Winnability. Simply put, the ability to win.
Winnability (or the lack of it) is the reason why a political party would scratch off a personality from their list of presidential hopefuls. If that person is lagging behind in opinion polls, he is deemed not winnable.
Whether it’s a good qualification to look for in a candidate is one topic, what makes a candidate winnable is another. We will focus on the latter. After all, at the risk of making it appear too simple, an election is a popularity contest. In an honest and fair election, if a candidate has the popular support, he wins it.
What makes a candidate winnable reflects our nation’s soul. What wins is what matters to us. It shows our values. What we really value is different from what we say we value. That which gets our vote we value. We support what we value. To paraphrase the Holy Book, “Like people, like leader.” We get the leaders we value.
For example, we claim we value our family. But if we fail to give quality time in big quantity to our family, we deny with our works what we affirm with our words. So, if somebody wins despite his lack of education, we are in effect saying that we don’t value education. We value something else. If we claim we voted for the candidate because of his dedication and not because of his lack of diploma, then that is what we really value. However, it appears it’s not really sincerity that pushed kingmakers to enlist actors or boxers to run for office. They field these “winnable” candidates because the people behind them want power at all costs. It seems what they really value is power. And they would use everyone and anyone just to gain it.
Whom we vote for not only shows our soul but sends a signal to the next generation. What we reward today (in this case, with an election victory) will be rewarded tomorrow. We may shout that we value character. But if a corrupt candidate wins, we teach the next generation of voters that crime does pay. Values are more caught than taught. So, in effect, we seal not only our fate but also theirs.
Thus, our vote equals our values.
How do we make character and competence winnable? Make heroes of people who model it and model it ourselves. One way of doing so is making sure people with those traits win the election. Vote for them even if others could and would not. Vote for them until others would catch it to the point that they would vote for them also.
So, what do we really value as a nation? What is winnable to us?
Popularity: 1% [?]
“The Court made an exception, however, in the case of candidates contributing to their own campaigns because of the rather reasonable presumption that a candidate is incapable of corrupting himself.”James Buckley
With this paragraph:
With this paragraph:
Is this — their parents are failures — what you preach to children of parents who go overseas so they can earn enough to send their children to parochial school all the way to college?
mr. cortez,
family values = votes may not be the issue. People can be trained and its values will conform according to training and exposures. But let’s take a closer look to the bigger issues:
1. Political Financing and Disclosure of Donations cannot be accessed by the public
2. regulations are ineffective.
3. we have laws, the Omnibus election code but it has no independent entity or agency that monitors political financing.
4. Private firms may not follow the limitations of donations. The result is to influence our laws if its candidate wins.
here’s better link..
Political Financing
even with automation accuracy, the real problems have not been addressed by the current administration. There’s no initiative to re-educate the people about their voting rights and how their votes affect directly to governance… There’s also no initiative to STOP buying of VOTES. It seems to me that this current administration has not learned from the past instead it will move on according to the past.Meaning, it will be the same result…
Several years ago in a remote town in Brazil.
There was an election for Mayor. All the
candidates were not fit for office as believed by the voters.
So, they put a Hippopotamus as their Candidate.
The Hippopotamus was Elected as Mayor. The
Election Officials declared the Candidate
Hippopotamus as Winner. However, they disqualified
the Beast for the position. On the reason that
he cannot Read, Talk and Write.
I fear that somebody might be contemplating
to have his Carabao run for President. It
Will be a tragedy if the Carabao is elected.
magtanggol,
your story is several years ago? only for the brazilian. I may believe you but we are filipinos. the real carabaos are already in office who don’t have ” the know how and the know about” equivalent to ” no read no write” have you listened to them on TV? the opposite has happened from your story, the people could no longer vote for a hippo because the hippos/carabaos are already sitting in office.
on the positive , some new strong carabao can replace the old carabao.
Quite an idealistic dissertation of the power of the ballot.
But I say this. In theory, democracy gave Filipinos equal political and civil rights but not economic and social equality. And unless every Filipino has secured his/her economic well-being, votes will not be cast on good sense or a rational basis. Moral and ethical grounds, hardly.
