10 biggest losers in the 2010 national elections

 

10. Rebel soldiers

Trillanes won it big when he got a Senate seat in 2007. But after one of his court sessions, he suddenly thought of checking into Hotel Intercontinental Makati even without reservation… once a rebel soldier, always a rebel even if elected as senator. Sorry Gen. Danny Lim and Col. Ariel Querubin… we already have too many fugitive senators (where is Ping, anyway?)

 

9. Lakas Kampi CMD

The first sign was already alarming, Lakas Kampi took outsiders (non party members) as candidates for president and vice president and they were not even very popular (Gibo’s relative popularity only came after people heard him talk… if he started talking three years ago he might have won). 

 

Hit with defections, Lakas Kampi disintegrated in the last few stages of the campaign. It might also disappear into oblivion in the future. Political parties in the Philippines are personality based, usually one prominent individual or family bank-rolling the candidacies of local politicians (remember Gibo is no longer an official of the party).  I am not sure if GMA is willing to share their ill-gotten wealth to ensure her political control for the next few years. The size of their amassed wealth will allow them to do it but I am not sure by the size of greed.

 

8. Partylist system

Other than being used by traditional politicians to enter congress if they cannot be elected in their own districts, the much abused partylist system took another hit in 2010. They allowed national candidates to use their air time for their ads. It will not be surprising if hundreds (or thousands) of partylist groups will register in the future only to sell their airtime to other national candidates. And soon we will have a ballot longer than the voting queue (poor PCOS machine). 

 

7. Bayan Muna, Satur Ocampo and Liza Maza

A lot of people scratched their heads when they learned that street parliamentarians and left-leaning partylist congressmen Satur Ocampo and Liza Maza were included in the senatorial line up of one of the country’s biggest capitalists. Their problems started to mount, first they have to share the stage and dance with Bongbong Marcos. Then, Liza Maza, a feminist and women’s rights activist had to endure watching Willie Revillame’s Kendeng Girls during their campaign. When the issues of lying, stealing and possible cheating were raised against Manny Villar, they were muted. For a “rallyist” and a “street protester” to be muted is like a butterfly without wings (with 89% of votes tallied, Maza and Ocampo were in rank 25 and 26, respectively with over 3 million votes).

 

6. Loren Legarda

In 2004, Loren got more than 14 million votes. In 2010, she’ll probably end up with a little less than 4 million votes. What is wrong with Loren? She was a Lakas stalwart until it was clear that GMA will not pick her as VP in 2004, so she jumped ship and ran with FPJ. In 2010, she was hoping to run as president under the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) but it seems the NPC has other plans. She slid to VP but her party’s presidential candidate (Chiz) backed out. Will she return to Lakas and run with Gibo or run with Erap (whom she helped oust by crying on national TV) or with Villar (whom she accused of corruption in connection with the C5 controversy)? She ran with Villar and the rest was history. Nevertheless, she will probably be reelected senator in 2013.

 

5. Villar Campaign team

There is a thin line between stretching the truth and lying. To say “Manny Villar was born an ordinary citizen” is true; to say “he was dirt poor and he swam in garbage” is stretching the truth. To say that his “brother died because they do not have money to buy medicines” when in fact he died because there was no cure for leukemia at that time is a lie. The campaign team also failed when they instructed Villar to issue blanket denials instead of answering issues point by point. If you are the frontrunner, you have the luxury to say “all these are black propaganda” and “all the accusations are politically motivated.” But if you are the runner up, you have to do more and prove your innocence way beyond reasonable doubt (but then again it is difficult to defend yourself if you are truly guilty and you might end up digging a deeper hole the more you speak).

 

Finally, in the advent of the internet and social networking sites (this is the first election in the Facebook and Twitter era), you can no longer rely on paid columnists and experts to defend/ promote you. Before, a professor (of public administration, perhaps) can come on TV and pretend to be unbiased and make statements saying that this candidate is good or bad. With the internet, it is very easy to search and retrieve articles in the past. Extremely biased views from paid consultants of certain candidates can be easily checked and cross referenced. A campaign is effective when ordinary netizens started copying and pasting them on their facebook and twitter accounts even if they were not paid to do so.

