Obama Mania & Delusion Hits the Philippines

Dreaming or was it dreamers seeing the unprecedented rise of Barack Obama to the U.S. presidency has some deluded errr Filipino politicians proclaiming themselves the Filipino version of Barrack Obama. I don’t blame them for the inspiration that Obama brings because who would not get inspired by a man on the road to greatness except of course the usual talangka (small crustacean similar to crab) or the rabid cynics of the single-issue Catholic kind.

If Obama has a clone in the Philippines he will definitely lose in the Philippine fraudulent prone electoral contest. Until the comcollect errr Comelec learns how to count the votes not even Barack Obama himself stands a chance of winning a 50% plus 1 majority vote to clinch the Philippine presidency.

Dan Remoto a candidate in the last election for the LGBT sector offers an insight on the Obama wannabe’s:

But look at the survey numbers of Chiz Escudero. He almost toppled Loren in the senatorial race last year. He is catching up in the surveys for president. He will turn 40 in October of 2009. And if Mayor Binay claims he will do an Obama because they both have dark skin (the dark horse in this election), then Chiz Escudero might also do an Obama: they look alike (same hair, shape of head), both young and bright lawyers, both media-savvy.

But Obama won because he built his formidable machinery by forming a grassroots movement. In short, he turned to the people -- mostly the young -- and built a magnificent machinery never before seen in any election.

That, I believe, is the challenge for all Obama wanna-bes in the forthcoming election. Heart attack or no heart attack.

See how pathetic these politicians are? It is not the looks or resemblance that matters but what Obama is all about. In that vein, do they have anything similar to offer that will capture the imagination of the Filipino voters? Nada, none, zilch and yes I agree and disagree at the same time with Remoto’s contention because the grass roots in the Philippines are actually participating in the electoral process. Unlike in the U.S. where the grass roots are cynical of the process it took an Obama to get them to participate and make a difference while in the Philippines it will take more than a scandal prone Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to discouraged voters from voting. It is not a matter of involving the grass roots because they have been involved all along but a matter of raising their political awareness and preventing religious sex errr sect leaders dictating on their fanatical grass roots followers voting as a bloc.

Mong Palatino posted an entry in search of a Filipino Obama, and I say good luck on that one. Although he himself is not sold on the idea because you cannot just copy what you see as there is no comparison when it comes to a third world country like the Philippines’ aping Democracy where the political playing field is tilted to favor the ruling minority elites.

One thing that is hilarious is the spin on Senator Richard Gordon born to an American Caucasian Father so the blogger believes that qualifies his chicken (as in manok in Filipino lingo in reference to political bet like a cockfight) errr man on the opposite side of the equation.

Dreams are free and no one must deny delusions errr people from dreaming that they can duplicate Obama’s campaign except there is only one tiny problem…… technology. Not that the Filipinos are behind on internet usage, the only problem is grass roots in the Philippines have no access to the Internet. Heck, millions of electorate don’t even have access to basic necessities to survive with another 3 million people recently joining the legions of poverty stricken sector swelling their number to 30million+, access to information is the least of their worries or if that even cross their minds.

While there are quite a number of Filipinos with access to the Internet, some “savvy” users treat this like a corner sari-sari (convenient store) congregation of village gossipers spamming their email list with ridiculous chain letter type nonsense from bogus miracles to baseless conspiracy theories. There are quite a number of gullible people out there and that should explain why the Philippines earned the much “coveted” award as the spam capital of the world.

Alex Magno a GMA consultant who thinks he is an independent columnist opines below:

There is no shortage here of people who seek to win the highest elective post. But there is scarcity, obviously, of real leaders emerging from the margins and challenging the system. Leaders who can inspire and arrest the drift of public cynicism. Leaders who can make us hope again.

Can there be a Filipino Obama rising to the challenge of 2010.

No, there will never be a Filipino Barack Obama because its all about the moolah that flows come election time. There is no dearth of good oratorical speakers it is leaders with impecabble integrity that we sorely lack. Until there is a level political playing field and the organized superstition errr religion stop meddling in politics like the Iglesia ni Kristo (Church of Christ) sect and others exploiting patronage politics for their own vested interest a Filipino Barack Obama is just a delusion.

I say the Philippines as it stands now has more in common with the McCain/Palin type of Republicans and their “base” than the Barack Obama led Democrats and ideals. If we look at the number of noisy Filipino American supporters of the McCain/Palin camp spamming their email list with black propaganda that are mostly lacking in substance (as if that is something new, lol) attacking Barack Obama on a personal level and some shamelessly being racist as if they are whiter than white shows they can make a lot of noise. The tone and level of the campaign is a very familiar environment for some Filipinos and this is how politics is conducted in the Philippines so having an intellectual like a no-drama Obama will surely not resonate in an electoral process so used to shallow personality politics.

Let us see come January according to Alvin D. C. Lopez of the Pelican Spectator a demarcation line will be drawn separating Old America (a promised country) and the New America (a fulfilled country) in his entry Obama: mending the wounds of history......... Now, how will a wannabe Obama of the Philippines do that or even come close to being fulfilled when there was no promise in the first place.......... except perhaps the usual broken promises from Filipino politicians?

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Politics Philippine Politics Filipinos Filipino-Americans