‘But I’ve always wondered why VP Leni has not taken — or did not take — a solid grip on the nomination, when it was hers for the asking. Is it an indication that she herself is unsure of the political course she wishes to take?’
IF nominated, I will not run…”
So uttered William Tecumseh Sherman, US Civil War hero, who was being bruited about as a candidate for the Republican Party for the elections of 1884 — an election won by Democrat Grover Cleveland over Republican James Blaine. Sherman, after whom the Sherman tank of World War II fame was named, was just one of a handful of US generals who adamantly refused to enter politics, Douglas MacArthur and David Petraeus being two other examples. Others were hesitant at first, but eventually threw their hat in the ring: Dwight David Eisenhower was elected President, but Colin Powell’s political career ended as US Secretary of State.
But it was Sherman’s put-down that has become famous, and 80 years later it was repeated by Lyndon Johnson when he took himself out of the running for the 1968 Democratic Party nomination process amidst anti-Vietnam war dissension in the country. “I shall not seek, and I will not accept, the nomination of my party for another term as your president.”
All these came to mind when I was reading the news stories about 1Sambayan’s June 12 proclamation of its nominees for President and Vice President. From the reports, it seems that the opposition coalition floated the names of some candidates who almost immediately uttered Shermanesque statements. That a political figure hesitates — or even outrightly refuses — to plunge into the Philippines’ murky political process during a presidential election year is not surprising; a lot of calculations have to be made, a lot of I’s needing to be dotted and Ts needing to be crossed. But what is surprising is that the statements declining the nominations seem to have come one after the other after their names had been floated, which is like me announcing to the world that I am soon to embark on a honeymoon in Bali but, well, who I will honeymoon with is still to be chosen from a short list — and one by one those on the list start taking themselves out.
It’s embarrassing, at the very least. At its worst, it tells me that the able men and women who make up the Convenors of 1Sambayan didn’t seem to do enough due diligence. Which doesn’t seem to make them too able, after all.
Unless, of course, even the public put-downs are part of the script?
I’ve always said (at least to myself) that if the opposition had a shoo-in as standard bearer it would be Vice President Leni Robredo. She is the highest elected opposition leader. She also has the highest number of votes of any opposition figure. Hence, the nomination is hers to decline. In this case the political opposition has a much clearer path to a candidate as does the administration, which is torn between the President’s daughter and the President’s most trusted lieutenant.
But I’ve always wondered why VP Leni has not taken — or did not take — a solid grip on the nomination, when it was hers for the asking. Is it an indication that she herself is unsure of the political course she wishes to take? Is it an indication that the political opposition is simply united behind the idea of ending the Duterte hold on the presidency in May 2022 but not behind the identity of the standard bearer to do just that? Either case does not portend well for the broad coalition behind 1Sambayan: one cannot be halfhearted whenever one enters a battle — any battle, even in sports; and if elements of the 1Sambayan coalition are unable to rise above the disappointment of not seeing their preferred candidate bag the nomination, then it could very well disintegrate — as many political coalitions in the past have.
Personally, I was never thrilled by the idea of 1Sambayan. Apologies for this, but the idea of having convenors struck me as “elitist,” “old school,” a throwback to the form of smoke-filled room politics we are supposed to abhor. Of course, I am aware that 1Sambayan has processes meant to make the selection more “democratic” — text votes were to be counted as well! — but I feel I would have been more comfortable if they had just taken over an existing political party like the Liberals, revamped it and proceeded from there.
All the more since anyone nominated by 1Sambayan will have to identify a political party when she or he files the certificate of candidacy.
Because I was never thrilled to begin with, the Shermanesque statements that the June 12 event provoked left me even more un-thrilled, if that were even possible.
Yesterday, a potential presidential candidate gave me a call and asked me if I were already committed to anyone. Not yet, I said; like more than 50% of our voters I remain undecided, waiting to see if someone emerges who can excite me about my future, even if that future will soon be the future of a senior citizen.
Till then, I wait. I will wait to see what 1Sambayan does next, how its process unfolds and who it finally picks. I will also wait to see how the administration will sort out its own issues as it chooses its standard bearer. And, of course, I will wait to see if there is still anyone else out there who could surprise us out of left field and rally us behind a cause.
I want a Patton, not a Sherman.
