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| ON THE OTHER HAND |
| Obama, Perhaps
By Antonio C. Abaya Written on Nov. 02, 2008 For the Standard Today, November 04 issue As I write this piece, there are still more than 48 hours left before the presidential campaign ends and the voting begins in the US. Barack Obama is still enjoying a lead in the nation-wide polls, but anything can still happen. At the height of the financial crisis about three weeks ago, Obama was enjoying a double-digit lead over John McCain. That lead is now down to seven percentage points, with another seven percent still undecided. What this seems to indicate is that a significant portion of those who chose Obama three weeks ago, when the economy was in total shambles, have changed their minds now that the economy seems to be reaching a state of equilibrium, even though the numbers are still down. And then there is the so-called Bradley Effect, named after Black Mayor Tom Bradley of Los Angeles who ran for governor of California in 1992. He led in the polls all throughout the campaign, only to lose to his white rival on Election Day. It has been explained that some white voters do not reveal their racist bias to pollsters but express that bias in the privacy of the voting booth. It is estimated that as many as six percent of white voters could succumb to this latent racism. If true, that would impact not only on the real nationwide poll � which does not elect the president and vice-president � but, more importantly, on the state electoral votes, which do. In most states, the gap between Obama and McCain is six points or less, so the Bradley Effect is statistically significant. At present, Obama is said to have 290 electoral votes safely tucked in, compared to 160 for McCain. The winning total is 270 electoral votes. Without the Bradley Effect, Obama is a sure winner. With the Bradley Effect, it s only Obama, Perhaps. In my earlier article Obama, Osama, Oh Mama! (March 31, 2008), I had written that as Obama becomes more likely to become president, he stands a higher risk of being assassinated by white supremacists, a view that was similarly expressed by British-South African novelist Doris Lessing. The arrest of two white supremacist neo-Nazi skinheads in Tennessee yesterday, allegedly because they had publicly stated a desire to shoot and behead some 80 Blacks in a nearby school, to be followed with a plan to drive through an Obama rally to assassinate him, must be regarded as merely the tip of a white supremacist iceberg. There must be other, more coldly calculating racist-killers out there waiting for the right moment to strike. Despite its claim to being a beacon of democratic polity, the US has had more political assassinations at the highest levels in the past 150 years than almost any other country on earth, Black Africa and the Middle East included. In the last two minutes of this electoral ballgame, the neo-cons are still trying to score a slam dunk that could push the McCain-Palin team to victory. In October, the embattled Americans in Afghanistan and Langley (Virginia � home of the CIA) launched NINE unmanned Predator strikes with Hellfire missiles into suspected Al-Qaeda hideouts in Pakistan's tribal areas, the last two in one day alone, on Oct. 31. The aim, of course, has been to hope for a lucky shot that kills Osama bin Laden and/or his deputy, the Egyptian Ayman al-Zwahiri. So far, they have killed dozens of Pakistani civilians, but not Osama or Ayman. They still have 48 hours to score that lucky shot. If I were an American citizen, I would vote for Barack Obama. He is the more attractive candidate: intelligent, articulate, liberal, composed, able to think on his feet, always ready with an apt sound byte. Compared to the Ivy Leaguer Obama, McCain is under-educated, which is why he talks in clich�s, like his patron George W. Bush. I do not think McCain � or George W � can locate Iraq or Afghanistan in a map if the markings were in Hebrew or Chinese. McCain was 895th in his class of 899 midshipmen at the US Naval Academy in Annapolis. But Obama has no executive experience. Neither has McCain, nor has Joseph Biden. The only one in the quartet with any executive experience is the moose-eating Sarah Palin. But, like McCain, Palin is also under-educated and is so obviously unfit for the position of vice-president, much more of president, that one must question the judgment of McCain in choosing someone of her low-batt caliber as his running mate, especially since by his own admission he had met her only once ever. McCain justifies himself on the grounds that he is a maverick, and that she also is. God or Allah help this planet if the most powerful country is run by two under-educated mavericks. It will be perpetual war. Which is probably what the neo-cons want: which is why Vice-President Dick Cheney, the outgoing neo-con headman, unexpectedly endorsed the maverick duo today. Palin was chosen for two reasons. The Republicans thought they could win Woman Power to their side on the rebound after Obama chose Biden over Hillary Clinton. But