 

4. Mike Velarde

He was once a king-maker (he successfully endorsed GMA and Erap). He played with the idea of becoming king (president)… but with very low ratings he decided to remain a king maker. But then again, his seemingly anointed king (and business partner) was quickly losing ground in the surveys … and at the last minute, he decided not to play king maker anymore. Neither king nor king maker, Velarde will probably retain some political clout but he can quickly become a court jester unless he does something dramatic (or miraculous).

 

3. Dick Gordon

You were running in a marathon. While you are miles behind the frontrunners you badmouth everyone, the spectators, frontrunners, officials, media people and even the PA system. In elections, there are losers but some choose to lose in style, even managing to stage comebacks. Alfredo Lim, Raul Roco, Miriam Santiago and Ping Lacson all managed to win a senate seat after their failed presidential bids. I am not sure about Dick (I already saw a “like-page” for “Gibo for Senator in 2013”)… but then again, Filipinos are forgetful and forgiving. Three years from now I will not be surprised when people say “ah, tumakbo pala syang presidente nun, sayang si Roco binoto ko.”

 

2. Manny Villar

A lot of things will be written about him and his failure and I choose not to add except for one note: Hiding from the media a few days before the election makes you look like a loser.

 

1. Mar Roxas

Even if he finally wins by a “hairline”, Roxas will still be the biggest loser in this election. The thin margin makes him (and Binay) out of the running for 2016, unless they really work wonders for the next six year. He can probably win a Senate seat in 2013 and remain president of the Liberal Party but he should recognize that his opportunity has passed and must give way to other party members. He should also strive hard to make the Liberal Party more mature and less personality based. And similar to Villar, hiding from the media a few days after the election makes you look like a “such a loser, yaya!”.

5 disgusting things in Philippine politics (no. 3: Senate politics)

I just need to get this off my chest... I am really disgusted by the Philippine Senate. But I am not sure which one disgusts me the most:

1. That people like Haydee Yorac, Winnie Monsod, Perfecto Yasay and Bobby de Ocampo were denied membership to this exclusive club called the Philippine Senate.

2. That people like Jawo, Freddie Webb, Lito Lapid, Gringo, Ramon Revilla Sr., Ramon Revilla Jr. were granted membership.

   2.a. That Jamby Madrigal was granted membership after recruiting Judy Anne Santos (during the campaign, she constantly reminded people to vote for Jamby and not Juday).

3. That the Senate is willing to remove one of its members just to minimize his chances of becoming President of the Philippines even if the accusations were absurd (as Joker said, they all approved the Appropriations Bill, then they are all liable. It means that they sign laws even without reading it.).

4. That the former Senate President, who is under threat to become expelled-Senator, launched a 5minute- radio campaign ad featuring Boy Abunda to denounce the charges (what a statesman).

5. That Senator Sipag at Tiyaga dragged his daughter to a press conference to attest to his innocence in the Sentae mess (and then they ask for privacy when their children are questioned???) (what a family man)

6. That presidentiable-senators seem to be happy that the country will enter recession because it will be a good campaign piece against the administration.

7. That the Senate is spending more time doing investigations-in-aid-of-reelection instead of passing laws while we are about to enter recession.

8. That the Senate has Juan Ponce Enrile as Senate President.

9. That the Senate has Jinggoy Estrada as Senate President Pro-Tempore.

10. That the Senate has Juan Miguel Zubiri as Majority Leader.

5 disgusting things in Philippine politics (no. 5)

April is a busy month... summer vacations, out-of-town trips and numerous adventures. But no matter how frustrated you get with the way the weather ruins all your plans, Philippine politics undoubtedly is far from being frustrating, it is disgusting. Here are five of the most disgusting things in Philippine politics:

5. GMA legacy "investments"
When we went to Los Baños, Laguna, we stayed at Trace Suites, a hotel inside Trace Colleges- Los Baños Campus. It is where the swimming and diving competitions for the most recent ASEAN Games were held. It also hosted the swimsuit competition for the Miss Earth Beauty Pageant. We were surprised and amazed on how a small, relatively unheard college could afford such a expensive aquatics facility and hotel complex.

