Endorsement 101 for Presidential, Vice Presidential, Senatorial and Local candidates

I wonder if there’s a text, document, research or book that would show the trends, how-to’s and other pertinent information on strategizing on endorsers for your own electoral campaign, or for people to know how to effectively, efficiently and, of course, economically endorse your own candidates, both for local and national positions. That sure will be one hit piece of reading for your politicos, or wannabe politician.

In a report by Jing Castañeda of ABS-CBN, released yesterday night by TV Patrol World, the latest surveys show that people would not vote for a candidate who will be endorsed by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, and former President Fidel V. Ramos. It has no positive effect, instead, it will prove to be unpalatable for the voters if certain personalities endorse who they will vote for this coming May 2010 elections.

According to that report, 51% of the voters will surely not vote for a candidate who will be endorsed by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. This surely backs up what was rumored as a “kiss of death,” for a politician who identifies or brands himself or herself with the President. Mon Casiple, a political analyst, said that, “it worsened when she decided to run again for Congress, and perpetuate herself in power.”

On the other hand, 41% of the voters will surely not vote for a candidate who will be endorsed by former President Fidel V. Ramos, according to the same survey report.

It was also made clear that those endorsed by religious leaders, or those claiming to be one, such as Pastor Apollo Quiboloy and Brother Mike Velarde, will have negative effects on the voters. 44% of the voters will surely not for a candidate who will be endorsed by Pastor Apollo Quiboloy, while 41% of the voters said that they will surely not vote for candidates endorsed by El Shaddai’s Brother Mike Velarde.

In the same report, celebrity endorsers also prove to have negative effects on their endorsements. 41% of the voters will surely not vote for candidates endorsed by People’s Champ Manny Pacquiao, 35% said that they will surely not vote for candidates endorsed by Wowowee’s Willie Revillame, while 31% of the voters said they will surely not vote candidates who will be endorsed by veteran comedian-actor Dolphy.

Instead, only the candidates endorsed by Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero, who was supposedly running for the presidency this 2010 elections but later backed out, and actress and talk-show host Kris Aquino, have the possibility to be voted for by the voters. 39% of the voters said that they would probably vote for candidates endorsed by Sen. Chiz Escudero, while 31% said that they would probably vote for candidates endorsed by Kris Aquino.

Still the largest positive rating at 40%, voters said that they would probably vote for candidates endorsed by the church that they belong in.

It was also noted that political advertisements and endorsements aren’t enough to sway or convince voters to vote for a particular candidate. They say that the voters now are more mature and they make their choices after careful selection from the candidates’ pool.

Personally, I do not believe in surveys because they only offer a snapshot of a certain group of people at a particular time, when the survey was taken. The real survey, as people have already said, will still be on the Election Day on May 10.

Surveys, admit it or not, just frame the mindsets of people, and would favor the leading candidate or “the lesser of the two evils,” as one candidate who is also running for President has retorted in a recent statement.

In fact, in my opinion, it should be reviewed and studied if COMELEC, in the future, can ban the release of these surveys in the public, to level the playing field and so that it would not influence, intentionally or unintentionally, the choice of the people; instead, they should focus more on the platform, and other pertinent characteristics one is looking for in the leader of this nation.

For now, both Kris Aquino and Senator Chiz Escudero are in Senator Noynoy Aquino’s camp, and more or less the other endorsers namely Manny Pacquiao, Willie Revillame and Dolphy are in Senator Manny Villar’s camp. Does this show that the odds are in favor of the LP candidate?

One thing’s for sure; I personally know that there are talks inside the camp of Senator Chiz Escudero of a possibility of a release of an ad in support for or endorsement of Senator Noynoy Aquino. As to when it will be released or if it will be released at all, let’s just wait and see.

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Endorsement 101 for Presidential, Vice-Presidential, Senatorial and Local candidates is written and published for Blogwatch - The Philippine Online Chronicles

Freedom of Speech vs. Freedom from Influence

CBCP vs. Celebrity Endorsers

I was on my way home from the University of the Philippines Diliman this Tuesday, when I heard on the radio, specifically on DZMM Pasada Sais Trenta (630khz), the interview of Karen Davila and Vic de leon Lima with actor, comedian and game show host Willie Revillame on why he supports Nacionalista Party Presidential Candidate Senator Manny Villar, and the issues that surround Villar’s presidency and Revillime’s support to the candidate.

Unfortunately or fortunately, this article is not about why Willie Revillame supports Manny Villar, or what were his answers to questions on the issues that surround that support.

Admittedly, that is an interesting topic all together; but what struck me the most during that interview this afternoon was when Karen Davila asked Willie on his thoughts on the statement of the Catholic’s Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) regarding celebrity endorsers who have a perceived notion to be womanizers. It went further by identifying him as one of those endorsers.

Recently, the Catholics Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) issued a statement against, or categorically stated that they are against politicians using celebrity endorsers who are perceived to be “babaero” or womanizers, and allegedly pointed specifically to Nacionalista Party (NP) presidential candidate Senator Manny Villar’s endorsers as such.

As everybody has seen on the TV, print, and other advertisements and personal endorsements, these personalities include award-winning actor and comedian Dolphy, world renowned boxing champion Manny Paquiao, and actor, comedian and game show host Willie Revillame – at least they were the ones who were being indentified, according to TV Patrol World’s reports.

Freedom of Speech, Freedom from Influence

If the CBCP says that the Nacionalista Party's endorsers have a reputation of being womanizers then I would dare say that they are being anal, judgmental and bordering “pakialamero,” or one who meddles in everything, even in affairs of the government.

Freedom of speech goes both ways. I am generally against hiring celebrity endorsers to boost a politician’s campaign, but what the CBCP did was off. It’s just that the bishops, more often than not, think of their “social status” as power and that they have every right to speak against the government from a pedestal (or if we identify with olden times, a pulpit) and to brand affairs of the government as good or evil, Christian-like or otherwise.

I agree, in principle, to the reaction of NP Vice-Presidential candidate Senator Loren Legarda that the level of the campaigns [of both parties and other candidates] in the upcoming elections has sunk very low.

I think that there should be no one person who, or entity that, can judge the character of an individual and try to affect others’ perception or impression of that person without knowing him or her fully first. It’s not even enough reason to judge or label a person if you are just an acquaintance, or, sometimes, even casual friends.

More so, I think that there should be no one who can judge someone’s intentions, for the Filipino nation and its people with malice; this does not exempt religious (priests and bishops), given their sensitive positions in Philippine society.

Filipinos must vote wisely

The Filipino people can observe, more so us from the media and online community, that if not the candidates, their supporters, have resorted and relied on mudslinging and black propaganda to either boost their campaign or bring the other candidates campaign down.

I must admit that this is not only true to the Liberal Party, but also to the Nacionalista Party, to other parties, candidates and their supporters, both in the national and in the local scenes.

Campaigns for the national and local elections should focus on platforms, principles and issues, and not bashing character, maligning integrity, and questioning intentions of the candidates and people who support them.

Let their person, their records, and the people who know them best speak and stand on their own merits. It is each and everyone’s job and responsibility to present all the facts, and at the same time, get and scrutinize all the facts.

In the end, it is we, the people, who will decide the fate of our own selves, this government, and ultimately, this beloved nation we are all living in.

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Freedom of Speech vs. Freedom from Influence was written and published at BLOGWATCH - The Philippine Online Chronicles