after the novelty wore off, what the Republicans got was Girl Power instead, girls aged from nine to ninety, with no ideological or political consciousness, but tickled to the bones that a Power Puff Girl was McCain's running mate. The other reason why McCain chose Palin is her appeal to her fellow Christian Evangelicals, who constitute the Republican mass base and who make up most of the 26 percent of the American electorate who still support the vastly unpopular George W. The Christian Evangelicals believe that war in the Middle East is part of God's Plan: Israel will be destroyed but the 144,000 male Jews who survive will convert to Christianity and this will be the signal for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Obama has no counter-argument to that. But the best argument against John McCain is John McCain. He makes much of his five and a half years in captivity at the Hanoi Hilton, as well he should, since that makes him an authentic American war hero. But while he was a POW, his first wife Carol figured in a car accident in 1969 that hospitalized her for six months and required massive surgery. In order to save her life, surgeons had to cut away sections of shattered bone, reducing her height by four inches, confining her to a wheelchair and forcing her to use a catheter. When McCain returned from Vietnam in 1973, he returned to a disfigured and crippled Carol, different from the tall and willowy Carol whom he remembered when he left in 1967 for Vietnam. In 1979, while still married to Carol, our hero met and dated the statuesque and wealthy Cindy, whom he pursued relentlessly until she agreed to marry him, whereupon he divorced the crippled and disfigured Carol in 1980. I guess McCain would say this was part of his being a maverick. The billionaire and former presidential candidate Ross Perot, who paid Carol's hospital bills, sees him differently, as a man who is "unusually slick and cruel." ***** Reactions to [email protected]. Other articles in www.tapatt.org and acabaya.blogspot.com To subscribe, send a blank email with the subject heading Subscribe. To unsubscribe, send a blank email with the subject heading Unsubscribe. OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Reactions to "Obama, Perhaps" 'A Funny Thing Happened'\ 'Local autonomy, not Federalism' Sir, Your assassination attempt scenario has a higher probability than Obama losing the elections. Obama launched a social movement, used Web 2.0 (http://livingplanet.blogspot.com/2008/10/online-is-straight-line-to-white-house.html), campaigned on a positive message of hope and change, recruited more than 3.1M supporters, raised a $600M war kitty, and has a broad base support of civil society and the youth. Of course, it didn't help the GOP that they trashed the country in so many ways. The website Fivethirtyeight.com, which simulates the election 10,000x based on the various polls conducted and then weighted has called it for Obama. This is the most reliable website on the probabilities of the election. Best, Hecky Villanueva, (by email), Tucson, Arizona, Nov. 03, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Obama hopefully not It does look as though your forecast of an Obama victory will happen this coming Tuesday. If that occurs, rest assured the Secret Service and FBI will secure the president's person. [Happily, there appears to have been enough inbreeding among the fringe lunatic neo-nazi skinheads in the U.S. that they bungle most everything including tying their own shoelaces - and they are likely well infiltrated by the FBI.] Alaska Governor Sarah Palin is the most under-rated political force in the American political scene. I see you've joined in with those who share the unfortunate opinion that she is a lightweight - an opinion lacks factual substance. She has performed remarkably at every task she's taken on from City Council member, to town Mayor, to head of the Alaska Petroleum Board to Alaska State Governor where she is also Commander-in-Chief of the Alaska National Guard (ANG) - American's most formidable National Guard unit - one that is an active arm of U.S. national air defense. Wish you could have heard the extensive laudatory remarks from the military commander of the ANG, Lt. Gen. Craig Campbell, regarding Governor Palin's daily hands-on involvement as executive head of that military arm. And, she re-negotiated a 40 billion dollar pipeline project while combating entrenched political forces within her own party and the oil industry. Palin is remarkably well qualified, poised, confident, charismatic and intelligent. Of course, Liberals loathe her - she's the greatest threat to their neo-humanist socialist agenda since Ronald Reagan. Should Obama lose it will be because Americans don't yearn for socialism and are growing increasingly concerned over his intimate associations with Ayers, Rezko, Wright and Khalidi et al as well as his alliance with the very corrupt ACORN organization [an affiliate of which his campaign donated over $800,000 in this election cycle]. You remarked about Obama's Harvard degree as evidence of his