Patronage politics and its alter egos political machinery and spoils systems will rear their ugly heads. It’s a vicious cycle actually. It’s what benign0 keeps harping about but entirely clueless on how to solve it:
” We Filipinos remain utterly incapable of holding ourselves accountable for the quality of the bozos we elect.”
Easier said than done I must say. Many criticized Senator Villar for saying that if you don’t have a billion pesos, why bother running for the presidency? Politicians and pundits criticized him for that. “Pera pera lang ba yan.”
But unless RP gets economic equality and genuine electoral reform, Villar was speaking the truth. A candidate has to mobilize (read as: fund and bribe) national, provincial, city & municipal, up to the barangay level. The final bill could run up to 3 billion pesos. You’ll probably spend less if you were a popular movie or broadcaster.
Hopefully, this new automated electoral system (AES) could help. But it seems everybody and his uncles’ classmate has serious doubts.
I would say:
My Vote = Value of casting it for you.
votes=100Php…only in the Philippines
MK.
Tama po kayo.
Dito wala tayong hippo, kaya yata ang mga inihahalal buwaya.
@eyriche
you say “But if a corrupt candidate wins, we teach the next generation of voters that crime does pay. ”
can you name an openly corrupt candidate, proven corrupt, who was elected?
i can understand someone accused of corruption winning, coz that was just an accusation lang…
but someone who was proven guilty?
i’d be interested in knowing the answer to that question…
It depends, Gabbyd. Would you consider Erap winnable if he runs? There’s your answer. :D
As Mr. Cortez says here:
Kung baga, we deserve each other.
It’s simple, really™ — though not for the small-minded.
@eyriche
i agree w you that voting reflects one’s preferences… however, we part company when you say “We may shout that we value character. But if a corrupt candidate wins, we teach the next generation of voters that crime does pay. Values are more caught than taught”
i don’t think people VOTE FOR corruption. candidates may wind up being corrupt, ala Lord Acton’s dictum… (power corrupts…)
but i could be wrong, so i’d be interested in knowing the answer…
i’d also like to ask something i asked benign0…
your idea and benign0′s, is that we are responsible for the people we elect. in your case, you criticize the concept of voting for winnable candidates.
why is this better/more useful than saying:
elected officials are responsible to their constituents?
The Proposition that "we are responsible for the people we elect" is a better idea than "elected officials are responsible to their constituents" for the following reasons:
1. WE, are the people, supposedly, the final and ultimate source of political power. Therefore, the buck stops with US. It is true "elected officials are responsible to their constituents" but elected officials are not the only ones responsible for us because, ultimately, WE are responsible for OURSELVES.
2. As Stephen Covey puts it – Begin with the End in sight. Should we just elect a candidate because he is winnable or should we elect him because he stands for what we believe in – a lofty ideal, a platform of government, change. He not only stands for what we believe in, but also for the possibilities of shaping and bringing about a desired outcome that resonates with our core values. Think about it as a personal relationship – we don't just get a spouse or mate and expect them to take care or love us because that's what's expected – it goes beyond that. It arises from a mutual understanding that both have a shared view of the things that matter.
3. "Do the right things, right the first time, every time" is a core principle of Total Quality Management or TWM." Do we elect a leader because he is "winnable" or because he is "the most competent person to do the job". Clearly, winnability and competence are two different animals. Erap was meteorically winnable but totally and outrageously incompetent. Roco would have been the most competent candidate but he wasn't "winnable". When we find our sense of "the right thing to do" we increase our chances of improving governance. That sense of "right" is a personal conviction, not a reaction to a political benefactor. Our choice of a candidate is our choice of what kind of future we want.
Winnability has left us like a rudderless ship in a windless sea. We have tried that option before, it's time to try a new tack – and that comes with personal responsibility.
GabbyD,
Ang lupit ng tanong mo…nasan ka bang lupalop ng mundo nakatira? naghahanap ka ng proof ng corruption? dahil lang sa walang naconvict, masasabi mo na na puro accusation lang ang isyu ng corruption sa pilipinas?
Kung nasa pilipinas ka..di ka na kelangan magtanong kung talaga nga bang may kurakot na politiko sa atin…tingnan mo ang paligid mo…kung di ka bulag at di ka bingi..malalaman mo na agad..
ilan taon ka na ba? magkano ang isang kilo ng bigas nung ikaw ay 10 taong gulang pa lang? at magkano na ang 1 kilo ng bigas ngayon? at gawin mo yang mathematics na yan sa lahat ng binibili mo..ikumpara mo sila..isa yan sa mga bagay na pwede mong malaman kung kurakot ba o hindi ang mga politiko natin.
