There is a clear difference between the debate as to who deserves to win on the basis of credentials (i.e. what a candidate has done in the past) and who deserves to win on the basis of a solid campaign strategy (i.e. how he sold himself). I have already made it very very clear that Gibo is the best choice while Noynoy has already been proclaimed as the 15th President of our Republic.
As such, I'd like to provide my unsolicited analysis on how and why Noynoy won and why Erap, Villar, and Gibo lost. Let's start off with an analysis of the Target Market of the Presidential Candidates.
Target Market: Filipino electorate
Behavior:
1. Generally instinctive not too keen on the details/platform. Satisfied in general/generic ideas.
2. Majority hates the current administration led by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo from the dominant political party: Lakas-Kampi CMD.
3. Decision is largely affected by personal and/or emotional attachment to the candidate.
4. Decision is largely affected by popularity and/or winnability.
5. Media blitz and glamor can sway the electorate.
Given the behavior of the target market, which is the Filipino electorate, then let us quickly analyze the campaign strategies of the four major presidential contenders.
Noynoy Aquino - 5 STARS
Noynoy is considered as a late comer, having only decided to run at around September/October 2009. However, his being a late comer should be seen in the light of him being the son of Cory and Ninoy and the brother of Kris Aquino. By looking at this angle, one can immediately see that he is not an unknown candidate unlike other late comers. Moreover, he ran and won a senate seat in 2007, which means that he has already campaigned in a nationwide scope placing him at least at par with his closest rivals.
The Cory Magic definitely worked. When Former President Cory Aquino passed away in 2009, Noynoy's political capital surged and his popularity rating went over the top. As such, it was very wise to use this to jump start his campaign. Noynoy's political ads in late 2009 to early 2010 were all about him being the son of Ninoy and Cory. These ads called on people to relive the spirit of EDSA 1986 by projecting that we are at the exact same state now as we were in 1986. Noynoy's initial campaign message was that the incumbent President Gloria Arroyo is Marcos and Noynoy represents the change that his mother, Cory, symbolized in 1986. Given the reality of the target market, this was a very effective message since this touched a sensitive/emotional chord within the Filipino people. EDSA 1986 remains to be one of our proudest moments as a people and reliving its spirit will always get a nod of approval from the majority of our people.
Noynoy was able to maximize the effects of Cory's passing and the spirit of EDSA. Using this message, his ratings went up to as high as 60%.
However, by February, right before the start of the campaign season, Noynoy's rating plummeted while that of Villar rose. Noynoy's strategists, veterans as they were, I believe, expected that at a certain point in time, The effect of the Cory/Ninoy Magic would have already been maximized and hence diminish and there should be an automatic transition to focus on a goal.
At this stage of the game, Noynoy's drop in ratings was due to an effort of his opponents to question him as a man in his own right, his platform and his accomplishments and not as the son of Filipino legends. As such, to deflect this attack, his campaign strategy shifted to focus on a goal and put the "son of cory" strategy a bit outside the limelight (take note: just a bit outside the limelight). Unlike other candidates, however, his goal was simple, straight and bereft of any sophisticaated details. His goal was as general and generic as it can be, some actually consider this a motherhood statement, but the point is: it worked. The message of ending corruption is a box office hit and people bought it like pancakes.
I will attribute the effectiveness of Noynoy's "anti-corruption" to 3 underlying action plans of his campaign.
1. Continue bombarding the public that GMA's supposedly corrupt regime has brought us nowhere and must end now.
2. Attack and attack and attack Villar through the C5 extension project and other supposed corrupt practices
3. Give corruption a face, it is not enough to only put GMA's face. Hence, they successfully combined GMA and Villar to create the VILLARROYO: the face of everything that is wrong with our country.
As such the initial stance was to promote Noynoy as the son of Cory and Ninoy, hence people will get a certain emotional/historical attachment with him. The Noynoy camp was able to do this flawlessly.
The second stage was attack, attack, attack Villar and GMA using corruption as the general message. This was not just simple, it was actually very elementary. Noynoy's campaign's lack of sophistication in message creation was actually its greatest strength. As such, by March to April 2010, he was ahead by miles.
The simplicity of Noynoy's message allowed him to deliver it clearly. More than this, the overarching / catch all "anti-corruption" message permitted his loose alliance with so many sectors of the society to remain intact since, nobody actually would tell you that being anti-corruption would not benefit their group and will therefore remove themselves from the yellow coalition. Lastly, the simplicity of Noynoy's message allowed them to execute it perfectly, in near flawless form.
Lastly, whether they admit it or not, Noynoy was the media's baby. I'll stop short of accusing the media of being bias but I believe that the media practitioners are persons too and in one way or another, some of their personal beliefs leaked into the way they reported and delivered news to the public.
In all, looking back at who the target market was, it's a straight 5 stars for Noynoy's campaign.
ERAP - 2.5 STARS
Erap, same as Noynoy, did not provide any details in his strategy. His was also a short and simple message (a sort of reprise of "Erap Para sa Mahirap" slogan in 1998) he used "Basta may Erap, may ginhawa." And basically, he just repeated that line over and over and over again during the whole 90 days. Again, unsophisticated, elementary, general, motherhood - Filipinos love that!
Second, Erap is also seen as anti-GMA. Although pardoned by GMA, he never wavered in being anti-Gloria. He kept on yarping about how he is better than GMA. He also argued that GMA must pay for her crimes, as Noynoy also did. Hence, Filipinos love him for this.
Erap's biggest weakness, however, is him already being a former president, womanizer, drunkard, ousted leader and convicted plunderer. Hence, there is a valid reason to hate the guy. As such, the Filipino emotion is quite divided on whether to treat him as a victim of Gloria's lust for power or a corrupt leader that was rightfully put in his proper place. There is an argument that he was already tried and he failed. Hence, this weakness pulls down the headway he gained from delivering a simple message and being anti-Gloria.
Further slowing down his momentum is his winnability. As discussed above, Filipinos only vote for winnable candidates. From November 2009 to March 2010, he was always ranked as a far third, hence voters set him aside. By April, however, he jumped to the second place and this gained him more voters. Obviously, this was not enough for him to overtake Noynoy.
He also lacked media blitz and showbiz support. Unlike in his 1998 campaign, Erap was more austere in his campaign and obviously did not enjoy the full backing of the showbiz world. As such, inspite having the correct message and stance on GMA, he falls behind Noynoy in the area of emotional attachment, winnability, and media blitz.
Hence, I believe it's a 2.5 to 3 stars/checks for Erap.
MANNY VILLAR: 1 STAR
Manny Villar started off very strong having prepared for his presidential run, I believe, as soon as he got elected to his second term in the senate back in 2007. He had laid out everything: his coalition, message and delivery. However, he did not prepare for one thing: Cory's death.