intellect. Yet, the candidate of transparency has sealed all his college transcripts as well as his Hawaiian birth records. [The Affidavit of Live Birth being promoted on his web site is not a hospital generated document and not proof positive that he was actually born in Hawaii and constitutionally qualified as a natural-born American.] Regarding Senator John McCain's low class standing at Annapolis: Applicants to the U.S. Naval Academy are screened intensely. Few who apply are accepted. Of those who enter, less than two-thirds graduate. Ironically, low class standing at the Naval Academy is linked to stellar performance later in one's career - as if those who graduate low are the "mavericks" of their classes. As to McCain's divorce from his first wife: When asked why the marriage failed, John McCain frankly replied, "because I was a jerk." No nuance there. Impressively, his first wife and his adopted children from that marriage are campaigning for him. [Ross Perot paid for his first wife's medical bills when John McCain was a resident of the Hanoi Hilton unable to write a check.] The most important qualities to be president are integrity and decisive leadership. I've yet to hear any commentator speak to any specific accomplishment of Senator Obama that would qualify him to be president. I also have yet to hear of anyone of substance from his high school, college or community service years to speak on his behalf. Does he have no personal friends? So far, we've seen little of integrity or decisive leadership from Barack Obama. Should he be elected, he will surely, as he has declared, "change the world." Unfortunately, that may be true to our peril. Max Ricketts, (by email), Nov 03, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Mr. Abaya, In addition, Carol McCain didn't want her husband (a POW at that time) to be informed of her condition knowing that it would be a blow to his morale. She has never said a disparaging word against John McCain since their divorce. I also like Obama and one of the reason is that his campaign has never brought up this issue. Regards, Enrico D. Hidalgo, (by email), Nov. 03, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww If Condoleeza Rice had been McCain's running mate, would it have been better for McCain? It is too late now, but would it? Obama is black with a white for a running mate, and McCain is white with a black running mate (C.Rice, and an a very intelligent one, too), don't you think the race factor would have been equalized between the two parties and leave just the potentials left for for the voters dto consider? Ednundo Ledesma, (by email), Cainta, Rizal, Nov. 03, 2008 (As I stated, one of the reasons Palin was chosen to be McCain's running mate was to rally and rouse the Republican Party's mass base, the Christian Evangelicals. Since Condoleeza Rice is not a Christian Evangelical, she would not have meant much or anything to this numerically and politically important group. ACA) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww What has always bothered me about U.S. presidential elections is the Electoral College system. To me, it is un-democratic because it does not represent the "will of the people." Look what happened to Al Gore: he won by more than half-a-million votes, but still lost (through a narrow decision by a GOP-loaded Supreme Court). How can the U.S. go around the world promoting its type of democracy when its own election process is flawed? Then, four years after Al got gored, the Swift-boaters sank John Kerry - even if it was all a banca-load of lies, as now even the authors of such a sleazy campaign admit. And what have those eight years brought to America, and the world? And now....Corsi's book on Obama, publicly acknowledged as basically a pack of lies, was a best-seller in, of all places, the New York Times list. Imagine, the country that has access to information at its fingertips, can also be conned by blatant untruths. And now, talk is rife about another assassination. Yeah, right, U.S. democracy at its best!! Perla Manapol, (by email), Nov. 03, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Mr. Tony Abaya, You could have been an excellent campaign manager for Obama-Biden ticket. You speak well of Obama but have you browsed his voting records at the Senate? Very partisan and not interested on issues that will not propell his political career. It reminds me of young Marcos who will do, say and promise just to get anyones vote to occupy the post. The media had been bias and trying to influence the eletion. We wish Obama the Bradley effect ! Today is Monday and tomorrow will be the voting day. By the time you read this note, the election is over. Win or loss, I voted for McCain-Palin thru absentee ballot. There is no right or wrong pick as both offers a solution to major issues. Election is a matter of trust and belief who can do the job well. Nonoy Ramos, (by email), Pennsylvania, Nov. 08, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww I don't know how true these articles about McCain are. You may have a way of checking their accuracy