Back to the trenches

HOLY Week marks the last period of rest and reflection the politicians, media, and the public will get until election day in May. Black Saturday marked the restarting up of the national campaign and the revving up of local campaigns, both of which are now running in tandem. Last week, an editorial in the Inquirer expressed skepticism over the administration's assertion that its machinery would sweep away all opposition. Today's Inquirer editorial, in a sense, reiterates last week's observation that the Palace is trying to condition the minds of the public for an administration sweep, but that the polls are disproving that effort at conditioning. A counter-push by administration spokesmen was kicked off to mark the resumption of the campaign, but as Amando Doronila points out, the damage has been done: the juggernaut's a bit too creaky for comfort. An interesting three part series began today, by Winston Marbella, discussing the changing nature of political campaigns in the country. Among his assertions is that an old kind of political culture has died, and a new one has taken its place; in a sense, politics has become more scientific. At the very least, it's become more cost-effective for some, and a non-starter for others, because of how media-dominated elections have changed the political landscape. But what the landscape is, itself, is for other kinds of experts, such as sociologists, to discuss. In a March 11 column, Randy David, our country's most conspicuous sociologist,  I think situated the election itself best of all within the context of our changing society. I myself have tried to point out the difference between our old and new society, but I'm less optimistic than he about how different people really are, or how young people are poised to be a dynamic force. But I am as convinced as David that we're in an in-between period, where the old ways are dying, and a new way is waiting to be born.