People's National Party (PNP) president, Portia Simpson Miller (right), and supporters put on a brave face at the party's Old Hope Road headquarters in St. Andrew, following the PNP's loss of the general election on Monday, September 3. - Rudolph Brown/Chief Photographer

WORDS have a way of coming back to haunt you, leaving egg on your face.Just ask Portia Simpson Miller, president of the People's National Party (PNP), who led a bragging show across the island in the recent election campaign.

Mrs. Simpson Miller, like all politicians in the campaign, promised to end the political career of Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) leader Bruce Golding. However, the results of the September 3 general election have forced Simpson Miller to dine on her words.

The Sunday Gleaner shares some of the most memorable campaign pronouncements which have come back to hurt losing candidates, supporters and their party.

Portia Simpson Miller in North West St. Andrew

"Comrades, I promise you, I am going to whip the man. I'm going to whip him. Mi have dem under manners and a gwine whip him and send him into political retirement.

"You run from the JLP and go to the NDM and then back to the JLP, but after August 27, you will have to find somewhere to go because wi not taking you in the PNP. Comrades, I'm going to whip him!"

August 27 was initially announced as election day.

Portia Simpson Miller in Brea Head Square, North Clarendon

"Poll don't matter us. What we have on the ground is you, the Comrades ... I tell di man in the green, 'Yuh tink yuh bad? Match Portia!'. No matter what they do, PNP win again. Portia going get her first term."

The PNP's candidate Horace Dalley, who served as MP from 1993, was outsed by the JLP's Laurie Broderick.

Paul Lyn in Porus, Manchester

"Comrades, don't worry. There is no mystery in North East Manchester. Audrey Shaw (in reference to JLP candidate Audley Shaw) is history."

Lyn, a first timer who pundits said had the advantage, was soundly beaten by Shaw.

P.J. Patterson in Half-Way Tree, St. Andrew

"Wi fly the gate in '93 and dem couldn't catch us, wi fly the cate in '97 an demc ouldn't catch us, wi fly di gate in 2002 and dem couldn't catch us. I dont know know when 'Sista P' will fly di gate but I know dat when she fly di gate the Portia Train is unstoppable."

——The Portia Train derailed on election day and the PNP plunged into opposition for the first time since 1989.

Roger Clarke in Half Way Tree, St. Andrew

"As the minister in charge of titles, I have has asked my people to put in place a document to give to the Jamaica Labour Party, which gives them entitlement to the area of parliament in which they now sit.

All that area in Gordon House bounded on the north by the northern wall, on the south by the isle between opposition and majority party, on the east by the eastern wall and on the west to that section just away from the speakers chair...I bequeath that to them so that they can leave it for them and their children and their children's children".

—-The JLP received 33 seats and the PNP 27 fron the results of the September 3 geneal election.

General Secretary Donald Buchanan in Morant Bay, St. Andrew

"The Jamaica Labour Party has four deputy leaders and on election day all four of them will be beaten candidates".

—-All four JLP deputy leaders -James Robertson, Dr. Horace Chang, Audley Shaw and Derrick Smith won their seats.

Dr. Paul Robertson in a Gleaner Interview responding to the PNP being six points ahead in the polls.

"I expect the PNP to win and I expect that it will be more seats than the last time. I am not going beyond that at this stage. There is no election ever in our history where the PNP has not won with a lead of six, seven per cent. It is not possible to get that kind of figures and not win the elections".

—-That was five weeks before the initial August 27 election date. Hurricane Dean forced an adjustment to the date - September 3, by which time the JLP led the PNP by two points.

Joan Gordon Webley in South East St. Andrew.

Maxine where are you?...tell her seh nuh matter how many laps she take around the dam, she cannot catch up with me.

—-Gordon Webley was among the big losers on election night; despite her best efforts she could not unseat the PNP's Maxine Henry Wilson.

Dr. Fenton Ferguson, Chairman ,PNP Region 2 at mass meeting in Port Maria, St. Mary

"The good news is that from Western St. Mary to Western St. Thomas, it is going to be seven seats out of seven for the PNP. We're back on the sevens again.

The PNP won only four of these seats, losing Western St. Mary, Western Portland and Western St. Thomas.