and veracity. Bobby Manasan, (by email), Burke, Virginia, Nov.. 03, 2008 "Republicans (including NH Senator Bob Smith) Allege McCain Covered Up His Collaboration with the North Vietnamese While a POW By Steven Rosenfeld AlterNet September 21, 2008 Watch the Video: Vietnam Veterans Against McCain http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFM1xqqTX_g http://www.democracyfornewhampshire.com/node/view/6062 "Report: McCain Pushed Woman In A Wheelchair The Huffington Post September 7, 2008 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/07/report-mccain-pushed-woma_n_124615.html http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/123029704&tab=holdings?loc=20035 You can read almost 100 pages of An Enormous Crime free of charge by clicking here. http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&id=izp2Dj_WOxIC&dq=hendon+stewart+an+ enormous+crime&printsec=frontcover&source=web&ots=adjFGkPwG4&sig=U3np RR99_glgvkleakpFWLmnF3M&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=2&ct=result "John McCain: Unfit to serve as Commander-In-Chief The spoiled son of military privilege got a free ride throughout his military career despite repeated instances of sex scandals and screw-ups By Ted Sampley U.S. Veteran Dispatch January 27, 2008 http://www.usveterandispatch.com/jan08/mccain_military_record.htm wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Yes, anything can still happen. As of noon today, the polls suggest it's too close for comfort for BO. And his opponents are throwing everything including the kitchen sink at him in a last minute effort to defeat him. If all else fails, scare the hell out of the voters by re-associating him with his former pastor, Jeremiah Wright. Part of dirty tricks employed by a bunch of desperate right-wing nuts. Can America overcome? We shall soon find out. Raul Serion, (by email), Nov. 03, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Mr. Abaya, It was with great interest that I read your article "Obama, Perhaps" which I received as part of some mass email. Tomorrow, I will be voting for John McCain and one of the many reasons is my disdain for the righteous media. Media that is so one sided they are not just irresponsible in their suppression of the facts but almost slanderous in their presentation of half-truths. Let me start with your closer on McCain's divorce. You portrayed McCain as being "sick and cruel" for divorcing his first wife Carol. Right you may be, but what you purposely failed to state, despite the extensive documentation, is that John McCain has owned up to his mistake, without excuses, long before this election. You also failed to state that Carol and John have remained friends, and that she and their children support John in his campaign. Actually, compared to Obama, who seems to be successful in pulling the wool over your eyes, if not with his relationship to Ayers then definitely with Pastor Wright, I find McCain's candor reassuring. (If you were to re-read what you are objecting to, you will notice that a) the phrase is "unusually slick and cruel," not "sick and cruel"; and that b) this phrase was/is in quotation marks, which means they are words of some one else, not mine. In this case, they were the words of Ross Perot. Maybe you should remove the wool over your own eyes. ACA) Then there's your explanation for selecting Palin. While the first reason is pretty obvious, calling Palin who is potentially the next VP of our country a Power Puff Girl, merely exposes your own sexist/boorish personality. Resorting to name calling does not defend your position, but it does reassure me of your incompetence to properly flesh out an argument. In fact, I have lunch with 3 other Filipinos regularly and in the beginning, the three of them supported Hillary while I supported Giuliani. After Hillary lost to Obama, the three of them now support McCain. I can assure you, any of them will take offense to your description of Palin fans as having no ideological or political consciousness. (Just because I reject Sarah Palin, it exposes my "sexist/boorish personality"? So your rejection of Obama exposes your "racist/boorish personality?" You should have more brains than that. ACA) As for as Palin's evangelical background, the truth is the jury is still out, but not so for Obama's 20 year association with the Trinity Church and its black liberation theology. (The jury is still out? Where have you been all these years? The Evangelicals have long been preaching that war in the Middle East is part of God's Plan as revealed in the Book of Revelations. ACA) I'd love to respond more to your article, maybe even share with you why it's "McCain, For Sure" for me. Opportunity versus entitlement, promise versus principle, rhetoric versus record but I have work to do, and need to do well, as I don't want to rely on somebody's rhetoric and promises for entitlement. Serving as president is a priviledge and I've tried to justify why I would entitle Obama to such a position. Unfortunately, his service record is undeserving. I hope this finds you in good health. Renato Maceda, (by