Unless we say it is. That, apparently, is the administration coalition's take on the 2007 mid-term elections.
The Senate contest is not a referendum on the Arroyo presidency, because, well, the administration has lost the majority of seats at stake. But the congressional and local races? They are a referendum because the administration won most of the positions at stake.
This "frame" is there for all to see, in a full-page ad that the administration coalition (that's Lakas, Kampi, NPC, Liberal-Atienza wing, LDP, and PDSP) are running in tomorrow's papers. It turns out that all coalition candidates had "offered a clear choice to the Filipino people" -- including, I suppose, all those coalition candidates, such as Mark Lapid of Lakas and Baby Pineda of Kampi, who ran against each other.
Apart from the framing (another example: 2007 was "an election generally predicted as a referendum on the economic performance of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo" -- nice, that subtle use of the dismal science), the advertisement is interesting for the lists it provides of the winning coalition candidates: 183 congressmen (including, ah, transplanted Bicolano Dato Arroyo); 64 governors (including Joey Salceda of Albay, who ran as an independent against an incumbent Lakas governor, another clear example of the "clear choice" the coalition offered the Filipino people); and 101 city mayors (including Charter change exponent Rep. Constantino Jaraula).
I will bet, however, that this ad will become more interesting around the third or fourth week of July, when jockeying for positions in the House will cause a few more of that quaint fruit, the balimbing, to fall from the tree.
Not a referendum ...
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[...] blogosphere, in Inquirer Current, John Nery (pointing to a January column of his) points out the Palace effort to frame the [...]----- -------- Read More
The results of the election for the local representatives are to be disputed...because of the politicizing engaged by the Military in favor of GMA's administration. Do not forget that all the members of Bayan Muna community leaders were killed in order go prevent their candidates from winning in for seats in the house of representatives. That TU-0 sweep in Mindanao cannot be believed. And the nature of local incumbents hold on their constituents is tantamount to 'bread/butter' issue. The people are sold to the power that control how much bread and butter will reach their dulangs. The GO sweep of the senate slots is a telling of the peoples' disgusts with the current ruling administration. This gives hopes to many of the OFW that they could eventually return to a country with justice prevailing. Not at this time, yet. Those senators have a formidable tasks before them....clean up the corruption, clear up allegations of cheating and lying....and control the increasing lawlessness in the country through their constitutionally mandate duty: to conduct oversight hearings. Criminality and lawlessness are the main reason why tourism can not flourish and why thinking foreign investors will continue to shy away from the Philippines no matter how much Gloria tries to appear "legitimate". It won't work with Filipinos who subscribe to good common sense, reasons and justice.
The just concluded elections, albeit the final results still up for grabs, no pun intended) wasn't a referendum on the performance on the job by GMA for this simple reason. The opposition(s) failed to field candidates in the local levels thereby depriving the people a choice.
If one points at the continuing trend in the senatorial votes tabulation as a revoke or disapproval to current regime, it would be hard to dispute.
Hope would have this the start of the resurgence of a decent politics. Prove not the term decent politics an oxymoron.
Wake me up!