When we learned that Trace College is owned by the family of PAGCOR Chairman Efraim Genuino, all our questions are answered. We were surprised further when our friends from UPLB told us that the real owners of the hotel and college is the First Family.

When we went to Coron, Palawan, our tour guide told us that the governor, allegedly in partnership with the First Family is building a new hotel and resort complex in Coron (they are referred to as The Boracay Group).

And a friend who just came back from Mindanao, told me that a new chain of gasoline station sprung up all over Mindanao, Phoenix Petroleum. Its biggest endorser/part-owner is Manny Pacquiao. However, rumor  has it that the real owners of the gas company is... the First Family.

Is this GMA's legacy??? Crony investments similar to what the Marcoses did? Simply disgusting....

When untouchables clash with the corrupt and the inept

"F*ck you, B*tch!" This is allegedly what one of the agents of Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) said while beating up Richard Brodett, one of the Alabang Boys.

This is in the latest episode of the exciting saga: The Alabang Boys. The story involves rich kids (who initially denied that they are really rich) who were allegedly caught in an alleged buy-bust operation for allegedly selling ecstasy. I want to complete the background story but it will all be filled with allegedly given the clashing statements of the parties involved.

Who are involved:
Alabang Boys (Brodett with Jorge Joseph and Joseph Tecson)
Relatives of Alabang Boys
Lawyers of Alabang Boys
Government Prosecutors
Department of Justice Secretary
PDEA Agents
PDEA Administration
House of Representatives
The Anti-Drug Czar aka the President of the Philippines
extras (IBP, Anti-Money laundering Council, Special Government Panel, etc)

What makes the story interesting o frustrating (depending upon your perspective) is that it highlights how we should NOT treat the government as one entity. The story involves all branches of the government (Judicial, Executive and Legislative). Within the executive, there is a clash between the PDEA, the prosecutors and Dept. of Justice Secretary.

The story also has all the elements of a telenovela: drugs, youth, family conflict, surprise witnesses, unusual twists, a lot of sub plots (the opening of bank accounts for money laundering, the disbarment of the Alabang Boys lawyers for drafting a release order using official DOJ stationary), police brutality, inept government officials, and a lot more.

It has comedy (is 3M a pizza, 3 manok or 3 million pesos), drama (Brodett vs Brodett), action (buy bust operation leads to a car chase) and a love story (none so far, but I am sure it will come up).

This early, I am sure that all the parties are at fault. Everybody are doing what they thought they should be doing and thought that there was nothing wrong with what they were doing. The rich thinking that they are untouchables. The prosecutors that dismiss cases when the price is right. The PDEA who needs big fishes to push the career of a former senator hoping for a comeback. And then suddenly by some twist of fate, their careers and lives crashed, highlighting how big in a mess, the Philippines is.

With all the lies and the  cover ups, we now hear stupid and incredulous comments from all the people involved. Here is one of the examples:

“At 25 years old, to be a supplier? It’s hard to believe they’re hardened criminals. It’s impossible for their age,” said Jacqueline Verano, one of the lawyers of the Alabang Boys.

“Is it possible that at these ages, they would already have a network of buyers and be able to influence the drug market? Highly unlikely,” Verano said in an e-mail.

Note: There are young entrepreneurs who can develop a wide network for a successful business. If they can use their skills for productive endeavours, sadly, they can also use it to sell drugs.

My favorite is the quote above. Brodett mentioned that during his testimony at the House of Representatives. After listening to Christina Bale and ex-Illinois Governmbor Rod Blagojevich, I am now familiar on how this curse words are used. But it is a bit far fetched that our own PDEA agents will be using the same curse words.