Villar's message, like Noynoy, is simple and straight: end poverty. However, he did not stop at the general tone of his message. Many of his ads pointed out his achievements throughout the years. Villar's ads told us how many trees he planted, how many OFWs he helped, how many jobs he created. This could have been somewhat effective but the electorate wanted a simple message. Villar, inspite or despite of the end poverty campaign, was still all over the place.
If you would remember, his most effective ad was not the one when he kept repeating everything he's done in the past. His most effective ad was the one where a group of kids sang a song about ending poverty. See... it was all about sticking to one general/generic/motherhood goal.
The problem with Villar's campaign strategy was that when Noynoy seemed to be surging, the more he used his achievements (e.g. I planted all these trees, I provided these scholarship grants, I made all these and all that before) and the less he utilized his simple/generic campaign of ending poverty. And hence, he was basically attacking all fronts when what was needed to be done was to stick to his "TAPUSIN ANG KAHIRAPAN" theme.
He also failed to exploit one of Noynoy's weaknesses: his alleged incompetence. Noynoy never shirked from attacking Villar and at around March to April, his anti-villar tact was all out. By April, Noynoy has successfully painted Villar as the evil and corrupt man that people should hate or at least be afraid of. Villar, on the other hand, save for the psychiatric reports, whose effect, I believed could have been maximized had it been delivered to the public differently, failed to really attack Noynoy. Villar should have, at least, tried to paint incompetence as the greater evil than any other evil. I am not sure if it would work but he should have tried that angle. Similar to when Hillary, in 2008, used White House's red phone to point out that she is better equipped to lead (or answer that "emergency" phone) than Obama. It may yield the same result but it was worth the try.
There are many things you can say about Manny Villar and but you CAN'T say that he was media's baby. Correctly or not, Villar was "killed" by the media. The point is bad news sell! and Villar's C5 and PSE controversies are bad news and hence, they sell! So eventhough he had all the money to buy all the airtime, the moment the show returns to its regular programming (particularly during news time) it was all anti-Manny V. The Filipino emotion, hence, slowly but surely turned away from Manny V.
And yes, one more thing, he had a softer stance against GMA, not as soft as Gibo but way softer as compared to "I'll Kill Her" stance of Noynoy. As such, Villar's ratings plummeted and a week before elections he even fell to the third place in most surveys.
Manny V. started off strong but he was disoriented when Noynoy came into the picture. He had no Plan Noynoy since all he had was Plan Mar. As such, he had to scramble to arrange a new battleplan, which I believe was just a rehash of his plan vs. Mar, which could have been effective if he were running against Mar.
Hence, his simple slogan was diluted by his detailed messages, his anti-gma stance was seen as little bit softer than what the public wants, his winnability faded by April, a media target, the face of corruption. This led him to make the wrong moves that led to his ultimate defeat.
Look back at the behavior of the Filipino electorate and you'll clearly see why he lost. He started with strong potential but he lost steam by mid-campaign season and ultimately lost all his strength by crunch time. Overall, I'll only give him one star.
GIBO: ZERO STARS
I believe the explanation as to why Gibo lost is simple: He did not do anything to win the vote of the Filipino electorate.
Many hate GMA. He is GMA's candidate.
He is hated because he is Lakas-Kampi's standard bearer. Yet, he didn't even bother maintaining/preserving the unity of Lakas-Kampi.
While Filipinos love generic goals, his message was a detailed platform of governance. He failed to see the reality that Filipinos during election season do not care about: Agro-entrepreneurship, Foreign investments, Infrastructure, Economic Policies/Credit Ratings.
Media. He did not spend enough.
Winnability. Always fourth on surveys.
Emotions? Well he did inspire many to volunteer for him but these people probably at the maximum only represents 10% of the electorate.
There is only one thing that I hope Gibo did. He probably would still have lost but if I were in his inner circle I would have told him to release an ad repeatedly saying that Gibo is new politics, Gibo doesn't meddle in useless politicking, Gibo focuses on issues, Gibo is new politics, Gibo provides solutions not shallow complaints. I hope he did that and I think he probably got a few more votes than he actually did.
If you want to analyze why Gordon lost, take a look at the 5 characteristics of Filipino voters and I believe it would be clear to you that Gordon did nothing to get their votes. For me, Gordon like Gibo, garnered zero stars.
The only reason Villanueva got a million is because he has his own religious movement.
And so let this be a lesson to all those who plan to run for an elective position in the future: In Philippine Elections, it doesn't matter what you did in the past, it doesn't matter what your ideology is, it doesn't matter how you plan to move this country forward, what matters is how you SELL THE DRAMA.
Showing posts with label manny. Show all posts
Showing posts with label manny. Show all posts
Friday, June 11, 2010
Monday, May 10, 2010
A Noynoy Victory
I religiously followed Gibo's call for positive campaign. I refrained from letting all hell break loose for almost 6 months, whenever I talk about Philippine politics. And now, I will ask for your forgiveness. The elections are over and both my priest and my doctor told me that it would be best to let out all the pent up frustrations and anger.
At this exact time, less than 1% of the precincts have been tallied so it is very immature to declare victory for any candidate. But you can expect Noynoy to do this very soon because maturity isn't really a trait he is well known for. As such, it is quite obvious that I can no longer constrain myself to discuss what a Noynoy Victory means.
In the event of a Noynoy victory, my hope that at long last, Filipinos would have already reached a certain level of political maturity will be proven groundless. Filipinos still vote based on popularity and personality. Filipinos have this "sabay sa uso" mentality and the surveys accomplished this well for Noynoy. Classes D & E are not solely to blame for this rotten mindset.
Classes A & B voters or the so called "educated" vote are also very much infected by this "sabay sa uso" disease. Many from this class have opted to vote for an innocuous candidate who has done nothing and proven nothing. More than this, this guy continuous to exhibit incompetence and traditional political behavior.
He, in his 12 years as a legislator, has not passed a single law. And what is the main role of a legislator? That's right, to create laws.
How did he explain himself? He argued that the reason for this is because only the rich benefit from the laws passed by congress and hence he simply directs you to all the legislative hearings and inquiries he attended.
And how did the so called "educated voters" respond to this spin? A resounding round of applause in agreement.
He, among all the candidates (I can't use the word Presidentiable to describe Noynoy, since that word requires the candidate to exhibit behavior and skills to actually be ABLE to become PRESIDENT), used negative campaigning at its worst. He pushed for instability through fear mongering by presuming People Power in the event of his defeat. Even Cardinal Rosales called this tactic "crazy, crazy, crazy" and "irresponsible."
How did the so called "educated voters" respond to this irresponsible behavior? With a big smile and a bigger yellow sticker on their foreheads saying, "I don't care if it's crazy, I don't care of it's irresponsible... basta ako NOY NA, NOW NA."
