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By Godofredo
Roperos
WHEN we come
down to it, Philippine politics is not an encounter of mind and
spirit, or one of ideology and program of government. But it is what
the Filipino electorate expect a candidate for the Senate or the
House would talk about during their campaign sorties in the cities
and countryside. The more discerning voter would look at a
candidate’s qualification, track record and over-all public
perception of him or her.
This specific
and personal public perception is what would eventually seep down to
the masses. For them to talk about during their rum or tuba-drinking
sessions. Other information they gather from the radio and
television news or promotional commercials. The bits of information
the voters gather from the media help form an opinion as to who they
would vote for eventually.
That is, when
“given the chance” to do so. I put the phrase in quotes because
the same could easily be changed when the voter is faced with the
moment of truth on election day. The truth is, the average voter in
the countryside where the majority of the electorate resides, is
confronted with many variables on election day, so that the results
of poll surveys taken days before the election may not turn out
correct. Exit polls would be.
The variables
I talked about often arise from the degree of popularity of the
candidate concerned, and the machinery of the political group he or
she is affiliated with. It has often happened that no matter how
popular a candidate is, when the votes are counted he finds that he
has lost the election. The reason is painful to countenance, but it
is just that he failed to convert his or her popularity into actual
votes at the precinct.
The cause of
such debacle is simply the absence of “machinery” actively
guiding the voters to use the sample ballot where the candidate’s
name is included. In a way, the election day action is a “battle
of party machinery” or if the candidate is running as independent,
the effectiveness of his personal election day machinery. But the
expense would be tremendous. It is staggering if one is aiming for a
district or national post.
It would be
much easier if the candidate is a popular one, or a “name” one.
Mass voters would be easier to persuade to include him on their
list, or insert him or her in the sample ballot he is using.
Usually, local candidates of political parties employ runners and
checkers as part of their election day “machine.” Checkers hold
the list of 10 to 15 voters from a sitio or barangay, and when they
come, a runner takes them to their precinct.
The purpose
here is to insure that the voter has not been “ambushed” along
the way by the opposing camp that offers a much bigger “reward”
for the vote. Oh, let’s face it. The election day encounter
between political parties or even among the candidates of the same
party is one of machinery and funds. There have been many times when
the popular candidate was unable to convert his popularity to votes
because of lack of funds.
Our point is
that the realities of present-day politics in the country centers
not just on popularity based on the fact that one has been in show
business or comes from a popular name family. But it has to be
paired with the appropriate machinery to convert that popularity
into actual votes. Therefore, the most crucial factor in any
election, is the machinery effectively working in the vicinity of
polling centers.
And to be able
to have that costs money.
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