email), Nov. 03, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Whether Obama or McCain, ok lang. They had a rigorous elimination in the primaries. They are the best choises of their parties. I don't think either of them is corrupt. Unlike many of our politicians. Will any of our big shot politicians ever get sanctioned like Senator Stevens, VP Agnew etc? Maybe we need a disciplined ex-military for president. pero hindi yung corrupt. Being a military man is no guarantee that a person is honorable. Jose Dado, (by email), Nov. 03, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Tony, Two friends of mine below (Al from Australia and Helissa from the U.S.) are responding to your latest. I thought you might find interesting. Jack Sherman, (by email), Quezon City, Nov. 03, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Jack, I see several errors here. Abaya is looking at the wrong polls. Some you outright have to ignore, as they are politically biased. The fairer ones show Obama farther ahead--double digits. (The poll I am citing is CNN's Poll of Polls which averages the results of five or six of the major polls. The last results before Election Day show Obama ahead by seven points, with seven percent still undecided. ACA) The Bradley Effect has been over-emphasized by the media for drama. Whatever truth there is to it, the percentage is smaller than he's reporting. There are many, many more whites that are happy to be voting for a non-white, and, in fact, consider that another reason to vote for Obama. I suspect that the Republicans are putting forth the idea of the Bradley Effect as a cover-up for their intentions to steal the election (AGAIN!), but I don't think there're going to pull that off this time. There are too many people watching now. (The six-percent estimated for the Bradley Effect is also from CNN, which is pro-Obama. ACA) I understand that Obama is the most guarded person on the planet at the moment. I'm certain that will continue after he is elected. Frankly, the danger is more from within the system, e.g. the CIA, than from some random racist. The media also polarizes the Evangelicals by talking only about the extremists. Many are more in the middle. They aren't as single-minded as put forth. In the last few years there's been splits in their movement with some younger ministers moving away from the old issues, e.g. now supporting environmental issues and looking at the economy and charitable activities, rather than only abortion, etc. (The cited position of the Christian Evangelicals is distilled from the web sites of John Hagee, Pat Robertson and the late Jerry Falwell, and their followers. ACA) Helissa wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Helissa.I totally agree with your assessment. Obama would be wise to wear the best bullet-proof vest on the market. The forces that put Bush in and kept him there are no pussy cats; Obama better watch out! Albert wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Tony: This is Noam Chomsky's response to your very good article. Shalom, George Patterson, (by email), Quezon City, Nov. 03, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Noam, Ed, Ralph, and Judy: What do you think of this article - "Obama, Perhaps" by Tony Abaya ? Shalom, George, Nov. 03, 2008 Very good article. I wish it could appear here, without eliciting hysteria. Noam (Chomsky), Nov. 03, 2008 Professor emeritus of Linguistics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww I am not looking at party affiliation nor color of the skin...but this I want all to know that Obama and his wife, Michelle, are both 100% Pro-Abortion in all kind and level, supports Same Sex Marriage, passionately hates the Americans, echoing the rhetoric's of their pastor Rev. Wright, promised to Raise Taxes, and to Disarm America...ask yourself and your conscience if such person is the right person to lead this great nation�please pray that God will guide you with a clear mind and conscience as you make your decision before it is too late for all of us. Ernesto Soldevilla, (by email), Nov. 04, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Tony, The US ethnic landscape has changed. If Obama wins it is the first time a president with African heritage will be in the White House. While Palin's supporters are rednecks, her husband is part Eskimo and officially initiated into the tribe. On the other hand the Bradley effect is not just from rednecks. It seems to be from anybody whiter than the person. It is not just the white rednecks but it also include Latino's and of course from personal contacts our fellow Filipinos. While the US president may exert a very strong influence and if he has a very strong personality could basically run government as a fiefdom, the political tradition is unlike in the Philippines. At the end of the day, the party has a strong say. On the other hand the opposition tries to be as constructive as possible in its criticism and will support the President if the needs arises like Bush request for stimulus package. Ely Ouano, (by email), Nov. 04, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Tony, Here is my article for tomorrow's BusinessWorld: Oscar Lagman, (by email), Nov. 03, 2008 TO TAKE A STAND by Oscar P. Lagman, Jr. Will America be a great nation? "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character," said Martin Luther King, Jr. in the nation's capital in August of 1963. A black boy the age of Luther's second son Dexter Scott lived in far-away Hawaii at that time. Today, America will judge that Hawaii-born black boy, now 47 years old, by the color of his skin or by the content of his character. Barack Obama had similar dreams. Here are excerpts from his keynote address at the Democratic Convention in 2004: "Tonight, we gather to affirm the greatness of our Nation. Our pride is based on a very simple premise, summed up in a declaration made over two hundred years ago: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal. That is the true genius of America, a faith -- a faith in simple dreams, an insistence on small miracles. "It's the hope of slaves sitting around a fire singing freedom songs; the hope of a skinny kid with a funny name who believes that America has a place for him, too. Hope -- Hope in the face of difficulty. Hope in the face of uncertainty. The audacity of hope! In the end, that is God's greatest gift to us, the bedrock of this nation. A belief in things not seen." The accolades he received from his stirring speech made Obama more audacious in his dreams. He hoped to be president of what his opponent calls the greatest nation in history. I had written in this space in January of this year that White Americans, who still make the overwhelming majority of the American population, are not ready to have a black man lead white America. The founding fathers, all white, of that nation may have declared that all men are created equal but most of them really had in mind "white men" only. There was great disagreement among them about the institution of slavery. An early draft of the declaration of independence denounced the slave trade but the line was eventually deleted. When the advocate of abolition of slavery Abraham Lincoln was elected president in 1860, eleven states seceded from the United States of America and formed their own independent government, the Confederate States of America. CSA Vice President Alexander Stephens declared that the "cornerstone" of the new government "rests upon the great truth that the negro is not equal to the white man; that slavery�subordination to the superior race�is his natural and normal condition. This, our new government, is the first, in the history of the world, based upon this great physical, philosophical, and moral truth". The Confederacy collapsed when its armies were routed by the Union forces in April 1865. Still, many white Americans clanged to the belief that the Negro is not equal to the white man. That is why 100 years after Abraham Lincoln had signed the Emancipation Declaration, Martin Luther King declared at the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. that: "The Negro still is not free �the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination�the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity�the Negro is still languished in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land." And so he urged the Negro people to demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice. Said he that hot summer day in August 1963, "Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children." It was when the Negroes started to be militant in their demand of equal rights that I lived in America, first as a graduate student at the University of San Francisco then as a trainee at the ad agency J. Walter Thompson in New York. I developed a deep understanding of the struggle for freedom and justice of the Negro people. While King asked his people not to resort to physical violence, to meet physical force with soul force in their demand for civil rights, there were many instances when their marches and rallies erupted in violence. Negro ghettoes in more than 100 cities became war zones when King was assassinated in April 1968. And so, American bigots became closet racists from then on. It is those closet racists that could make political polls lose their credibility. When interviewed by the pollsters, they may have said they would vote for Obama but today they will cast their ballot for white candidate McCain. Closet racism seems to have evinced itself in this year's Democratic primaries. Whites are not willing to acknowledge openly that they would not vote for Obama because he is black. In states where the primaries were through the process of caucuses or open discussion, Obama won, whereas in states where candidates were chosen through secret voting, Hillary Clinton came out winner. Closet racism had actually reared its ugly head before. In 1982, Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley, who was black, lost the race for governor of California after polls had projected him a winner, leading experts to conclude that white voters did not want to acknowledge their racial