Like a little child, Noynoy licks his finger and sticks it in the air to see which way the popular winds are blowing. Case and point is his stand on taxation. One minute, he, in all his glory, balding head and all, boldly declares: "NO NEW TAXES!" the next minute he's singing a different tune. A day ago, he declared the redistribution of Hacienda Luisita, the next day his relative stated otherwise. Noynoy responds by saying his relative was misquoted. New York Times said they can actually release the interview transcript. Noynoy backs off.
How did the so called "educated voters" respond to this? With an all capitalized "WHATEVER! BASTA NOY IS THE SON OF CORY AND NINOY AND HE IS ANTI-GLORIA SO HE CAN MAKE ALL THE MISTAKES HE CAN. HE CAN SAY WHATEVER HE WANTS TO SAY!"
In Asia Dragon's December 2009 issue, Noynoy declared: "Democracy must work for everybody." He argued that a vote for him is a vote for the restoration of democracy so badly tarnished and spit upon by the incumbent. Let's take a quick look at how this man truly strengthens our democracy.
He strengthens our democracy by engaging in mudslinging and traditional political behavior.
He strengthens our democratic institutions by calling on people to rally on the streets in protest if he loses the election.
He strengthens our democracy by sitting on his legislative chair for 12 long years without writing, repealing, and/or strengthening any of our laws.
He strengthens our democracy by complaining without presenting solutions. Oh, I may be wrong, he did present a solution: himself and his messianic complex.
He strengthens our democracy by repeatedly declaring his motherhood statements not clear cut, solid, and grounded platform. And for the record, wrong headed economic policies and priorities are more responsible for poverty than this over-used, imprecise, catch-all term: corruption.
He strengthens our democracy by taking advantage of the personality political culture, calling on everyone to vote for him because he is Noynoy, the son of Cory and Ninoy.
He strengthens our democracy by skirting the pressing issues, such as infrastructure investments, education lending programs, and rural development. If he gets asked any questions related to these, he will simply look the other way and declare: HINDI AKO MAGNANAKAW.
He strengthens our democracy by getting irritated during debates, which is an essential part of democracy, when cornered or taken by surprised. His defensive tactic: he will claim that the moderator is biased.
That's sarcasm in case you didn't get it. Contrary to what Noynoy declares, our democracy will not magically and suddenly be strengthened and effectively function just because of one man. To make democracy work, a leader must not and cannot depend on HIMSELF and HIS DREAMS, he must have a solid, detailed, realistic and comprehensive platform to enact STRUCTURAL REFORMS that would work to strengthen both our middle class and our political party system. Noynoy did not present a concrete plan to address issues in both areas. In fact, his actions ostensibly contradict his rhetoric.
As such, the main paradox here is that these big bold promises of restoring and preserving our democratic institutions came from a man who exhibited nil capacity, in all his years in public service, to enact structural and institutional changes to our political system that would precisely solve or at least attempt to redress that which he passionately complained about (i.e. the incumbent's alleged crimes). In other words, Noynoy has not done anything in the past, the present, and during the campaign to prove that he actually can strengthen our democracy.
How did the so called "educated voters" respond to the absence of any solid track record and comprehensive forward looking platform that would allow Noynoy to deliver on his promises? Nothing. They were too blinded by Noynoy's smile and were too awed by him being the fiancee of a beautiful city council member, the brother of a celebrity, the son of the former president and a hero and many bought it. This is personality politics at its worst.
He exaggerates. He tells you things that you want to hear. Not the things that you need to hear. He is a populist and we don't need one.
He has no platform except to complain about the current administration. He has no policy direction. He has no plan on how to move us forward. He has nil achievements. He is insignificant.
All he has is the blessing... or may I call it an accident of being born into the Aquino family.
We have blamed classes D & E for the victory of Erap in 1998. We have blamed classes D & E for the continuous prevalence of Traditional Politicians in our system.
Today, I will blame Classes A & B for choosing incompetence just because he is Noynoy Aquino, for choosing unsubstantiated rhetoric just because he is Noynoy Aquino, for choosing motherhood statements (e.g. I will fight corruption) just because he is Noynoy Aquino.
Any warrior must prove himself first in several small skirmishes before rallying an army of millions to a grand battle. It is a sheer dictate of common sense that one should not follow a self-proclaimed warrior, who has not proven anything but promises a victorious empire, into battle. I will not follow a leader who has no achievements yet talks as if it would be so easy to effect change.
It maybe just me, but it takes a lot for me to admire a man. It takes a lot for me to believe in a leader. It takes a lot for me to be inspired. Because inspiration springs from action, from achievements and not from shameless/baseless rhetoric.
I am not that easy.
A vote for Noynoy is a vote for the past not the future. A vote for Noynoy is "sabay sa uso" vote. A vote for Noynoy shows that our political maturity is not only in its infancy, it is not only nascent, it is actually non-existent.
I maybe wrong. Noynoy may actually become a very good president. But using rational choice and analyzing all the information in front of me right now points me to a different direction. Believe me, I hope I would be proven wrong for the sake of our country.
But whatever happens, I can hold my head up high and I will always be proud because I made the right choice. I will tell the future generations that last May 10, 2010, I voted for Gibo Teodoro. I can boldly declare that I chose my president not because he is popular, not because he is "uso," and most of all not because he is Gibo. I decided to vote for my president after careful discernment... I studied and I listened.
http://straightshooter-lojo.blogspot.com/2010/02/case-for-gibo-teodoro.html
I did not allow my emotions to dictate my vote. I did not permit my instincts to dictate my actions. Because after all, I was told that the only difference we have from savage animals is our capability to use our cerebral faculty over our instincts.
Noynoy's victory's biggest contribution to this world is probably debunking the idea that all humans are rational beings.
For my closing, I would like to apologize.
I would like to say sorry but not to Noynoy's voters who may have been offended by this entry.
I'd like to say sorry to all us who voted correctly.
I'd like to say sorry to the gym owner who told me, while waiting for our turn to vote, that he will vote for Gibo because he wants a competent leader.
I'd like to say sorry to the taxi driver who told me, while waiting for our cars to get washed this morning, that he voted for Gibo because he is tired of political bickering.
I'd like to say sorry to the college students who told me, when I met them in Green Team activities, that they will vote for Gibo because they want to secure their future.
I'd like to say sorry to my colleagues who voted for Gordon, whom I highly respect, because they want to have a leader with a proven track record.
I will not say sorry to Noynoy's voters because they deserve everything that is coming their way.
I am sorry for myself.
I am sorry for all of us who made the right choice because while the country is not ready and unwilling to accept Modern Leadership, we are.
I am sorry for all us who made the right choce because all they had to do was to THINK and they would be ready for Modern Leadership but they chose not to.
I am sorry because we deserve better... so much better.
This is what a Noynoy Victory means.
