Who is leading in Philippine Presidential online polls?
Right now on the web, there are a lot of online polls where you can cast your vote for one Philippine Presidential candidate or another. Each online poll has a claim of being more better than the other but there is no way of really knowing what criteria to apply to figure out which is really better.
I’ve been invited several times to participate in them and here are some of the online polls that I have been invited to.
http://apps.facebook.com/election_twenty_ten/
http://presidenteko.com/index.php
http://2010presidentiables.wordpress.com/
http://apps.facebook.com/philelection/
http://professionalheckler.wordpress.com/
http://www.philippineselections.com/presidential-poll-2010
I don’t believe that online polls will have a profound impact on how the real polls in May 2010 will turn out. They are really just surveys where the results are displayed in real time, online.
In certain instances, these online polls become the battle ground for the online campaigners of various candidates. In some cases where online polls allow participants to leave a comment, the digital equivalent of a brawl erupts when one campaigner or poll participant engages another in an argument over who is the better candidate. They trade barbs and insults as if their life and their entire future depended on it.
What I find funny is when an online brawl erupts over the results of an online poll which doesn’t even prevent users from casting multiple votes.
The argument sometimes begins when commenter 1 says “Candidate A is better than candidate B because more people voted for him in online poll X.” and commenter 2 confronts commenter 1 by saying “Yeah but candidate B is a better candidate than candidate A because he topped online poll Y! And online poll Y has more participants than online poll X!”
Oh brother! I think such arguments over who is the more popular candidate in whatever online poll belongs in market places and street corners, not on the internet where everybody on earth can see just how loony Filipinos can get over what is in reality a spiffy but petty popularity contest.
The popularity of a candidate shouldn’t even be a consideration among voters.
There is actually an erroneous notion going around that a candidate’s popularity is proof that the candidate can unite the country. So, going by this false logic, the more popular a candidate is, the more unified a country becomes.
Sorry to break this to those who believe that popularity = unity, but, popularity wanes.
If, God forbid, the popularity of one person becomes the only thing that is holding a country together, we will most likely find our country involved in a Civil War as soon as that person’s popularity wanes for one reason or another.
Think of it this way folks, if a candidate’s or leader’s popularity rating dips by 10 percent are our countrymen then 10 percent less united?
On the other hand, consider what happens when a candidate or leader becomes extremely unpopular, isn’t the country then united against that candidate or leader?
What if a survey says that 99 percent of Filipinos absolutely hate candidate or leader X, wouldn’t this be proof that unpopularity is a bigger unifying factor than popularity?
In truth, I think Filipinos are better at uniting AGAINST something rather than uniting FOR something and this is one of the reasons why the country is the way it is.
We united against Marcos but really didn’t have a better alternative, instead, we settled for the least contentious popular figure to take his position in the hopes that this will unify a fractured country. What happened? 9 coup attempts, a resurgence of communist rebel attacks, and the rise of muslim dissident groups. Was that UNITY?
We united against Estrada but really didn’t have a better alternative, instead, we settled for someone who was touted as lesser evil.
Now, we are united against Macapagal Arroyo and again, it seems we are going to settle for someone who is touted as the lesser evil or the only choice.
The lesson that our recent history as a revived democracy is this, if we continue to keep settling for the most agreeable option rather than working to create a correct and better option, we can expect to go through the same bad things all over again — perhaps even worse.
The real task at hand in the following months is not to make ensure the popularity of one candidate or another, but to create a better option for our country and support that better option with all our might while exposing the false “pwede na” options that we find.





EDUARDO EDDIE VILLANUEVA
-studied economics, commerce, and law;
-then lived life as a labor leader and communist activist,
-from which he later converted, to become a born-again
Christian and founder of “Jesus Is Lord,” one of the
Philippines’ largest evangelical movements.
-He has family in politics, he knows how to manage,
organize, speak, and fight, and he has the considerable
backing of the JIL denomination.
-He has a principled yet non-theocratic platform,
and I’m pretty sure we know where he would stand on
justice where the Marcoses are concerned.
-This is a guy I could stand behind for the presidency.
GOD BLESS BRO.EDDIE C. VILLANUEVA!
[Reply]
Talino, Galing… Gibo!
[Reply]
destiny Reply:
March 12th, 2010 at 9:27 am
tama ka jan! go gibo!!!!
[Reply]
i agree, he is smart but he is a tuta of PGMA.so kung anong ginawa ni gloria noon yan din ang gagawin niya pag siya manalo.sana mag isip ang taong bayan sa pagboto sa next president. i hope noy will win. for me he will be a great president.
[Reply]
bp Reply:
February 13th, 2010 at 10:10 am
jeMz,
what makes you so sure he’ll do as gloria did?
[Reply]
TheDoctor Reply:
February 17th, 2010 at 5:53 pm
Aquino is just riding the bandwagon and don’t think that he’s not fit for the job. yes, what made you think that he’s a “Tuta” of PGMA? Anyway, I’ll vote for Dick Gordon, definitely! My 2 cents!
