Election 101: Don't be the Common Man

Who would you rather have as your leader??

Someone like Julius Ceasar?



Or Someone like Mang Berting the Common man??






"Don't be the common man, be better than us, lead us! For God's sake we people were fooled by the macarena!" - Jon Stewart


Just like Christmas Day, the national elections are just around the corner as candidates begin to sing their carols (rather awfully) on every registered citizen's front porch. The smell of a fabulous Noche Buena served with campaign ads, painful jingles and horrible acting jobs linger at every TV station begging us to see those people who seek a presidential seat be seen as "the common man".

Early in the 90's the ever funny and satirical Jon Stewart said that during election time, that guy who wears that fancy suit everyday seeks to be seen by people as "the common man" to attract voters to a personality no different to our current situation. They pathetically try to trick us into thinking that we should vote for the common man who thinks likes us, talks like us and goes to sleazy a beerhouse like us to sing our hearts out to a run-down videoke machine. This I think goes way beyond the needed qualifications of a good leader.

First of all, the very reason that someone is deemed as a leader is that he has that specific trait that elevates him from the rest of society. Abraham Lincoln is not the average farm-raised, trash-talking 1800's american, Napoleon differed from most of the French during his time, and I bet Julius Ceasar did not share with the mindset most Romans associated themselves in. My point here is that an outstanding leader has that certain gift that most of us were not born with which destines him to lead his people to a state of glory and grandeur.

If I wanted the common man to lead me for six precious years of my life then I'd vote for that jobless "tambay" that hangs out in front of Aling Nena's store enjoying a session of drinking and smoking with his similarly unemployed friends. I might consider running for president myself and create laws that will enable me to get much booze I want for free for I know that's every common man's dream. The Christians surely did not see Jesus Christ as a common man for nobody will listen to someone talk all day long and preach about people's sins if he was not someone who men see as special. Jose Rizal would not be our national hero if he was just like us, for people like me would not die for a country to obtain its freedom.

So to all those presidentiables who seek to appeal to the masses by riding and driving a pedicab, singing with Sarah Geronimo, highlighting his childhood years in the slum or trying to get away with the age old tradition of hugging a child; please for Pete's sake you are not helping us decide. Be great, be glorious, tell us how you are like old Abe, compare yourself to Julius Ceasar, be Leonidas, be Genghis Khan, be the hero that people will look up to and be the perfect example of a great and prosperous nation you aim to achieve. Tell us that you are as great as any of the men that changed and shaped world history just don't tell us that you are like that jeepney driver who earns a meager amount barely enough to support his family of 7. For surely, just like all the other Filipinos, I wouldn't trust a jeepney driver to follow traffic rules and regulations, would I trust him more to lead my already starving people?