But rest assured, that being a responsible citizen, I will respect the results of the election and offer my support to the New President of the Republic.
And to the citizens of this country, I hope we all realize that, whoever calls Malacanang his new home, for our own sake, we must always work hard and to achieve our goals... we must work even harder.
At this exact time, less than 1% of the precincts have been tallied so it is very immature to declare victory for any candidate. But you can expect Noynoy to do this very soon because maturity isn't really a trait he is well known for. As such, it is quite obvious that I can no longer constrain myself to discuss what a Noynoy Victory means.
In the event of a Noynoy victory, my hope that at long last, Filipinos would have already reached a certain level of political maturity will be proven groundless. Filipinos still vote based on popularity and personality. Filipinos have this "sabay sa uso" mentality and the surveys accomplished this well for Noynoy. Classes D & E are not solely to blame for this rotten mindset.
Classes A & B voters or the so called "educated" vote are also very much infected by this "sabay sa uso" disease. Many from this class have opted to vote for an innocuous candidate who has done nothing and proven nothing. More than this, this guy continuous to exhibit incompetence and traditional political behavior.
He, in his 12 years as a legislator, has not passed a single law. And what is the main role of a legislator? That's right, to create laws.
How did he explain himself? He argued that the reason for this is because only the rich benefit from the laws passed by congress and hence he simply directs you to all the legislative hearings and inquiries he attended.
And how did the so called "educated voters" respond to this spin? A resounding round of applause in agreement.
He, among all the candidates (I can't use the word Presidentiable to describe Noynoy, since that word requires the candidate to exhibit behavior and skills to actually be ABLE to become PRESIDENT), used negative campaigning at its worst. He pushed for instability through fear mongering by presuming People Power in the event of his defeat. Even Cardinal Rosales called this tactic "crazy, crazy, crazy" and "irresponsible."
How did the so called "educated voters" respond to this irresponsible behavior? With a big smile and a bigger yellow sticker on their foreheads saying, "I don't care if it's crazy, I don't care of it's irresponsible... basta ako NOY NA, NOW NA."
Like a little child, Noynoy licks his finger and sticks it in the air to see which way the popular winds are blowing. Case and point is his stand on taxation. One minute, he, in all his glory, balding head and all, boldly declares: "NO NEW TAXES!" the next minute he's singing a different tune. A day ago, he declared the redistribution of Hacienda Luisita, the next day his relative stated otherwise. Noynoy responds by saying his relative was misquoted. New York Times said they can actually release the interview transcript. Noynoy backs off.
How did the so called "educated voters" respond to this? With an all capitalized "WHATEVER! BASTA NOY IS THE SON OF CORY AND NINOY AND HE IS ANTI-GLORIA SO HE CAN MAKE ALL THE MISTAKES HE CAN. HE CAN SAY WHATEVER HE WANTS TO SAY!"
In Asia Dragon's December 2009 issue, Noynoy declared: "Democracy must work for everybody." He argued that a vote for him is a vote for the restoration of democracy so badly tarnished and spit upon by the incumbent. Let's take a quick look at how this man truly strengthens our democracy.
He strengthens our democracy by engaging in mudslinging and traditional political behavior.
He strengthens our democratic institutions by calling on people to rally on the streets in protest if he loses the election.
He strengthens our democracy by sitting on his legislative chair for 12 long years without writing, repealing, and/or strengthening any of our laws.
He strengthens our democracy by complaining without presenting solutions. Oh, I may be wrong, he did present a solution: himself and his messianic complex.
He strengthens our democracy by repeatedly declaring his motherhood statements not clear cut, solid, and grounded platform. And for the record, wrong headed economic policies and priorities are more responsible for poverty than this over-used, imprecise, catch-all term: corruption.
He strengthens our democracy by taking advantage of the personality political culture, calling on everyone to vote for him because he is Noynoy, the son of Cory and Ninoy.
He strengthens our democracy by skirting the pressing issues, such as infrastructure investments, education lending programs, and rural development. If he gets asked any questions related to these, he will simply look the other way and declare: HINDI AKO MAGNANAKAW.
He strengthens our democracy by getting irritated during debates, which is an essential part of democracy, when cornered or taken by surprised. His defensive tactic: he will claim that the moderator is biased.
That's sarcasm in case you didn't get it. Contrary to what Noynoy declares, our democracy will not magically and suddenly be strengthened and effectively function just because of one man. To make democracy work, a leader must not and cannot depend on HIMSELF and HIS DREAMS, he must have a solid, detailed, realistic and comprehensive platform to enact STRUCTURAL REFORMS that would work to strengthen both our middle class and our political party system. Noynoy did not present a concrete plan to address issues in both areas. In fact, his actions ostensibly contradict his rhetoric.
As such, the main paradox here is that these big bold promises of restoring and preserving our democratic institutions came from a man who exhibited nil capacity, in all his years in public service, to enact structural and institutional changes to our political system that would precisely solve or at least attempt to redress that which he passionately complained about (i.e. the incumbent's alleged crimes). In other words, Noynoy has not done anything in the past, the present, and during the campaign to prove that he actually can strengthen our democracy.
How did the so called "educated voters" respond to the absence of any solid track record and comprehensive forward looking platform that would allow Noynoy to deliver on his promises? Nothing. They were too blinded by Noynoy's smile and were too awed by him being the fiancee of a beautiful city council member, the brother of a celebrity, the son of the former president and a hero and many bought it. This is personality politics at its worst.
He exaggerates. He tells you things that you want to hear. Not the things that you need to hear. He is a populist and we don't need one.
He has no platform except to complain about the current administration. He has no policy direction. He has no plan on how to move us forward. He has nil achievements. He is insignificant.
All he has is the blessing... or may I call it an accident of being born into the Aquino family.
We have blamed classes D & E for the victory of Erap in 1998. We have blamed classes D & E for the continuous prevalence of Traditional Politicians in our system.
Today, I will blame Classes A & B for choosing incompetence just because he is Noynoy Aquino, for choosing unsubstantiated rhetoric just because he is Noynoy Aquino, for choosing motherhood statements (e.g. I will fight corruption) just because he is Noynoy Aquino.
Any warrior must prove himself first in several small skirmishes before rallying an army of millions to a grand battle. It is a sheer dictate of common sense that one should not follow a self-proclaimed warrior, who has not proven anything but promises a victorious empire, into battle. I will not follow a leader who has no achievements yet talks as if it would be so easy to effect change.
It maybe just me, but it takes a lot for me to admire a man. It takes a lot for me to believe in a leader. It takes a lot for me to be inspired. Because inspiration springs from action, from achievements and not from shameless/baseless rhetoric.
I am not that easy.
A vote for Noynoy is a vote for the past not the future. A vote for Noynoy is "sabay sa uso" vote. A vote for Noynoy shows that our political maturity is not only in its infancy, it is not only nascent, it is actually non-existent.