[Reply]
elvin Reply:
February 19th, 2010 at 5:47 pm
I like Gordon as well but giving him my vote would make Villar win the 2010 election.
[Reply]
pinoybuzz Reply:
February 19th, 2010 at 6:15 pm
I see what you are getting at, but, a vote for Gordon is a vote for Gordon and the challenge really is getting more people to vote for the right guy rather than just the popular candidate.
Noynoy, because he is inept and incapable of leading the country, will plunge us into deeper trouble.
bp Reply:
February 19th, 2010 at 6:18 pm
elvin,
if you like gordon because you’ve analyzed his qualifications then i think you should vote for him. assuming that a vote for gordon will ultimately translate to a vote for villar is plain wrong. my unsolicited advice to you is: ignore the surveys, ignore the illusion of winnability, trust your logic-based analysis, and vote for who is the best choice not the perceived lesser evil.
ultimately, they’re all potential evils even noynoy. what’s important is we vote for someone who has proven abilities. don’t be drawn to this aquino drama crap. honesty? yeah right. not corrupt? yeah right again. as one of the highest spenders in the senate, noynoy should have at least produced at least one law. tinalo pa siya ni lapid.
noynoy is a pushover. i seriously doubt if he’ll be able to achieve the main thrust of his campaign, which is to fight corruption. i have serious doubts about his ability to control the people around him.
Gibo Teodoro. I try nyo tong lnk na it. Make a character of presidentiables or any name that youw want. http://kenji321.mybrute.com
[Reply]
bp Reply:
February 23rd, 2010 at 4:00 pm
ken,
are you spamming me?
sige ok lang.
[Reply]
those who say that gibo is tuta ni GMA are dead Wrong. gibo has his own mind. he has his own decision and a man of principle.
Gibo is all we need. he is young and dynamic. he can relate and is sensitive to the needs of the youths.Mabuhay si Gibo.
[Reply]
bp Reply:
March 11th, 2010 at 2:19 pm
monskie,
that’s the problem. many people still believe in “multo” and in this case the multo is pgma. it doesn’t help that the noynoyistas are making anti-pgma their battlecry. they don’t seem to realize that this may be a problem for them should noynoy win. kung puro sila pgma ngayon ano na gagawin nila pag wala na si pgma? i haven’t seen a decent platform worth scrutinizing from noynoy’s camp. buti sana kung may track record to fall back on kaso wala.
the way i see it, gibo is a better choice than noynoy.
[Reply]
GILBERTO TEODORO
The first step to getting inside the mind of a man is to observe his personality/behavior/attitude. The second step is to get to know the environment he grew up in.
I couldn’t figure out the 1st since I personally don’t know the guy. Never saw him in person either. However, based on the 2nd step, if you researched as i did, we would both know that this guy is in the middle of a family feud within the clan.
He is a nephew of Eduardo Cojuangco Jr., chair of San Miguel Corporation, and 2nd cousin of Benigno Aquino III, one of the presidential aspirants in this poll.
Eduardo’s and Benigno’s families have always been at odds with one another for many reasons i wouldn’t start to care. However, from what is gathered, Eduardo Cojuangco is branded as a Marcos crony and therefore “corrupt”. Not surprising since there were theories that the source of the Cojuangco wealth is not so honorable. This makes the entire clan supposedly untrustworthy.
You might say, give this guy a chance. Okay, so give him this chance. It’s only the Institution of the Presidency we’re talking about here, nothing so important, right? If we make a mistake, Filipinos can always wait for six (6) f**king years to make another mistake.
Oh, by the way, He’s the son of former Social Security System administrator Gilberto Teodoro, Sr. and former Batasang Pambansa member Mercedes Cojuangco-Teodoro. The Social Security System and Batasang Pambansa were both tarnished with corruption.
———————–
RICHARD GORDON
Richard Gordon, like his running mate, Bayani Fernando, is a very practical person. The typical Filipino with his emotional carefree attitude would find his character to be somewhat “big bully” and “tyrannical” due to his no-nonsense approach to solving a problem.
To this candidate, solving a problem is more important than how the population feels about the method. To an emotional carefree population, you will probably agree that this personality is political suicide. However, based on his record, this guy seems to be solving the problems in spite of what people say.
From what is gathered, Gordon began his political career as mayor of Olongapo City, the purported “Sin City” of the Philippines. Critics say he did little to solve the “prostitution problem” but did agree that he was able to improve the city’s economic level.
Personally speaking, I understand why conservative people would react to prostitution as being acceptable. Well, that’s only them speaking. If you surveyed the entire Philippine population, you would probably be surprised how liberated the majority of Filipinos are.
(Filipinos, by nature, are sensuous, emotional, and overly courteous, which explains why they give way to the hypocrisy of the fundamentalist, puritanical, and conservative upbringing their country gives. This also explains why Filipinos are sexy inside but are afraid to show it.)
