Negative campaigning and presidential debates

There is one similarity between the ongoing electoral fight in the Philippines and the United States. Both are dominated by negative campaigning. And candidates in both countries are making all kinds of promises that are not backed by any detailed plan.

In the Philippines, political analysis, so far, is dominated by reasons why NOT to vote for a candidate. One candidate does not have mass appeal and lacks leadership. Another one does not believe in human rights and might restore martial law. The other candidate has been corrupt during his political life. Another one lacks experience and another candidate has serious health problems. From the tenor of the political campaign, the overriding concern seems to be to look for the “lesser evil” and not the best presidential candidate.

During the last elections in 2010, there was a lot of negative campaigning. One candidate, Manny Villar, was constantly attacked for allegedly claiming he grew up poor in Tondo. Somehow, this negative campaigning was believed by a large number of voters.  Gilbert Teodoro was a highly qualified presidential candidate but people were made to believe that he was the secret candidate of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. This was one reason his candidacy never took off the ground.

But negative campaigns do not always work especially if the candidate has a very positive image. In 2010, there were attempts to convince voters that Noynoy Aquino was suffering from some kind of mental health issue. But the accusation never gained any measure of credibility. Noynoy’s positive campaign centered on restoring integrity and the rule of law. The message had credibility because the electorate remembered that the Aquino family led personal lives that embodied their belief in personal integrity.

Negative campaigning in the United States has reached a level of sophistication through the extensive use of mass and social media. Donald Trump is the most publicized negative campaigner. However, one of the best example is the attacks against Marco Rubio for being inexperienced and for being robotic. This means that he really does not have any policies and values but is very good at making prepared speeches sound spontaneous. Rubio has sunk in the surveys as a result of those attacks.

Trump’s main attack against his closest rival is that Ted Cruz was born in Canada and therefore not “American.” This  is an attack not based on policies and values. But it seems to be effective because Trump is finally beating Cruz.

The other political technique that I equate with negative campaigning is by making promises without presenting any detailed plan. For example, there is now a favorite promise to end the traffic problem in EDSA and the airport congestion in NAIA. But both bottlenecks can only be solved by massive infrastructure such as a subway and a new international airport. This will take years to implement and cost trillions of pesos. But which candidate will have the courage to admit that there is no instant solution?

This is similar to the candidacy of Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump in the United States. Sanders’ promise of free college tuition and socialized medical care sounds great. But it will require trillions of dollars of financing. Sanders says he will raise the taxes of the rich and close Wall Street loopholes and make the different states join the plan. But how will he do that since the Republicans will continue to control the US Congress and 33 of the 50 governors are Republicans. His answer is that he will launch a “political revolution.” What does that mean? How will he convince the Republicans and other conservative Americans to join the “revolution.”

I suppose negative campaigning or “mudslinging” is much easier. Even presidential candidates find it easier to refer to the negative aspects of an opponent rather presenting a detailed plan. It is easier to try to convince voters to vote based on personalities or regional affiliations rather than advocate social change.

Questions I would like to ask:

The presidential debates present an opportunity to shift the campaign to a more positive tone. There are questions I would like to ask but will probably not be answered.

• There is the prospect of another global recession. During the last recession, the Philippines still had one of the fastest economic growth rates in the world. This was due partly to the very effective economic team of President Aquino. May I know who will compose your economic team if you are elected? Please be specific and not just say you will choose the best persons.

• Will you continue the K to 12 program, the CCT program and push for the BBL as proposed by the Peace Council and not the bastardized Marcos ?

• If elected, would you grant clemency or pardon to Gloria Macapagal Arroyo; Senators Estrada, Enrile and Revilla?

• Do you believe in the death penalty? If yes, for what crimes?

• During your first year in office, will you support constitutional amendments that will allow greater foreign investments?

• Do you believe in federalism? Please define federalism in terms of the Philippine political structure.

• Do you have a comprehensive tax reform plan? If yes, please give us the detailed plan.

• Do you believe the bank secrecy law should be abolished? If not, why not?

There are other questions I would like to ask in future columns. The Management Association of the Philippines is also preparing a list of questions to ask in the presidential debates. Let us hope that the next president will be a transformational leader who believes in the rule of law and economic justice.

Personal essay writing class

Your Personal Journey: A Rich Source of Stories on Feb. 28,  (1:30-5:30 p.m.) at Fully Booked Bonifacio High Street with Neni Sta. Romana Cruz, book author and freelance journalist.  For registration and fee details, 0917-6240196/ [email protected].

After the class, in commemoration of 30 years of the EDSA Revolution, there will be a book signing open to the public of The Aquino Legacy written by Neni Sta. Romana Cruz and myself.

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Email: [email protected]