I maybe wrong. Noynoy may actually become a very good president. But using rational choice and analyzing all the information in front of me right now points me to a different direction. Believe me, I hope I would be proven wrong for the sake of our country.
But whatever happens, I can hold my head up high and I will always be proud because I made the right choice. I will tell the future generations that last May 10, 2010, I voted for Gibo Teodoro. I can boldly declare that I chose my president not because he is popular, not because he is "uso," and most of all not because he is Gibo. I decided to vote for my president after careful discernment... I studied and I listened.
http://straightshooter-lojo.blogspot.com/2010/02/case-for-gibo-teodoro.html
I did not allow my emotions to dictate my vote. I did not permit my instincts to dictate my actions. Because after all, I was told that the only difference we have from savage animals is our capability to use our cerebral faculty over our instincts.
Noynoy's victory's biggest contribution to this world is probably debunking the idea that all humans are rational beings.
For my closing, I would like to apologize.
I would like to say sorry but not to Noynoy's voters who may have been offended by this entry.
I'd like to say sorry to all us who voted correctly.
I'd like to say sorry to the gym owner who told me, while waiting for our turn to vote, that he will vote for Gibo because he wants a competent leader.
I'd like to say sorry to the taxi driver who told me, while waiting for our cars to get washed this morning, that he voted for Gibo because he is tired of political bickering.
I'd like to say sorry to the college students who told me, when I met them in Green Team activities, that they will vote for Gibo because they want to secure their future.
I'd like to say sorry to my colleagues who voted for Gordon, whom I highly respect, because they want to have a leader with a proven track record.
I will not say sorry to Noynoy's voters because they deserve everything that is coming their way.
I am sorry for myself.
I am sorry for all of us who made the right choice because while the country is not ready and unwilling to accept Modern Leadership, we are.
I am sorry for all us who made the right choce because all they had to do was to THINK and they would be ready for Modern Leadership but they chose not to.
I am sorry because we deserve better... so much better.
This is what a Noynoy Victory means.
But rest assured, that being a responsible citizen, I will respect the results of the election and offer my support to the New President of the Republic.
And to the citizens of this country, I hope we all realize that, whoever calls Malacanang his new home, for our own sake, we must always work hard and to achieve our goals... we must work even harder.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Unity. Stability. Progress.
The time has come for us to cast our ballots and choose the set of leaders that will lead us for the next three to six years, depending on whether they are running for a national or a local position. Contrary to what others say, your decision should not be based on the argument that this election simply boils down to a question of good vs. evil. In our socially constructed world, nothing is as elementary as good vs. evil.
The Real World is more complex than good vs. evil. Nothing is in black and white. There is not only a gray area, there is a whole plethora of every shade of every color known to a good paint salesman.
To be able to effect change, a leader must first and foremost see all these colors as they criss cross each other forming a kaleidescope. To be able to effect change, one must have a full grasp of reality.
There are not only 2 sides to every issue and in politics, there maybe millions of angles. In politics, there are a multitude of interests that must be considered and taken into account.
Failure to grasp reality results in useless/worthless opinions and views on how to move this country forward.
Only individuals who see the complexity of reality as clearly as possible can produce results and at the end of the day, producing effective results is the number one consideration in any measurement and or analysis. Those who do not see reality are bound to fail and fail again miserably. Those who do not see reality, repeat the same exact set of motions or actions and yet they expect a different result.
I have already, in my previous posts, described in detail why you too should choose Gibo and as such, I have already done everything I can in my capacity to tell the public that Gibo is the right choice.
Please view:
THE CASE FOR GIBO TEODORO: http://straightshooter-lojo.blogspot.com/2010/02/case-for-gibo-teodoro.html
WHAT WE NEED NOW: http://straightshooter-lojo.blogspot.com/2010/02/what-we-need-now-modern-voters-modern.html
Green Team MandaluyongAs such, I am now left with only an earnest hope that when the electorate cast their votes tomorrow, they would have already realized that the complexity of reality bars us from choosing unsubstantiated rhetoric. The complexity of reality demands us to choose substance, the choose concrete platform, to choose vision, and to choose meritocracy: TO CHOOSE THE BEST.
For decades, in an effort to sway the gullible electorate, candidates have used poverty and corruption as core issues because they sell. I hope that tomorrow, we would have already understood that the complexity of reality demands us to comprehend WHAT WE NEED NOW.
What we need is someone who is working for UNITY.
What we need is someone who has a clear platform towards STABILITY.
What we need now is a man who can be the lead instrument for PROGRESS.
Stop the division. No more vengeance.
What we need now is GILBERT "GIBO" TEODORO, JR.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
How about some sense of Mercy?
“I’m tired of hatred, Dr. Garrigan, our country is drowning in it. We deserve better.”
This line from the film “the Last King of Scotland” reminds me so much of our country. It is precisely hatred that has provided the downward pressure to the upward force of a surging economy and I am very much tired of it. But hatred has permeated deep in our society and I am actually quite amazed at how quick even regular citizens are in sowing speculations and conspiracy theories. It is quite clear that what we have now is a culture of hate.
Who do we blame for the current state of our country? The President, yes, ofcourse, the President is guilty. BUT SO ARE YOU AND SO AM I. The Media, the Church, the Business Clubs, the Academe, and yes, must I forget, the great orators, the senators, are all equally guilty of why we are in this sad state.
We have failed this country because we have chosen hate over unity, animosity over goodwill, hostility over stability.
Upon reading this, the arrogant, those who believe that they have the monopoly of rigtheousness, with their nose pointed up in the air, would say, YES, of course, we choose hatred, hatred of corruption, hatred of evil, that is. Evil? Everybody hates evil. It is a matter of how you effectively address evil. How you confront it and what results do you achieve after confronting it the way you decided to.
Hatred has been used to drive the search for justice. Hence, many of us look at justice as the legal method to crucify the sinners depending on our moods and whims. A Witch Hunt. A Vendetta.
This sense of justice would make us blind followers to a cult whose blind goal is to raze this country to ground until every living being that ever walked or crawled this land will have to either leave or suffer the subsequent economic deterioration.
This sense of justice promotes hate, further division, and utter destruction.
How about the millions of Filipinos living in poverty? What do all of these mean to them? What about those without food and clothing? Is this the justice they are looking for? What about those without jobs? Will this justice give them paychecks?
You see evil. You confront it. Many see this as the end of the struggle. I see this as the beginning.
Hatred has blinded us so much that we think that through hatred we can create jobs, produce food, and build roads. But this is not the case.
Hatred has blinded us so much that we think that just by hating we are already achieving something.
I have made this point again and again, but I cannot reiterate enough that the more we allow our hatred to violently confront the ills of the current system the more we push these ills, the more we solidify them and further entrench them in the system. Hence, we achieve nothing but create a vicious cycle.
