After almost two years in office, Jamaicans may harbour doubt about this administration's capacity to transform the country and improve their lives, but they are unlikely, as yet, to give up hope.

Three things, in this regard, work in favour of Mr Golding and his Jamaica Labour Party (JLP).

First, in a different context, two years might have been time enough for an electorate to arrive at a damning conclusion about a government's ability to deliver. In this case, though, Mr Golding's predecessors were in office for 18 years, and the Jamaica Labour Party inherited an economy that was in no great shape. Jamaicans, we believe, are willing to allow Mr Golding more than two years before arriving at firm conclusion about the PM's fate.

Second, and more important, is the fact that the administration faces a global economic crisis that has exacerbated Jamaica's problems. So, even if the Government might be judged to be mediocre, nothing has collapsed. It has managed, in difficult times, to hold things together.

The final point, which relates to the first, is that Mr Golding's opponent, the People's National Party, appears to be in shambles, lacking in cohesive leadership and thrashing about for philosophical, intellectual and strategic direction. That the JLP was able to comfortably hold on to its seats in two contested by-elections, and is likely to have done the same in a third, is not unconnected to these facts.

power to recover

The bottom line in all of this is that Mr Golding and his party, if they act prudently and with urgency, have time to recover. That means that responses to the economic challenges will have to be much faster, and far bolder, than hitherto.

We sense that, at least intellectually, Mr Golding appreciates this.

At a briefing last week with editors of this newspaper, the prime minister conceded that it "would be fair comment" to conclude that his government did not respond quickly enough at the onset of the global economic crisis.

The Government disbelieved, or underestimated, the magnitude of the problems, despite the warnings from this newspaper and others. On some fronts, the party was not as prepared, as it might have been, for government.

We appreciate Mr Golding's candour in acknowledging those failures. "I mean, if you ask me to rewind and say I would do it all over again, I think that we would be more strident in the first round," he told Gleaner editors.

But the proof, as they say, will be in the taste of the pudding - and precisely what kind of leader Golding wants to be. Where is it that he wants to take Jamaica?

Mr Golding was once the man of the big vision, with grand concepts to take Jamaica beyond the constraints of tribally divisive politics. His reminder at the Gleaner forum that taking tough decisions can leave you "a lonely camper" reinforces doubt that he maintains this commitment. So, too, was his partial defence that early indecisiveness was not "unconnected to the tenuousness of our (parliamentary) majority".

There is still a window of opportunity, narrow thought it may be, for Mr Golding to become the leader that he promised, and dearly wants, to be. But he has to transcend fear of political loneliness, or shortness of tenure.

The opinions on this page, except for the above, do not necessarily reflect the views of The Gleaner. To respond to a Gleaner editorial, email us: editor@gleanerjm.com or fax: 922-6223. Responses should be no longer than 400 words. Not all responses will be published.