In his testimony, Brodett said that other curse words were used such as P*t*ng In* Mo!, G*go, and T*rantado. But F*ck You, B*tch... he must be high that time!

Bank fraud- RP style

I am following closely developments regarding the Legacy Group and the financial fraud that they supposedly committed. While the Legacy case has numerous similarities to the Madoff (pronounced as Made off) Scheme in the US, there are striking differences.

The fraud basically begins with the promise of huge returns for deposits and investments. Both Legacy and Madoff ask their clients to trust them with their money, explain somehow that they are good financial investors and they can produce substantial returns.

In the case of the Legacy Group, they provided "double your money in 5 year scheme with free insurance." An interest rate of about 20% per year.This a substantial return given the microscopic 0.8% interest rate on regular ATM savings accounts (less 20% withholding tax). The amount of return should really be a cause of concern for potential depositors and investors. Government concessionaires of public utilities such as water, electricity and toll ways are only allowed a net return of around 8%.

The only other investment I know that produces 20% return are the 5-6 schemes of loan sharks (locally known as Bumbay). And people know that the loans made by loan sharks are very risky: no collateral, no credit investigations done, no receipts.

In the case of Bernie Madoff, he did not really promise huge returns but showed consistent annual returns of around 10%. Which is a substantial amount given the relatively low level of interest rates in the mid-2000s, at around 4% to 5%. 

How were they able to produce huge returns? Through a ponzi or pyramid scheme! Returns on the investment of person 1 are paid by the investment of person 2 and 3. Returns on the investment of person 2 are paid with money from persons 4 and 5, and so on and so forth.

With huge returns, existing investors encourage their friends, relatives and office mates to invest also. As the number of new investors increase, the amount the perpetrator can stash away increases. It also benefits that fraud master if existing investors re-invest their money.The pyramid's base continue to grow until there are no more new investors or new money to invest. And then, the pyramid collapses.

In the case of Albania (a small country in Europe), the collapse of a nationwide Ponzi scheme led to the collapse of the financial system and the government. Riots ensued with more than 2,000 people killed. Similar riots led to several deaths due to the collapse of ponzi schemes in Latin American countries.

In the case of Legacy and Maddoff, the government halted their operations before the pyramid collapsed. Some people who were able to pull-out their money early enough actually made profit. Now, here are the differences. In the case of Madoff, people invested their money. As an investment, they knew that they can either gain or lose money. Because Madoff committed fraud, they can get some of their money once Madoff's assets are liquidated. Fraud was committed against the investors. Given the opportunity, these investors (which included charitable institutions and schools) would probably lynch Madoff to death.

In the case of the Legacy Group, they took in the money as deposits, not investments. As deposit, it is protected by the Philippine Deposit Insurance Corp. (PDIC). They made sure that the huge bulk of the deposits were under PhP250,000, the maximum insurance payment the PDIC can provide. Hence, in case the Legacy banks collapse, it is actually the PDIC (and the government) which loses money (and some people that deposited more than 250,000). Fraud was committed against the government. Some depositors were actually mad at the government for taking away their "high return-investments." 

Perpetrators of ponzi schemes are intelligent people, to bad that they use their talents for fraud. Behind the Legacy Group is Celso Angeles, Jr., a graduate of Ateneo and AIM, the premier business schools in the Philippines. He worked in the US for almost 10 years where he probably mastered his craft. Bernie Madoff, on the other hand, was a former chairman of NASDAQ, one of US major stock exchanges. Both men probably used their excellent pedigrees to gain trust from potential investors.

Anyway, the Legacy Group's attempt was not the first time that the government was duped using the banking system. Once upon a time, there was a businessman who owned a small bank and a rapidly growing real estate company. To be able to sell houses in his subdivisions built on the hillsides of Rizal, he provided housing loans through his bank. In effect, he transferred money from depositors to his real estate company using his bank.

