COMMENTARY! Fooling no one

BE VERY careful with people who say so much about themselves to the point that the other people being subjected to their narratives would look like villains. As it is, you may fall trap into their own illusionary constructs, and you will be swayed to play along with all their pret en ses.

Such is also the case in politics, now that the local campaigns begin, we will be presented once more with illusions, if not outright lies.

Traditions continue, so it seems, no matter how digital we have become in the last two election seasons. The foundations of “tried and tested” formula are still there.

Because why not? Smearing a political opponent still thrive in the cyberspace, complete with memes, videos, and an army of trolls.

But no matter social media operators boost the online campaigns, there remains a solid number of voters not dependent on the internet, these are the people living in the hinterlands, where radio listening and traditional means of communication are still the trend.

That is why the modern politico should not only focus on online destabilizations against his or her opponents, it still resort to the traditional methods of campaigning, he or she has to balance it.

And of course, “political leaders” are necessary to be rooted in every strategic voterich communities, without them, a budding politician can kiss their ambitions goodbye.

That is why, political survival requires one to be part of a political party, to rack up campaign kitties and be part of a bigger machinery for more chances of winning. It takes a miracle for an independent candidate to win an election, unless they are very popular, and wealthy enough (or with wealthier friends) to run a machinery.

Sometimes, you would think: for what are their promises and the ever abused “wanted to serve the people?” We know some of the politicians swearing to these are obviously BS, and yet they kept on winning because of influential ties, and strong machineries.

Understandably, these politicians are still humans. And their wins in their respective offices constitute a promise to fulfill. Eventually, it is not only the people they promised to, but also to their wealthier supporters who probably even funded their campaigns; some would expect a “return of invest ment .”

And this would start an awry dilemma. Not all promises are complementary. For one, the winning candidate promised the people of a better living with “pro-people” policies; in the other, the politician need to serve his or her campaign sponsors, who mostly have businesses, to accommodate their requests - which sometimes require policies and laws that are contradictory of being “propeople.”

A sad fate of being a politician is becoming trapped by his or her own words. Sometimes, it is also their personal agenda that often force them to say things that they don’t really mean. Thus, they are in conflict not only with their political opponents but also within themselves. And this is why they have to snare every potential voters to their sweet talks.— Nef Luczon