party of Bermuda's past or the PLP, the party of our future.