Eventually, home buyers were not able to pay their loans and the bank went bankrupt, but the business did not mourn. He already earned a lot from it. Most of the depositors were compensated by the PDIC. No cases were filed, no investigations were done. He is now a successful politician and will probably run in 2010.

That is bank fraud- RP Style. 

Presidential Legacy

After George W. Bush became the 43rd US President in 2001, he said that his father's presidency (George H.W. Bush, the 41st President) failed, mainly because daddy-Bush was not reelected in 1992.

To win and re-win the presidency, Bush employed the services of Karl Rove, the engineer and mastermind behind the most vicious and dirtiest campaigns in modern US history. In 2001, Rove launched an attack on John McCain, Bush's strongest contender for nomination of the Republican Party. While campaigning for reelection against John Kerry in 2004, they discredited Kerry's service record during the Vietnam War including the multiple medals he received.

At the end of Baby-Bush's presidency, he is perceived as one of the most unpopular presidents ever.  But baby-Bush can still be considered as an achiever compared to his dad. Daddy-Bush launched the Iraq War, Baby-Bush launched two wars, in Iraq and Afghanistan. Daddy-Bush left the economy weak, Baby-Bush wrecked the economy into recession. Daddy-Bush failed to capture Saddam Hussein, Baby-Bush captured Saddam Hussein but failed to get Osama bin Laden. Other than that, Baby-Bush can boast of other legacies including his failures regarding Katrina, Guantanamo, sub-prime mortgages, financial market collapse, debt and deficit, and the list continues (no comparison for daddy-Bush).

With all the wrong intentions to become the president, baby-Bush's legacy is still debatable, whether he is "the worst president ever" or just "one of the worst" or "the worst so far".

Back home, with a more than a year left in the GMA administration, I wonder what her legacy would be. On the negative side, I think GMA is really not worse compared to past presidents. GMA failed in battling poverty, unemployment, homelessness, corruption, cronyism, nepotism and others, just like her predecessors. We still have a failed agrarian reform project, no centralized land registration bureau, cumbersome and inadequate social security programs, peace in Mindanao and the countryside is still elusive, just like when Aguinaldo proclaimed independence in 1898. 

Nevertheless, Marcos definitely has the worst record in terms of corruption, human rights and temper. But it can be mainly due to the length of their presidencies. When GMA steps down in 2010, she has been president for 9 years, the second longest in Philippine history after Marcos' 21 years in power.

On the positive side, I think the following are GMA's greatest legacies (in no particular order):
1. E-VAT (Expanded Value-Added Tax Law raised the rate from 10% to 12% and widened its scope)
Th  E-VAT helped diffuse the impending fiscal crisis the Philippines chronically faces. VAT is relatively easy to compute and collect. As a consumption tax, it follows the principle of taxing people based on what they take out of the economy instead on their contributions to the economy, i.e., VAT discourages consumption while income tax discourages work.

One of the greatest advantages of the E-VAT is its imposition on oil, a highly unpopular decision avoided by Aquino, Ramos and Estrada. VAT on oil is good for several reasons:
i. Richer people (private vehicle owners) pay more compared to poorer people (those who take public transport).
ii. It serves as a pollution tax, thus discourages the use of gas-guzzling SUVs and encourages walking, biking and the use of mass transport systems.
iii. It is the only way that the highly informal transportation industry is taxed (most public utility vehicle operators, drivers and owners don't pay income tax... but I still cannot use this argument when talking to a tip-asking-taxi-driver).

With the unpopular E-VAT already in place, the next president should personally thank GMA for it. Let us just hope that E-VAT will not be scrapped due to populist tendencies of politicians. 

2. Holiday economics (the practice of moving national holidays to a Monday or Friday)
As a promdi, the holiday economics allowed me to spend more time with my family in Bulacan. It also helped me and my friends plan out-of-town trips, (we have visited numerous places and islands around the country). With tourism, income and wealth is distributed more equitably around the country. With tourism interlinked with numerous industries such as land, sea and air transport, food, hospitality and local handicraft, the multiplier effect is much much bigger. Aside from providing numerous jobs, tourism allows people from different places to interact and learn from each other.