A few weeks back, I read an article comparing Gibo's supporters to a bunch of guys satisfied eating their burgers with somebody else's phlegm on it. You can read hate between the lines. Obviously, the writer's initial goal was to convert some soft Gibo supporters into voting for someone else. But using hate as the driver to achieve his objective, He failed miserably. Those who were thinking of voting for Gibo, upon reading this hateful article, moved towards solidfying their ties with the Gibo team. This is what happens when hate takes the driver seat. We forget about effectiveness, we forget about results and we make hating the end-goal.
We have seen so much hate and it brought us nowhere.
So now, I ask you... I dare you... How about some sense of mercy?
Mercy: not for anyone but for our country and for our people.
Mercy: to provide hope, unity, stability, and progress.
Mercy: so that for once, we may have the chance to become a strong united country with the noble aim of finally being able to take our rightful seat among the world’s most respected nations.
It is only through mercy can we forgive the sins of our painful and hateful past.
Only through unity can we take flight towards our bright future.
Only one leader offers us unity over hate, goodwill over animosity, and stability over hostility.
I think it is just wise for us to take his offer.
GIBO TEODORO FOR PRESIDENT
MAY 10, 2010
This line from the film “the Last King of Scotland” reminds me so much of our country. It is precisely hatred that has provided the downward pressure to the upward force of a surging economy and I am very much tired of it. But hatred has permeated deep in our society and I am actually quite amazed at how quick even regular citizens are in sowing speculations and conspiracy theories. It is quite clear that what we have now is a culture of hate.
Who do we blame for the current state of our country? The President, yes, ofcourse, the President is guilty. BUT SO ARE YOU AND SO AM I. The Media, the Church, the Business Clubs, the Academe, and yes, must I forget, the great orators, the senators, are all equally guilty of why we are in this sad state.
We have failed this country because we have chosen hate over unity, animosity over goodwill, hostility over stability.
Upon reading this, the arrogant, those who believe that they have the monopoly of rigtheousness, with their nose pointed up in the air, would say, YES, of course, we choose hatred, hatred of corruption, hatred of evil, that is. Evil? Everybody hates evil. It is a matter of how you effectively address evil. How you confront it and what results do you achieve after confronting it the way you decided to.
Hatred has been used to drive the search for justice. Hence, many of us look at justice as the legal method to crucify the sinners depending on our moods and whims. A Witch Hunt. A Vendetta.
This sense of justice would make us blind followers to a cult whose blind goal is to raze this country to ground until every living being that ever walked or crawled this land will have to either leave or suffer the subsequent economic deterioration.
This sense of justice promotes hate, further division, and utter destruction.
How about the millions of Filipinos living in poverty? What do all of these mean to them? What about those without food and clothing? Is this the justice they are looking for? What about those without jobs? Will this justice give them paychecks?
You see evil. You confront it. Many see this as the end of the struggle. I see this as the beginning.
Hatred has blinded us so much that we think that through hatred we can create jobs, produce food, and build roads. But this is not the case.
Hatred has blinded us so much that we think that just by hating we are already achieving something.
I have made this point again and again, but I cannot reiterate enough that the more we allow our hatred to violently confront the ills of the current system the more we push these ills, the more we solidify them and further entrench them in the system. Hence, we achieve nothing but create a vicious cycle.
A few weeks back, I read an article comparing Gibo's supporters to a bunch of guys satisfied eating their burgers with somebody else's phlegm on it. You can read hate between the lines. Obviously, the writer's initial goal was to convert some soft Gibo supporters into voting for someone else. But using hate as the driver to achieve his objective, He failed miserably. Those who were thinking of voting for Gibo, upon reading this hateful article, moved towards solidfying their ties with the Gibo team. This is what happens when hate takes the driver seat. We forget about effectiveness, we forget about results and we make hating the end-goal.
We have seen so much hate and it brought us nowhere.
So now, I ask you... I dare you... How about some sense of mercy?
Mercy: not for anyone but for our country and for our people.
Mercy: to provide hope, unity, stability, and progress.
Mercy: so that for once, we may have the chance to become a strong united country with the noble aim of finally being able to take our rightful seat among the world’s most respected nations.
It is only through mercy can we forgive the sins of our painful and hateful past.
Only through unity can we take flight towards our bright future.
Only one leader offers us unity over hate, goodwill over animosity, and stability over hostility.
I think it is just wise for us to take his offer.
GIBO TEODORO FOR PRESIDENT
MAY 10, 2010
Thursday, March 25, 2010
A Call to Arms: The Surge is Now!
Like a Hollywood scene, a faint shake grows slowly, wider and stronger before the ground swells up in a cataclysmic occurrence that tips the whole story line into one point or another.
Gibo Teodoro’s presidential campaign is off to a very decent start. From being a virtually unknown cabinet member, I can safely say that 99% of the population, voters and non-voters alike, already know him as a former legislator, former defense secretary, trained pilot – presidential candidate. His superb public speaking skills and his clear cut policy direction presentations has made many skeptics into believers. The young population has overwhelmingly thrown their support to Gibo’s presidential bid. The result is the formation of a solid core of followers, ready to follow Gibo to the gates of hell to ensure the victory of a heavenly cause.
The first phase has been successfully accomplished. The second phase is the surge. And believe me, the surge is coming. This surge is as certain as the sun’s rise every morning and darkness’ fall each night. We read it, we hear it, we feel it, and we know it. This surge is founded on the rise of an exemplary leader exhibiting extraordinary character.
Gibo is an enigmatic case. At this stage of our flawed democracy, it is unexpected for a modern leader to rise. If we make the correct decisions, our system should allow the rise of a forward looking leader anywhere between 12 and 18 years. The system is currently hacked by traditional, backward and pretentious leaders halting the advance of new leadership. Moreover, our system has been wired in a way that even new politicians provide useless and somehow idiotic visions or delusions of how to move this country forward. Nevertheless, Gibo managed to demolish these barriers and is now at the center of the latest saga of our struggle for sustainable growth. His realistic, positive, comprehensive, and genuine reformist vision is our opportunity to ignite and turbo-charge our movement for genuine development.
I don’t think all of us realize how great this opportunity is. This is our opportunity to have a leader who can inspire even the most non-believers to greatness. This is our opportunity to place a modern leader, right now, at the helm of power without the need for bloodshed and violence. This is our opportunity to create a stable society without the pre-requisite of purging. This is our chance to have a leader who sees reality as clearly as possible and one who provides solutions by working with reality and not by going against it.
This is about a rare opportunity. This is about one chance. The challenge here is will you take it? Nay... will you grab it?