Kung nagtatrabaho ka…magkano ang tinataas ng sweldo mo kada taon…at magkano ang tinataas ng mga bilihin at gastusin sa atin kada taon…
so..ang tanong sayo..bakit tayo naghihingalo pa din? bakit ang mga politiko natin ay mayayaman? mapera at masarap ang buhay? ano ang dahilan kung bakit hindi umuunlad ang pilipinas?
di ko alam kung nagtatangatangahan ka lang o tanga ka talaga…o di kaya anak ka ng politiko..o kamag-anak…
@Juwan_D on March 13th, 2009 7:27 am
i was asking if there were politicians that are corrupt that get elected even tho they were convicted of some corruption related crime.
meron ba? i’m wondering is there is such a thing…
Whoa! I just posted my musings last night… Look at the responses. Thank you!
@GAbbyD The problem in our country is that, even if a politician is charged with an administrative case, once he wins the election, he is deemed cleared of the said case–the “vox populi” cleared him. That’s the reason why there are cases that are not resolved. So, they were technically not convicted. Also, once they were convicted in the lower courts, when they appeal the case, in a sense they can’t be considered convicted because there was no finality yet in the decision.
@UP n grad I am not in any way disparaging our OFWs. Though we have to admit the fact that families have suffered due to their physical separation as a result of the overseas employment of their breadwinner. But, I always believe, no amount of success in business will ever compensate for failure in the home.
Just today, I read that the administration is supporting Gilbert Teodoro as its Presidential bet for 2010.
Surveys have Noli De Castro in the lead followed by others like Loren Legarda, Chiz Escudero and Erap.
It seems powerful and moneyed forces are trying to make up our minds for us.
Perhaps, apart from values, our choice of who we will vote for as President reflects how we see our country and the situation we are in.
When we vote, we are not voting just for ourselves, we are voting for someone who will do what is right for the common good.
We are in dire straits. In two or three years, we will begin to feel the real effect of the global financial crisis.
Corruption is everywhere.Crime is being perpetrated in broad daylight. Both the corrupt and the criminal are unafraid of law enforcers and judges. They know they can get away with it and this makes them bolder, more brazen.
Disasters. We get hit by 20 typhoons, at the very least, every year. Yet every year, we see nothing being done to stop the cycle of disaster and poverty. The same people who got hit by a typhoons last year are the same people who will get hit by typhoons this year. Those whose possessions got swept away by floods will the same ones whose possession will get swept away by floods this year. Fire? Where else but in the Philippines does the declaration of a Fire Month result in more fires than in any other time of the year.
Our people are either unemployed or trying to make ends meet with a job they are overqualified for. But that’s nothing new and what is new is the ends to which desperation brings our countrymen. Afghanistan. Iraq. Name a place where there is a very high risk of getting killed, you’ll find Filipinos working there.
Our education system is in shambles and it has been that way since time immemorial.
And those who are tired of this ought not to get sick as well. If you’re poor, just waiting for treatment and medicines will bring you closer to the grave.
So, who do you vote for as President given these circumstances?
Young guns like Chiz Escudero and Gilbert Teodoro?
TV personalities like Noli De Castro and Loren Legarda?
How about Manny Villar? How about Mar Roxas or former President Joseph Estrada?
Or are you going to think and look for someone who has actual experience in lifing people out of desparate situations? Do you think you need someone who has a track record for following through every commitment he has made? Do you think we need someone with a clear vision for what ought to be done for this country at a time of crisis?
His name is Dick Gordon.
He turned Olongapo from Sin City to Model City.
He turned Subic from wasteland into a haven for tourism and investment.
He turned Philippine tourism from a lackluster department to the brightest beacon in the economy, with 2 million foreign tourists coming to the Philippines in 2003 from a low of just 900,000 in 2000.
As Senator, he authored, pushed for the enactment, and implementation of RA 9369 or the amended AUTOMATION LAW. This is the reason why we will have automated elections in 2010, no more hello garci.