3. RORO (Roll-in Roll-out) Facilities
As an archipelago with 7,107 islands (is the Kalayaan Group of Islands included in this count?), the transport of goods and services within the country is hampered by high cost and the lack of infrastructure. The RORO System lowers cost, minimizes spoilage of agricultural products, promotes tourism, increases productivity and brings people together. I really wonder why this project was not launched earlier by other administrations. 

4. Bridges, Airports and Public Infrastructure
Going around the country, we saw the numerous infrastructure programs launched by this administration. Although these projects are typically overpriced due to multi-billion dollar worth of kickbacks, the final output is still very useful.

Aside from being an archipelago, each island is dotted with several rivers, lakes, mountains and hills, making transportation difficult. It is sometimes surprising how much improvement a new road can bring to far flung town. Bridges that connect communities to major markets, can lead to substantial increase in income for farmers and craftsmen. These were complimented with new and expanded expressway systems and airports.

I most excited with the new mass rail transit systems (North Rail, South Rail and new lines of MRT), that I hope can be finished much sooner.

5. Bayani Fernando's Metro Manila
Bayani Fernando at the MMDA is the longest serving member of GMA cabinet after his appointment in 2002. Although his tactics are controversial, his methods are unpopular and his decisions and gut instinct questionable, he has brought so much order into Metro Manila's chaotic nature.

Most of his projects were initially greeted with skepticism, protests and sometimes outright rejection. However, he pushes through with pure political will. Way back in college (early-2000s), I can distinctly remember the we were often stuck in traffic for 30 minutes or more in-front of Muñoz market in Quezon City. That is no longer the case, thanks to the much derided U-turn slots.

I don't agree with all of Bayani's projects, some are downright wasteful while some are obviously kickback-friendly. Bayani might be corrupt or Machiavellian, but he has done so much for Metro Manila that I hope he can be MMDA chairman forever. And I salute GMA for not axing the controversial, unpopular but very effective MMDA Chairman.

Now, if only he can remove those kotong traffic enforcers and implement a bus-scheme similar to those in Hong Kong and Singapore...

The Audacity of the Audacious and the Race to 2010

I am currently reading Barack Obama's second book, "The Audacity of Hope." After he was declared as the president-elect, I could not resist the temptation of not buying the book. The book is very good (I am not yet finished, though). It provides insights on Obama's view on issues. It also provides a quick review of US and world history and current events. Ten years from now, you can judge whether his presidency changed his world view, for better or for worse, by reading this book.

According to some sources, the success of the book was actually one of the reasons why he was encouraged to run for president. The publishers and Obama's handlers were very surprised on how many people show up for book signing. It is also one of the reasons why Oprah endorsed him as "the one."

I once lamented that presidential candidates in the US write books, in the Philippines, they make movies, or movies about their life or join singing contests... or any other way for them to appear on TV.

American politicians who hoped to claim their party's nomination has a book of some sort, including McCain, Hillary Clinton, Biden, Giuliani, Kerry and Gore. It elevates their status as an intellectual, a person knowledgeable of issues and events, a statesman who can grasp the problems of their constituency and a person of experience with lessons to tell.

Here, writing books are for old, retired and nearly forgotten politicians writing their memoirs as their legacy. I am not sure who to blame for it, or if blame is actually necessary. If presidentiables write a book, I am not sure if they can actually sell more than a thousand copies. Even if they give it away for free, I am not sure if 1% of the 40 million electorate will read it.

After Obama won, I told myself (and my office mates) that at least one presidentiable will claim to be the Filipino Obama. Not a week has passed and Binay was audacious enough to claim the title (ginugel ko, audacious means bold). I can cite ten reasons why Binay is not an Obama but I'll wait to hear from him more.

