Obama in, GMA out. McCain in, GMA stays?

Iraq War. Historic high oil prices. Sub-prime mortgage crisis. Philippine occupation.
What do they have in common? They all happened while a Republican is in the White House.

Flashback: 1901
US is an emerging US power. US President William McKinley, a Republican, annexed the Philippines, Puerto Rico and Guam after winning the Spanish-American War.

As a colony, the highest government offices in the Philippine Islands were all held by Americans. This continued to the next decade as Republicans continue to rule the US. While the Philippine-American War was ongoing, the government implemented "Benevolent Assimilation", intended to teach "brown monkeys" civility.

Things changed in 1913, when Woodrow Wilson, a Democrat became president. The US government changed its track in dealing with their colonies, a series of policy changes which eventually led to Philippine independence. Why the shift in policy? The Democrats realized that it was too costly to maintain the Philippine Islands as a colony.

In 1933, a Democrat-led US Congress passed the Hares-Hawes-Cutting Law overriding a veto by Pres. Herbert Hoover, a Republican. It was the first law dealing with the decolonization of the Philippines. However, the Philippine Senate led by Manuel Quezon rejected the law.

In 1934, a revised version of the law was passed, the Tydings-McDuffie Law or the Philippine Independence Act. It was signed by Pres. Franklin Roosevelt, a Democrat. It led to the creation of the Commonwealth of the Philippines in 1935 with a ten-year transition period before full independence.

Interrupted by World War 2, there were talks that the Philippines should not be independent in 1945. But with a Democrat US president, Harry Truman, the Philippines became independent in 1946.

When Ferdinand Marcos declared Martial Law in 1971, the White House was occupied by Republican Richard Nixon. When Martial Law was lifted in January 1981, the White House was occupied by Democrat Jimmy Carter.

The ousting of Marcos might have happened earlier if Democrats continued to occupy the White House. However, because Republican Ronald Reagan was president from 1981-1989, we had to endure more of Marcos. Marcos was ousted by People Power in 1986, but Reagan  allowed Marcos to live in exile in Hawaii.

Back to the present:
Iraq is the new Philippines (remember that Macario Sakay, the last Filipino general to surrender to Americans, was called an Insurgent). Republican John McCain is against pull-out from Iraq. Democrat Obama is calling for an end to American occupation of Iraq.

Republicans have a long history of keeping loyal dictators in power as long as they support the US against whatever it is fighting... communism then and terrorism now.

GMA supported the War in Iraq and she was elected in May 2004. In July 2004, sure that she "won" the election, she ordered a pull-out of Philippine troops from Iraq so that kidnap victim Angelo delaCruz can be released.

Now, here is where the conspiracy theorist in me gets excited. Remember when GMA went to the US and tried to meet both US candidates... she was able to talk in person to McCain but not to Obama (he called her instead)...

What are the chances... Obama in White House in 2008, GMA out of Malacanang in 2010. McCain in White House, GMA stays...

Historical Sources:
Corpuz, O.D. (1997). An Economic History of the Philippines. Quezon City, UP Press.

Constantino, R. (1996). Ang Bagong Lumipas. Quezon City, UP Press.