prejudice. Some pundits think that the Bradley Phenomenon could manifest itself today. Let me close this piece with another line from King's "I Have a Dream" speech. Referring to his dream that one day that America will live out its creed that all men are created equal, he said "If America is to be a great nation, this must become true." Today we will know if Martin Luther King's dream and Barack Obama's own will become true or be a broken one. ***** wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww A Funny Thing Happened Dear Kuya Tony, This is to acknowledge the receipt of your pamphlets "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Communism" and three other eye-popping topics. I photo copied the first one and gave them to my colleagues in our local newspaper here who are still breathing and firing Marxist epithets. I hope your opus could proselytize them about the nagging reality about the intellectual swindles on the road to the supposedly Ultimate and Infinite Ejaculation. Maraming salamat po! Mortz Ortigoza, (by email), Dagupan City, Nov. 05, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Hi Sir Tony, A million thanks for the BOOKLETS you sent me! I just received them yesterday. My wife who just got out of the car was wondering why I was so elated standing behind the mailbox. I told her a "funny thing happened" - I just received a wonderful book from a great thinker and writer whom I became a fan of for several months. Sir Tony, your effort and generosity for sending me the books is highly appreciated and I will treasure them for life. Keep on writing and more power to you and your loved ones! Regards, Steven T. Mendoza, (by email), Makati City, Oct. 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Local autonomy, not Federalism Tony, I see that all of us are for change or transformation, but it won't come by merely wishing and wanting for it. Federalists are clear on how it should be done: through federalism, of course. And they are busy trying to push it through. This is a cause for concern. An article I received through email kept me wondering why certain otherwise sensible persons still support the flawed prescription. It could not possibly be for the Ilocanos, Bicolanos, Cebuanos, Tagalogs, Cebuanos, and Ilongos to manage their own affairs. Federalism shows no respect at all for the regional identity and pride that we developed through the years. For instance, it lump together under the Northern Luzon State the Ilocanos, the Igorots, the Ivanags, etc. And sends Romblon to the Bicol Region! It could not possibly be for economic reasons. There is nothing economical about having 75 Senators and 350 Congressmen and 11 sets of new bureaucracies and lawmaking bodies. Nor can an unwieldy state spur economic growth. The real competition for businesses takes place at the city and municipal levels, not at the provincial level. Nor is it likely to take place between states! It could not possibly be for more local autonomy. If it were so, then they would not even suggest that it be placed under the supervision and control of states. This new layer of bureaucracy shall render useless and meaningless LGUs' emancipation from the central government. It could not be possibly for peace in Mindanao. A Muslim state would lump together Tausogs, Maranaos, Maguindanaos and Christians under a Sharia law: a formula for disaster. Now that we allow a theocratic form of government, why not one or more Christian such states? It could not be possibly for more effective and responsive delivery of public services. This can be achieved better through provinces and cities. We do not have the know-how and skills needed to run a state simply because we have no tried and tested operational and financial procedures at this level. My writer concluded that, "I believe the problem does not lie on the system but with the people who run it." Here's where I do not agree with him. Unless we devolve more powers to local governments any change in leadership will not bring any relief. The national leadership cannot lift our country alone. This is why DILG is mandated to strengthen local governments. Even PGMA herself directed the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to conduct a strategic review on the continuing decentralization and devolution of services and functions of all departments, agencies and bureaus, including corporation, boards, task forces, councils and commissions of the Executive Branch. http://www.lawphil.net/executive/execord/eo2005/eo_444_2005.html So what's the problem then? Our local governments are facing starvation, but Congress is poised for a major operation, instead of simply providing the needed food. Instead of pressing for more local autonomy under the present system, ULAP officials supports move on federalism. What is happening to our country? What hardships will federalism bring? Eustaquio Joven, (by email), Oct. 20, 2008 OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO To subscribe, send a blank email with the subject heading Subscribe. 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