So far, here are the possible presidentiables and their parties
Senate President Manny Villar: Nacionalista Party
MMDA Chairman and Celebrity Duets Champion Bayani Fernando: Lakas CMD (or his own party)
Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay: PDP-LAban
Prayer leader and losing presidential candidate Bro. Eddie Villanueva: Bangon Pilipino Movement
Senator and losing presidential candidate Panfilo Lacson: Independent
Senator Mar Roxas: Liberal Party
Senator and losing vice-presidential candidate Loren Legarda: Nationalist People's Coalition
Vice President Noli de Castro: Kampi

It is already a crowded race and I am sure a few nuisance candidates will join the race. I do really hope that there will a debate of issues and not just populist causes (Villar is pro-OFW, Legarda is pro-environment, Noli is pro-housing). Although 'causes' are good they are not good enough, not one will run as an anti-OFW, anti-environment and anti-housing crusader.

A significant issue that can and must be tackled is federalism. With two former local executives running for president, they can push for more responsibilities for local leaders. However, they probably run for president to consolidate power and they will not give up that power.

When Obama won, a lot of prominent African-Americans said that they did not expect that within their lifetime America will have a black president. Shall we witness a true presidential debates and real political parties within our lifetime?

The Democrat and Republican in you and me

As the 2008 US Presidential Election nears, I can only lament the sorry state of our political system. We don't have political parties, we have individuals with supporters who need to call their grouping a party to fulfill election requirements.

There is nothing liberal with the views of the Liberal Party. The Nacionalista Party, bought by Senator Villar is not more nationalistic than the Nationalist People's Coalition of Danding Cojuangco. At least I know that Ramos' Lakas CMD is about 'palakasan' (roughly translated as cronyism) and GMA's KAMPI party is all about 'kampihan' (us versus you). Erap's Partido ng Masang Pilipino is a party of Erap and FPJ fans. And then we have all the political leaders with their own parties, PDP-Laban, LDP, PRP, and the list continues.

I have been a member of political parties in the past... when I worked as a poll watcher in the past three elections, I had to sign the ID which basically makes me a member of the party thus eligible to be a watcher. Since my paid-poll-watching days are over, I don't think I will be a member of a political party in the future.

If I am an American, I am not sure if I will be a registered party member even if I am likely to vote for Obama, the nominee of the Democratic Party.

Democrats are generally anti-war, pro-women's rights, pro-environment, pro-choice, and pro-stem cell research. They hold the right to privacy sacred. They believe that there should be a clear separation between church and state. They favor a more interventionist government  in terms of regulation, education, and health care.

Republicans are pro-life, pro-market, pro-democracy and pro-God. They place special value to the right to bear arms. They generally advocate lower taxes, less regulation and more globalization. They are more likely to think the America is the most supreme country on earth and they should go to great lengths to promote and preserve America-type democracy. 

However, political beliefs are not strict dogmas to be followed strictly by all party members. People are not Blue Democrats and Red Republicans, there many shades of violets, purples and magentas in between. Politicians tend to be more centrist and populist as election nears. Individuals are allowed to reach across the isle and be bi-partisan to pass crucial legislation (almost all Filipino politicians vote for personal reasons and not according to party stand... party stand does not exist).

I am still in the process of assessing where I stand on several issues. I believe that there are government failures and market failures, and there should be a balance between regulation and letting the market work freely (where is that balance is very difficult to find). I believe couples should have access to reproductive health services but abortion is never an option. I think that the government should protect the environment but not to the extent that we ban all mining and logging. I believe that gun ownership should be strictly regulated. I think that it was wrong for America to act as the world's police and occupy Iraq.

Having written that... actually, I think I am leaning a bit more like a Democrat, to a certain extent... I think.

That was difficult!!! Being rational for your political views is actually very difficult.

Now I understand why people end up just saying "I don't like McCain (or Jovito Salonga), he is old" or "I'll vote for Obama (or Erap), he is handsome."