Didn’t I say GMA ain’t a shoe-in and an independent may run against her and that she may be overwhelmingly defeated (SoP on Thu, 18th Jun 2009 11:52 am and SoP on Thu, 18th Jun 2009 3:39 pm)?

My premonition is slowly being realized. I’m getting giddy

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20090626-212480/UP-prof-ready-to-run-vs-Arroyo

Ramos built “irrigation ditches” which rebels used effectively in their fight against government forces. IPP’s may still line up his pockets as a token of gratitude. Talk about his paper tiger economy.

Thus, the charter change started towards the end of Ramos’ term. Ramos himself told reporters, “I would not want the policies, the momentum, the tremendous progress we have achieved wasted.”

President Arroyo took seriously the brilliant cue from Ramos and put the government resources behind charter change. If it can’t be done before 2010 elections, then the push after the election when Filipinos are already receptive to the idea without Arroyo in the presidency.

The best exit strategy is to not need one at all. Ramos didn’t need one because he more or less left a solid legacy. Sure there was that one time when he was called by the senate to explain some suspected anomalies with the Centennial Expo scandal, but he passed with flying colors. The politicians can try to smear him, but the people will back him up because he had some semblance of decency. He did try to get term extension, but when he felt the pulse of the nation didn’t want it, he backed down.

But when you have monumental fuck ups like Erap, Marcos, and GMA and have the vulgaritythe to push too hard for power, don’t count on politicians to bring you down – the people (power) will do it themselves. I don’t have much faith in GMA’s exit strategy. You know why? Coz she needs one in the first place.

I can’t see how you can put Ramos in a lower league as Erap, Marcos, and GMA. Ramos may be as power hungry and corrupt as the other three, but restraint is something that common people can understand and appreciate. In the end, I think Ramos has more political capital built up compared to the three, despite being perceived as less Machiavellian. At the end of the day, it’s better to be loved than to be feared. And one should never be feared to the point of hatred. There’s too much hate going for GMA, Erap, and Marcos. Ramos is well loved.

Both Senators Cayetano and Escudero are paranoid. Or they simply missed out on something. With all due respects…

1. “Immunity from arrest for any crime with a penalty of below six years imprisonment.” Methinks our beloved Gloria deserves just a bit more!

2. “Once elected, she may wield through party allies control over political exercise like impeachment and national budget.” Would she have as much allies and wield as much power as a Congressman as she had as President? Would she still have power over the purse?

We are torn between complacency and paranoia because we choose to limit our options and mental exercises.

SoP, it is too easy to discount Arroyo as finished as you have said. The reverse is true. It is the opposition senators who recognized the exploits done by the President. In fact, the opposition senators have no answers to every calculating move done by the President in preparation for the 2010 election. The Filipinos are just bystanders watching how the political game unfolds. With the spiral of silence, Arroyo is creating her own history.