Winning an election

There is science in political combat called election. As a science, it involves strategies and tactics to plan and implement during the course of the electoral campaign. Election is a dirty game and it makes no difference how it is being played. What matters most is victory at all cost.

If the principal (candidate) is not pretty well-known, he should hire a shrewd political tactician who knows how to run an electoral campaign. Name recall is important by running an ad in the media, print or broadcast, or through the social media. This entails a large sum of money and logistics which can be derived from party campaign chest, contributions from businessmen, and some from illegal sources.

The political strategist runs the whole gamut of the entire campaign. The principal becomes a robot following orders from him like what clothes to wear during what occasion. The strategist then conducts political mapping to determine who are allies, who are the enemies and who are undecided as to what political fence they belong. Through the mapping, the strategist will now apply the three basic concept of electoral combat; vote-getting; vote-denial, and vote protection.

There should be a special operation group who has access to the political divide to give vital information of the enemy’s movements so that the strategist can devise a tactical move based on objective and concrete situation. The dirty tricks department also sows intrigue, and spreads disinformation regarding the enemy, removes or deface the opponent’s principal’s face in the tarpaulin. Also, this group will monitor the movement of allies who sweet-talk of loyalty but do the same to the opponent’s side.

Since Philippine electorate is gullible and ignorant, focus on the campaign should be on the Class D and E voters, also called MT (masang tanga) who has the greater number compared to the educated and well-informed citizens.

In realpolitik, he who has got a deeper pocket usually wins an election.

Rene F. Antiga

Banilad, mandaue City

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Just “hot air”

Dear Editors,

Are you seriously suggesting that the air in Cebu is clean? So why is every building in Cebu covered with black soot? Buildings are barely ten years old and they look as if they are 60 years old. I live south of Dumaguete and occasionally I ride my motorcycle up to Cebu, I can show you pictures where my face is literally black from the exhaust of the polluting trucks and vehicles. If you were in North America or Europe, you wouldn’t have a traffic problem, because in those countries 90% of the vehicles in Cebu would fail the emissions tests. Don’t make me laugh about Manila, I describe Manila air as forest fire air. When we have forest fires in North America the air smells like in Manila. I know I ran in the Manila marathon a few years back. I have only one question. If you have vehicle emissions testing stations, why are there so many vehicles which spew so much black smoke, that they should be classified as a crime against humanity? Some of the worst offenders are government vehicles.

If you doubt that you have awful air, just ride a jeepney on Jones Avenue.

Sincerely

Eberhard “Abe” Preisinger