Anatomy of a defeat  

It was in the context of a put-down. A scathing comment. It was meant as a jeer, but it brought neither shame nor humiliation. Instead, it brought clarity.

We were making small talk about former vice president Leni Robredo, and how she had been accepted as a fellow at the Center for Public Leadership in Harvard. A friend wondered what she would do there and another friend, known for his questionable political leanings, snidely remarked “Yeah, what’s she going to do there? Talk about how she lost the election?”

And in that jarring moment, while I still couldn’t believe my ears, my immediate defensive response was, “Yes, exactly. That’s what she’s going to do. She’s going to talk about how she lost. Because everyone needs to know about it, if they want democracy to survive.”

That was enlightenment. A sudden blaze of illumination. Of course, that’s what Leni should do! There was nothing ignominious or humiliating about her particular defeat. As so many people have remarked, her campaign brought out the best in Filipinos. Her supporters still have their heads held high even after proclamation day came and went, and to this day, we see many vehicles and households carry her pink campaign stickers and posters.

It has always puzzled the observers how many voters went the other direction, despite the many qualities brought by Robredo to the table. Is it no longer a meritocracy then? What exactly did she do (or not do) that made her lose this race? On the other hand, what did the other candidates do to lure voters? Is this a strong signal we have to bid goodbye to our illusions that we live in a democracy? Or that democracy works?

President Joe Biden has already warned how fragile democracy is in its very birthplace. We have long remarked about the rise of authoritarianism in many countries, and how strongmen have swayed voters despite the many flaws evident in their characters (cite Brazil and Turkey in this thought bubble).

What is it about political intercourse now that the language of tyranny is so attractive? Why put the fate of a country into the hands of selfish leaders?

Is it the dwindling attention span of voters, who have become so dependent on tidbits of information from Twitter and TikTok, that they can only focus on one issue at a time? Have the younger generation signed away their ability to absorb vast quantities of data from numerous sources, and process and synthesize, so as to come upon with their own informed position, in exchange for quick and easy infotainment?

How has society become so polarized, that nuances can’t be explored? Or explore them as you may wish, but “decisive” individuals will only just stick even harder to their positions without even trying to listen?

Are we destined to become single-issue voters, such that moving forward, all that politicians have to do is to isolate that lone issue that would galvanize voters for them (or against another candidate?).

That seems to be working now in America, where the issue of abortion, suddenly stirred by a right-wing Supreme Court, is driving voters to vote against Republicans. Hence, we now see Republican politicians quickly scrubbing their websites of anti-abortion rhetoric, and backpedaling on previous hard stances against abortion.

If I were to be bold enough to suggest an entire course for Madame Robredo to teach, it would then be about exactly that in not so many words; how she lost. An anatomy of the dirty tactics employed against her. All the lies and schemes she (and her family) endured. All the stratagems and devious ploys. The weaponization of social media, deployment of influencers, and the power of cash.

All those will be useful for political and social analysts to plot a course forward if they wish to defend democracy from wherever they might come from. And despite the stigma the world normally attaches to losers, Leni will still bring pride to Filipinos.