By Al S. Mendoza 

 

IT’S not actually candidate versus candidate.

It is voter versus candidate.

That’s the real pairing.

Why is that?

All elections are similar. You will not notice any difference every single time.

It’s as invisible as the wind.

The real duel I mean: The voter versus candidate.

It begins this way.

You range your choice against the other candidate/s.

Is my bet better than the other bets?

In what way is my bet a cut above the rest?

As a voter, you have to be truly discerning.

Focus on your bet.

List down his qualities.

Is he honest?

Easy to know if he’s a veteran politician.  Loves lip service.  Dishonest.

If your bet is a rookie, dig up his past.

Even veterans have claims that need to be put under the microscope.

Are they real? Genuine?

Is he a diploma-holder, a certificate owner?  Not Recto-made?

A diploma is proof of a completed full course.  Like being an engineer, a lawyer or a doctor.

A certificate is like a quickie.  Incomplete like a half-cooked camote.  Not palatable.

If it were boxing, a knockout is the ideal and that can be achieved only via a science-based strategy.

Politics is also science-laced.

So that in choosing your bet, use your mind, your heart, and your soul.

Gut feel is also an additive.  In fact, this is sometimes the turning point.

At times, trusting your instinct is something that annihilates doubts.

It’s like taking an exam:  Trust the first thing that comes to your mind.

It holds true in your choice of a candidate.

The first one that comes along immediately takes a special spot in your heart.

You hold it close to your chest.

However, if, along the way, your bet turns out to be a jerk, you can always dump him quick.

Didn’t I say he’s your foe?

Remember: You have the final say.  Always.

You have until May 9, 2022 to decide.

Your bet might have initially appeared as the best from the field three-fourths of the campaign trail.

But don’t be too sure.

You know, front-runners in surveys do not usually end up winners.

History is replete with tail-enders at the start of the contest having the last laugh after the last ballot has been counted.

The last case was in 2016, when pacesetter Jojo Binay was soundly overtaken in the end by Digong Duterte.

Oh, by the way, you must believe that your bet must be clean as a whistle, right?

So that when he wins, your country is at least assured of a good government, right?

So that as a loyal backer, you will persevere every inch of the way to ensure your bet’s victory, right?

So feel good, be proud.

Fight for your choice like you yourself is the one running in the election.

That way, win or lose, you can always shout to the world that you have fought the good fight.

It’s not a matter of winning, but on how you used your mind, your heart and soul in dealing with your bet.

Easier said than done?

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