Anybody or anyone who hopes for a modern and developed country must take this chance. We must understand that mere rhetoric without substance is bound to fall like the winter wheat. Intentions are good but action is required. Eloquence is a trait well revered but grounded plans are necessary. We must realize that personality politics has been our curse and it will continue to plague us until we understand that meritocracy is not just an option, it is our only option. Anybody or anyone who wants to change this country must realize that the time our voices are the loudest is not when we are on the streets in protest, it is when we cast our ballots. And on the 10th of May, we can make our voices even louder, stronger, and bigger. We can make it resonate across the seas to reach every island. We can make it tear down every dividing wall so that everyone will know that we choose positive and competent leadership. We can make it even more powerful if we bond with this incoming surge. Because this surge is coming and it is coming fast.
In fact, it is happening right now. Gibo’s vision is spreading like wildfire, turning spectators into active citizens in nation building. His positive attitude is contagious. His clear cut reformist vision springs hope. His leadership is inspiring. His vision is what we need now.
It’s been a long hard climb and much has to be done because it remains to be one. But we do not fear because like the charge of a million man infantry, we will prevail. Like the incessant waves successively hitting the shore, we are unstoppable. No different from Patton’s army blazing through the European theater, no matter how formidable the enemy is, our victory is certain. And one by one as arms link together forming a chain from EDSA, along Taft, down to the monument of the greatest Filipino revolutionary, Andres Bonifacio, the world will realize that this is not a Hollywood scene, that this is indeed real and that we are truly in the midst of a revolution. The time has come to grab this country by its throat and demand it to listen: THE SURGE IS HAPPENING NOW AND YOU WANT TO BE A PART OF IT!
Gibo Teodoro’s presidential campaign is off to a very decent start. From being a virtually unknown cabinet member, I can safely say that 99% of the population, voters and non-voters alike, already know him as a former legislator, former defense secretary, trained pilot – presidential candidate. His superb public speaking skills and his clear cut policy direction presentations has made many skeptics into believers. The young population has overwhelmingly thrown their support to Gibo’s presidential bid. The result is the formation of a solid core of followers, ready to follow Gibo to the gates of hell to ensure the victory of a heavenly cause.
The first phase has been successfully accomplished. The second phase is the surge. And believe me, the surge is coming. This surge is as certain as the sun’s rise every morning and darkness’ fall each night. We read it, we hear it, we feel it, and we know it. This surge is founded on the rise of an exemplary leader exhibiting extraordinary character.
Gibo is an enigmatic case. At this stage of our flawed democracy, it is unexpected for a modern leader to rise. If we make the correct decisions, our system should allow the rise of a forward looking leader anywhere between 12 and 18 years. The system is currently hacked by traditional, backward and pretentious leaders halting the advance of new leadership. Moreover, our system has been wired in a way that even new politicians provide useless and somehow idiotic visions or delusions of how to move this country forward. Nevertheless, Gibo managed to demolish these barriers and is now at the center of the latest saga of our struggle for sustainable growth. His realistic, positive, comprehensive, and genuine reformist vision is our opportunity to ignite and turbo-charge our movement for genuine development.
I don’t think all of us realize how great this opportunity is. This is our opportunity to have a leader who can inspire even the most non-believers to greatness. This is our opportunity to place a modern leader, right now, at the helm of power without the need for bloodshed and violence. This is our opportunity to create a stable society without the pre-requisite of purging. This is our chance to have a leader who sees reality as clearly as possible and one who provides solutions by working with reality and not by going against it.
This is about a rare opportunity. This is about one chance. The challenge here is will you take it? Nay... will you grab it?
Anybody or anyone who hopes for a modern and developed country must take this chance. We must understand that mere rhetoric without substance is bound to fall like the winter wheat. Intentions are good but action is required. Eloquence is a trait well revered but grounded plans are necessary. We must realize that personality politics has been our curse and it will continue to plague us until we understand that meritocracy is not just an option, it is our only option. Anybody or anyone who wants to change this country must realize that the time our voices are the loudest is not when we are on the streets in protest, it is when we cast our ballots. And on the 10th of May, we can make our voices even louder, stronger, and bigger. We can make it resonate across the seas to reach every island. We can make it tear down every dividing wall so that everyone will know that we choose positive and competent leadership. We can make it even more powerful if we bond with this incoming surge. Because this surge is coming and it is coming fast.
In fact, it is happening right now. Gibo’s vision is spreading like wildfire, turning spectators into active citizens in nation building. His positive attitude is contagious. His clear cut reformist vision springs hope. His leadership is inspiring. His vision is what we need now.
It’s been a long hard climb and much has to be done because it remains to be one. But we do not fear because like the charge of a million man infantry, we will prevail. Like the incessant waves successively hitting the shore, we are unstoppable. No different from Patton’s army blazing through the European theater, no matter how formidable the enemy is, our victory is certain. And one by one as arms link together forming a chain from EDSA, along Taft, down to the monument of the greatest Filipino revolutionary, Andres Bonifacio, the world will realize that this is not a Hollywood scene, that this is indeed real and that we are truly in the midst of a revolution. The time has come to grab this country by its throat and demand it to listen: THE SURGE IS HAPPENING NOW AND YOU WANT TO BE A PART OF IT!
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
What We Need Now: Modern Voters & Modern Leaders
A basic pre-requisite for a successful pursuit of economic development in any society is the rise of a modern leader. No matter what political system is in place and whatever the social environment, a modern leader's ascend to power brings upon much needed reformist policies, which would enable any society to move forward.
However, in a pseudo democratic system, which we have, it is quite harder to give rise to modern leaders. Like any working democracy, we choose our leaders through a popular vote done during elections but unlike working democratic systems, ours is flawed in more ways than one.
Our pseudo democratic system operates under an environment wherein voters are ill-informed and where political maturity is only nascent or in some areas, actually non-existent. To further worsen the problem, we have a no-party system where voters cannot differentiate one candidate from another except in terms of looks, dance moves, and celebrity endorsers. We have martial law/Cory babies who cannot get over the glory of EDSA 1, not to disparage the memories of our brave countrymen who defied tyranny in the face of death but it is an undemanding dictate of sheer common sense that we cannot topple or try to topple each and every succeeding administration. By doing so, we preclude our society from attaining stability and maintain it, in what seems to be, a perpetually precarious state. We have deeply entrenched populist traditional politicians, whose only goal in office is personal gain. And to top it all, we have separatists and communists, supporting and funding their respective armed movements, within our supposedly democratic government.
Given this convoluted democratic space, where merit, a solid platform, and capability to lead do not directly translate to a landslide election victory, most modern leaders are left marginalized, leaving our society in the hands of traditional politicians. These traditional politicians, whose strongest credential is the blessing of being born into a political family, thrive in this pseudo democratic environment because we, voters, allow them to. And this is why we have been left behind by our Asian neighbors.
