BACOLOD CITY — Presidential elections, like in the U.S., fully covered by the press, issues and personalities so thoroughly scrutinized, candidates’ actions and reactions openly debated upon, present very valuable lessons to people planning to run for public office.

Why Barack Obama won the U.S. Presidency reveals very many lessons.

During the primary, Obama, a Senator from Illinois fought a popular Senator from New York Hilary Rodham Clinton, former First Lady, aggressive and articulate.

She was a national figure, with the allies of her husband in different parts of the country, leaders to whom he once gave favors she was believed to be a front runner.

Many rooted for her, especially so because her opponent Barack Obama is a black, son of an African from Kenya with a white mother and the perception that white America was not yet ready to vote for a black President.

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But Obama, campaigning with his fellow Democrats, convinced them that he would make a better President than Hilary. And overcoming the racial issue very successfully he beat Clinton.

He did not only beat Hilary. He made her with husband, former President Bill Clinton openly campaigning for him and even convincing them that he would take instead Sen. Joe Biden to be his running mate.

Obama had the terrific power of persuasions.

Forty-eight years earlier in 1960, Democrat John F. Kennedy beat Texas Sen. Lyndon B. Johnson in the primary. He got Johnson to be his running mate.

Obama did not follow Kennedy. He got Biden, an expert in foreign affairs where Obama is weak. That decision scored well for him.

This, among other quality decisions, made him stand very much taller than Sen. John McCain, a Vietnam War hero.

McCain committed a blunder when he chose a young and beautiful but inexperienced Alaska Governor Sarah Palin.

When subjected to an intense grilling by the press Palin was found to have been not able to answer satisfactorily questions on foreign policy, economics and other social issues. The press branded her incompetent to take over the Presidency from an aging 72-year-old McCain.

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With this, and an albatross on his neck on the issues against incumbent President George W. Bush, the Iraq War, and the economic meltdown, McCain lagged behind Obama.

In contrast Obama made a thorough study in choosing his running mate. He was proven to also have studied carefully on the other issues confronting him that were very clear as shown in the TV debate with McCain and in facing crowds in the campaign trail.

In a meeting in the White House with President Bush addressing the economic crisis, Obama impressed all around with his intelligent and searching questions. McCain did not ask one, creating a perception it is Obama who understands economics.

Even in foreign policy, especially the Iraq War, his stand was very well appreciated although not different from McCain.

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Obama impressed the American voters by the steadiness of his temperament, besides the judicious quality of his decision-making.

Obama is cool and was never given to dramatics. When the racial issue exploded after the showing of an incendiary video of the sermon of black preacher Jeremiah Wright, a black nationalist, Obama handled it well with his so-called landmark speech on the issue in Philadelphia.

There were many passages in his book “Audacity of Hope” that were used against him in the campaign but they did not click.

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There is no guarantee Obama will make a good President. But if he just continues to be steady in his temperament and maintain the quality of his decision-making power, he might make what he advocated for, “Change We Need.”

To prove his vote-getting power, this election is billed as the costliest in U.S. history because of the heavy contributions Obama supporters gave him.

What has the Philippines to expect? I have said earlier, don’t expect anything. We must work on our own. American Presidents are first concerned with their own country and not other countries.

If the U.S. was generous to us, it was because they wanted a favor in return. This way, we can continue to be friends. Friendship exists only among equal.

What is the lesson for politicians? They must possess the power to rally people to their cause because of their passion for service.

One Response to “Why Obama won”

• 1
  Dr. Antonio Gestosani
  November 6th, 2008 22:39

  “It’s the Economy, stupid”. This was the slogan that Bill Clinton used against the father, George Bush in 1992 election. Fast forward to 2008 election, again it was the Economy that defeated McCain because of the failed economic policy of the son, George W. Bush. Make no mistake, George W kept us safe while other countries experienced terrorist attacks. Having said this, thanks George for keeping us safe. George W was strong in security but weak in the economy. I hope President Elect Obama is strong in both, because Security = Economy.

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