He now heads the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee. In his committee report on the P732 Million Fertilizer Fund Scam he implicated President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, recommended plunder charges against Bolante and others, and filed 7 bills to plug up loop holes in the laws exploited by the group he referred to as a pack of wolves.
If you want the country to get through these dire straits, look for someone who knows how to navigate treacherous waters and who knows where to go.
Paul,
Ang tindi ng aga ng kampanya mo para kay Dick Gordon.
Anyway, you must put full disclosure in your post/comment. A link to your blog supporting Gordon for President will suffice.
We don’t want FV to become an echo chamber for 2010 candidates, do we?
to Paul,
can you ask dick gordon , what is he going to do with vote buying , corruption and political dynasty?
the accomplishments of Mr. Gordon are expected of him. It’s not extraordinary. You don’t sit in office with only 4-5 accomplishments. To me that can be achieved in 6 months to one year.
so who else?
We dont need to prove corruption. Our National
Treasury is running empty. We are in large
national debt. Nabubuhay tayo sa utang… Legacy
group scam, fertilizer scam, DOJ bribery,
World Bank lagay…where will it end ?
Paul,
Maswerte ka at wala ka sa harap ko..kundi tinadyakan ko na yang lalamunan mo..
ang tigas mong mangampanya para sa isang politiko isa ding kurakot…pahirap sa pilipino…
tumigil ka nga jan. yang mga pinagsasabi mo..meron ba jan na nakapagpaayos sa pamumuhay ng pilipino???? meron ba jan ang nakapagpaayos sa sitwasyon ng pilipinas???
tadyakan ko yang tangkugo mo makita mo
Juwan, mag hunus ka ng dilis, baka kami matilamsikan ng dugo!
I don’t know eyriche, but with that, something is loose somewhere.
First, whatever value could have been assigned to Politican X does not go beyond what Big Journalism or mainstream media projects of him.
From a purely mercantilist point of view, the consumer does not really know if the product is good. It is how politicians package themselves that attracts the votes, not the values – in themselves.
This is why wannabes do spend as much as billions to win, far from an approximation of the values we hold dear.
So on the suggested equation that “votes = values”, no sir!
@ Phil Manila,
Sorry about going straight to rooting for someone in particular.
But regardless of who anybody is rooting for, I wholely support this entry’s message and to me, that is that our values should be reflected in the upcoming elections.
Secondly, we should look at our situation and really look for a leader — not just a candidate — who is capable of leading us out of the dire straights we are in. In doing this, we ought to look closely if the candidate has a track record of leadership and of following through on his commitments.
@ Juwan D,
I just find your comment funny. I hope we do meet face to face.
If ever you go through the Media Route, just let me know and I’ll be glad to give you a chance to do what you say you will do.
In the meantime, stop threatening people with violence for whatever reason. It doesn’t look good on you.
I think in the end we will have no other choice except to vote for anyone from the names mentioned.
Paul is brave to declare where his vote will go to the point campaigning for Dick.
Is it ok to ask from the group who will we vote in 2010 based from the list given? I believe we can learn more discussing the details of our vote aside from talking about the failure of our electoral process in broad terms.
In 2010 we will be forced to vote for one anyway unless we decide not to go to teh polls.
Brian jay,
what paul did can not be considered bravery…endorsing a corrupt politicians is not bravery…panloloko yan, panlilinlang..pagtatakip sa katotohanan..
itong si paul ay malamang isang kamag-anak ng politiko na to, kumikita ng pera galing sa kurakot na pera ng politiko na to o di kaya isa syang tanga at walang kamuhang muhang na ang mga politiko ay walang nagawa sa bansa natin at para sa mamayang pilipino…di sila karapat dapat ikampanya ¡…
Corrupt? Sige, patunayan mo nga at kung may katibayan ka, sana idulog mo na sa Office of the Ombudsman. Oras mismo!
I don't know who your parents are, but what they taught you shows in your ill breeding.
As for your baseless accusations, I do not have any relative who is a politician and neither am I earning money from corruption.
Magkita na lang kaya tayo para makita natin kung kaya mo nga akong tadyakan. Sarap sigurong ingud-ngud ang pangit mong mukha sa aspalto.
Eyriche Cortez:
Again, my complements. I enjoyed this one too.
Sad but true. Just look at her..mole.