With so many candidates reciting the exact same laundry list of campaign promises, many of us have found it difficult to choose the fresh from the rotten. However, it is quite simple to distinguish their differences if one tries to carefully discern and not allow the TV blitz and emotional appeal to distort one’s cerebral faculty to see through a veneer of slick talk and make correct rational decisions.
One must not misconstrue youth, new faces, and new names as straight away stalwarts of modern leadership. On the contrary, we have quite a lot of young backward thinking officials in this country.
A modern leader is a disciplinarian yet he is flexible, one who promotes an inclusive government but at the same time, he stands his ground and asserts his overall role as the sole and final decision maker. He does not shirk from accepting responsibility and accountability. He does not partake nor tolerate activities which are disguised as noble and righteous but are, in reality, plain and simple politicking aimed to benefit a select few.
He understands that to graduate from a pseudo democracy to a working/consolidated democratic system, our society must succeed in growing a sizable middle class and in developing a strong party system. Hence, the modern leader aims to institutionalize policies to strengthen both.
He is forward-looking. He accepts the lessons learned from the past but he will not permit its horrors and hatred to continue to traumatize and further divide an already deeply fragmented nation.
He understands that only through correct, mostly unpopular, reformist policies can we modernize and truly achieve growth that can have significant positive effects to those in the lowest levels of the social stratum. He knows that sustainable economic growth is not achieved thru a rehash of universal vows and campaign slogans played over and over again but through specific and realistic policies aimed towards industrialization. These policies cover mainly the areas of peace and order, education, and infrastructure investments.
His policies are founded in his recognition of the fact that foreign direct investments and export oriented production/industrialization, reinforced by domestic demand stimulation are the tri-engines of economic growth, which will eventually, if not inevitably, empower the poor. He is aware of the correlation of stability and growth and believes that only a politically stable society can usher an era of unprecedented and sustainable economic growth, which for the Philippines should be an over 7% GDP growth per annum and a GDP per capita of at least $4,000.
He breaks down barriers, he inspires, and he unites.
He makes solutions, not enemies.
Modern leaders, however, have largely remained on the sidelines and not in the positions of power because they depend on modern voters to elect them. Sadly, modern voters in our country, like modern leaders, are few and far in between and this can be confirmed by the results of recent pre-elections polls.
One needs to be neither affluent nor intellectual to be a modern voter. In fact, one only needs to put into use his common sense and open his mind to clearly see and understand what we need now.
Rather than voting based on unsubstantiated rhetoric, modern voters will choose real, honest, solid, and detailed platform of governance. Rather than voting based on winnability, modern voters will choose competence and positive leadership. Rather than voting to relive the torture of our painful past, modern voters will choose to take flight to the future, to modernity, and the benefits we stand to gain.
Now, more than ever, our country needs more modern voters to elect modern leaders.
However, in a pseudo democratic system, which we have, it is quite harder to give rise to modern leaders. Like any working democracy, we choose our leaders through a popular vote done during elections but unlike working democratic systems, ours is flawed in more ways than one.
Our pseudo democratic system operates under an environment wherein voters are ill-informed and where political maturity is only nascent or in some areas, actually non-existent. To further worsen the problem, we have a no-party system where voters cannot differentiate one candidate from another except in terms of looks, dance moves, and celebrity endorsers. We have martial law/Cory babies who cannot get over the glory of EDSA 1, not to disparage the memories of our brave countrymen who defied tyranny in the face of death but it is an undemanding dictate of sheer common sense that we cannot topple or try to topple each and every succeeding administration. By doing so, we preclude our society from attaining stability and maintain it, in what seems to be, a perpetually precarious state. We have deeply entrenched populist traditional politicians, whose only goal in office is personal gain. And to top it all, we have separatists and communists, supporting and funding their respective armed movements, within our supposedly democratic government.
Given this convoluted democratic space, where merit, a solid platform, and capability to lead do not directly translate to a landslide election victory, most modern leaders are left marginalized, leaving our society in the hands of traditional politicians. These traditional politicians, whose strongest credential is the blessing of being born into a political family, thrive in this pseudo democratic environment because we, voters, allow them to. And this is why we have been left behind by our Asian neighbors.
With so many candidates reciting the exact same laundry list of campaign promises, many of us have found it difficult to choose the fresh from the rotten. However, it is quite simple to distinguish their differences if one tries to carefully discern and not allow the TV blitz and emotional appeal to distort one’s cerebral faculty to see through a veneer of slick talk and make correct rational decisions.
One must not misconstrue youth, new faces, and new names as straight away stalwarts of modern leadership. On the contrary, we have quite a lot of young backward thinking officials in this country.
A modern leader is a disciplinarian yet he is flexible, one who promotes an inclusive government but at the same time, he stands his ground and asserts his overall role as the sole and final decision maker. He does not shirk from accepting responsibility and accountability. He does not partake nor tolerate activities which are disguised as noble and righteous but are, in reality, plain and simple politicking aimed to benefit a select few.
He understands that to graduate from a pseudo democracy to a working/consolidated democratic system, our society must succeed in growing a sizable middle class and in developing a strong party system. Hence, the modern leader aims to institutionalize policies to strengthen both.
He is forward-looking. He accepts the lessons learned from the past but he will not permit its horrors and hatred to continue to traumatize and further divide an already deeply fragmented nation.
He understands that only through correct, mostly unpopular, reformist policies can we modernize and truly achieve growth that can have significant positive effects to those in the lowest levels of the social stratum. He knows that sustainable economic growth is not achieved thru a rehash of universal vows and campaign slogans played over and over again but through specific and realistic policies aimed towards industrialization. These policies cover mainly the areas of peace and order, education, and infrastructure investments.
His policies are founded in his recognition of the fact that foreign direct investments and export oriented production/industrialization, reinforced by domestic demand stimulation are the tri-engines of economic growth, which will eventually, if not inevitably, empower the poor. He is aware of the correlation of stability and growth and believes that only a politically stable society can usher an era of unprecedented and sustainable economic growth, which for the Philippines should be an over 7% GDP growth per annum and a GDP per capita of at least $4,000.
He breaks down barriers, he inspires, and he unites.
He makes solutions, not enemies.
Modern leaders, however, have largely remained on the sidelines and not in the positions of power because they depend on modern voters to elect them. Sadly, modern voters in our country, like modern leaders, are few and far in between and this can be confirmed by the results of recent pre-elections polls.
One needs to be neither affluent nor intellectual to be a modern voter. In fact, one only needs to put into use his common sense and open his mind to clearly see and understand what we need now.
Rather than voting based on unsubstantiated rhetoric, modern voters will choose real, honest, solid, and detailed platform of governance. Rather than voting based on winnability, modern voters will choose competence and positive leadership. Rather than voting to relive the torture of our painful past, modern voters will choose to take flight to the future, to modernity, and the benefits we stand to gain.
Now, more than ever, our country needs more modern voters to elect modern leaders.
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