Going back to the P word, here’s an example: The metropolitan areas of the Clark and Washoe Counties in Nevada, USA would have stunted their growth if it were not for the adult entertainment industries provided by Las Vegas (Clark Co.) and Reno (Washoe Co.).
Here’s something to note: Prostitution in Nevada is legal but regulated within the designated “red light district’ night clubs. Prostitution in London, England is also legal but only if done outside of designated “red light district’ night clubs. This means that you and Mr/Ms adult entertainer should do it inside the clubs in Nevada but should do it in your home or motel in London.
Where am I going with this? Well, we always view prostitution as something bad and, as such, we don’t see people working in this trade as “professionals”. Moreover, these “professionals” are too afraid and ashamed to ply their trade but do so anyway because of need. On the other hand, we see rotten politicians in broad daylight – unafraid and unashamed – and they still get to be considered as “professionals”. Who would you prefer to work besides with? An adult entertainer who would work honestly and pay due taxes promptly if demanded of them? Or rotten politicians who are not honest, who steal taxpayers’ money, and expect that you vote for them next season?
Going back to Richard Gordon, it is refreshing to remember that the former president Ejercito Estrada is one of the senators who led the vote against the retention of the US Bases in the Philippines, which led to 40,000 Filipinos losing their jobs outright, increased the boldness of local rebel groups and terrorists, and destabilized the safety of the country from encroachment by other countries. Well, the Americans left anyway, and the Philippines was also left with the mess made by these senators as well as the after effects of Mt. Pinatubo.
It’s interesting to note that this “bully”, in the form of Richard Gordon, spearheaded the solution to the problems following the American exodus. The solutions may have not been all his own concepts, but he was the guy who facilitated them all together.
So there’s your choice… Do you want a good-looking president with a questionable family and track record who promises his heart out to you? Or do you want a “bully” who could help facilitate the solutions to your problems?
———————–
EDDIE VILLANUEVA
From what I last gathered, the Republic of the Philippines is still a democracy in which Church and State are separate. Eddie Villanueva may be an honest, uncorrupted, and “Christian” candidate, but his status as leader of a religious congregation is, to my personal opinion, not compatible with the Separation of Church and State clause.
The reason for separating Church and State is very evident in history. If you’re a student of history, you would remember that the times the Church and State worked as a single mind, worldwide catastrophes happened like terrorism today and the Crusades centuries before.
Simply put, Church and State cannot be a single mind, for all our sakes.
———————–
MANUEL VILLAR
If I’m not mistaken, there was a recent scandal on the Philippines’ C-5 Road Extension Project. Isn’t this guy in the middle of it all? If this person wins the election, the Philippines is truly a nation of monkeys and fools.
———————–
BENIGNO SIMEON AQUINO III
On the other hand Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III is the son of the “Great Filipino Hero and Martyr”, Ninoy Aquino and the “untarnished” and first female president of the Philippines, Corazon Aquino as well as brother to Philippine celebrity, Kris Aquino. Aside from being the son or brother of well-known people, I haven’t’ read anything else this guy was famous for.
Are you going to gamble your vote on this nobody/loser?
———————–
JOHN CARLOS DELOS REYES
He’s a nephew of Richard Gordon. Practically speaking, i don’t understand why he’s running against his uncle in the presidentiable elections. His uncle is highly experienced in serving the country. From what i gathered, he only has his city councilor experience and guts to back him up in his campaign. In this online poll he’s able to gather 1% at least. Imagine if he just supported his uncle as city councilor or mayor or Zambales district representative/congessman, this 1% could aid his uncle for president and aid him in his young career as well. He’s better off winning as mayor instead of president. Frankly speaking, either he has a personal grudge against his uncle (gone too far) or he’s a young idealist fool (not all idealists are fools, but this one is). Potentially, he may prove to be a good leader, but he’s making the wrong steps.
———————–
THE OTHERS ARE NOT WORTH MENTIONING…
[Reply]
bp Reply:
March 11th, 2010 at 2:15 pm
magoichi,
thanks for this.
[Reply]
sana sabihin langkung sino ang kandito at kung bakit. Huwag na kayong manira nang ibang kandidato. para tuloy kayong mandarayang tindero o tindera na naninira sa mga kakompetensya nyo. Di ba pandaraya yang gawi ng paninira sa kapwa?
[Reply]
usi Reply:
March 18th, 2010 at 11:15 pm
@henry: sino pala kandidato mo at bakit?
eh ang paninira sa current administration okay lang?
[Reply]
Hi everyone..i am getting excited about the Philippine Elections 2010..i live in far away England and have already casted my vote for…..Gordon and Bayani to lead our country in the next 6 years. They are the two most deserving candidates to lead us to prosperity. my ballot is on the way to the Philippine Embassy in London. Common Filipinos..think like me..this is our golden opportunity for our country…GORDON AND BAYANI…..THE ANSWER TO THE ILLS OF OUR SOCIETY..THE REMEDY FOR THE PHILIPPINES! GOD BLESS OUR COUNTRY.
[Reply]