Babe's Eye View article

The recent survey results released by several polling outfits are starting to indicate that the surge of sympathy and emotionalism initially felt by Filipinos are probably on the wane. As the crunch time nears, it’s becoming apparent that voters are now reevaluating their options, carefully deliberating on the candidate most deserving of their vote.

Though there are some who say they would rather go for a non-traditional politician to be the next president, many are thinking that more than anything, they should use their minds in choosing a candidate and not be swayed by emotion, sympathy, anger and hatred. At the end of the day, what is important is to elect someone who has not only the vision but concrete and pragmatic solutions to the multifarious problems—driven both by domestic as well as global forces—that the Philippines will be facing in this new decade.

Taken in this context, it would seem that a number of candidates gunning for a national position, and yet are lagging in surveys, actually have the qualities to lead this country with competence. At the very least, surveys are indicators of popularity and perception but they do not necessarily reflect a candidate’s qualification or capability for that matter. What should count most is the clarity of a presidentiable’s vision and the clear-cut, specific ways by which this vision can be transformed into reality. Simply put, will the next president of this country be able to translate his platform into action and achieve tangible results?

Perhaps everybody can take lessons from what is happening in the US today. As the first black US president, Obama ushered in a new era in American history. But his victory was largely propelled by emotion and anger against George W. Bush, whose popularity rating fell to a record low of 22 when he left the White House—the worst for any outgoing president. During that time, there was widespread loathing for Bush who was being blamed for the global financial crisis, the Iraq war, the huge budget deficit and the dismal economy.

Bush critics took every opportunity to picture the outgoing US president as the epitome of “evil.” Though many believed that Senator John McCain was the more experienced candidate and had a better grasp of the intertwined issues that confronted America, his affiliation with Bush and the ruling Republican Party unfortunately became his undoing.

When Barack Obama finally stepped into the White House, he brought with him a surge of euphoria and optimism, summed up in his battle cry of “change,” in the process creating very high hopes and expectations among Americans. Even outside the United States, Obama came across as some sort of a Messiah, symbolizing the transformation that impoverished and strife-torn third world countries had been looking for.

But a year into the Obama presidency, Americans are waking up to the realization that their country’s complex problems cannot be easily solved by just driving out the “evil” Bush. The euphoria and jubilation that accompanied Barack’s ascension to the presidency is now just a distant memory, replaced by sweeping disappointment—and anger—even by his allies and supporters who feel let down by their president.

Opinion polls show Obama’s ratings taking a significant dive. At 53 percent, it is said to be “lower than any US president at an equivalent point in his term since Eisenhower in the 1950s.” While it may be true that he had been dealt a bad hand—two wars; the sagging US image before the international community; a huge budget deficit; an economic crisis similar to, if not worse than the Great Depression in the 1930s; rising unemployment; the healthcare issue, among various problems—many are beginning to believe that the US president has played his cards badly.

Worse, majority of Americans are now beginning to feel that Barack Obama “has failed to deliver the kind of change that he promised.” Much of the dissatisfaction also stems from the perception that the president has behaved like the traditional politician that people shun, promising one thing but delivering another. As an ordinary American put it, the people were feeling dismayed at pinning all their hopes on one man and expecting miracles to happen overnight.

While people may understand that it takes time to craft policies, much less enact them, or that ending wars is easier said than done, they could not get over the sense of dejection at seeing their hero fall from the lofty pedestal they have placed him. In short, it’s the disappointment one feels at the realization that the hero has not lived up to the hype—or the catchy sloganeering.

Perhaps the most telling is the Massachusetts election where a Republican trumped the Democratic candidate. Massachusetts is considered as a Democratic Party stronghold which almost never votes for a Republican presidential candidate. In the last decade, it has not elected any Republican to Congress. Political analysts say the results are a protest vote as well as a stinging rebuke to Obama and his policies.

In hindsight, the Philippines has faced the same situation before with EDSA I and 2, both of which were emotional in nature and to a large extent fueled by anger. EDSA 2 in particular has proven to be divisive, whose bitter repercussions are felt by Filipinos even to this day. Now more than ever, it is critical for Filipinos to choose their next leader wisely without being swayed by anger, hatred and emotion—and learn from the American experience.