Chiz Escudero: Losing Heart?
Anol Mongaya's Sunstar column recently mentioned my observation on a blog post I wrote about Chiz Escudero's campaign strategy last year - which I felt then was heavily anchored on Heart Evangelista.
It is like playing a one word game with Mo Twister and you get asked with the question about the candidates: (this is what I will likely answer)
It is like playing a one word game with Mo Twister and you get asked with the question about the candidates: (this is what I will likely answer)
- Chiz Escudero - Heart
- Loren Legarda - environment
- Grace Poe - FPJ
- Nancy Binay - VP
- Cynthia Villar - OFW
- Alan Peter Cayetano - change
- Bam Aquino - Noynoy
- Ramon Magsaysay Jr. - E-Commerce
In the Digital Influencers Marketing Summit in Cebu last year, I shared my lesson learned in this blog post experiment asking how people rate Senator Chiz Escudero's performance and whether he will be voted for a 2nd term.
Based on the comments and blog post reactions (and the comments they got), Chiz Escudero can easily make any politician envious. He is perceived as a lesser evil. That even if his legislative performance is not as stellar in comparison to his peers as a Senator in the past 6 years, he enjoys a high level of influence (trust, authority, coverage exposure, and popularity).
Furthermore, I am also amazed how people can also be so forgiving and understanding of him. In a discussion with bloggers a few weeks ago, they were criticizing a Senator candidate for a blooper she has made. Despite the apology of this candidate, he vowed not to vote for her anymore.
Then I asked him, "if Senator Chiz Escudero was the one who did that blooper and also apologized, would you have the same reaction?" He got my point from there.
In fact, monitoring the Twitter feed about the 2013 candidates got me all amused. As observed last year and until now, Chiz Escudero's twitter buzz is all about Heart Evangelista.
So yeah, there you go. I guess future aspiring Senators should look at the following if they desire public office position:
1. Speak well in Tagalog.
2. Huwag maging pala-away. Choose your battles well and always take the respectful higher ground.
3. Have a yuppie-approachable-fit persona. Be perceived as someone's brother or sister - rather than a parent if you are not that old.
4. Be friends with personalities in the entertainment industry.
Senator Chiz Escudero for sure will win the 2013 elections. His relationship with Heart Evangelista going strong, despite her parents disapproval, will likely do him good especially among love fanatics. Worst, media is even feasting on it giving more exposure to Senator Chiz Escudero who now appears as an underdog in this situation.
I just hope that he won't be #1 in the overall results for that will only magnify the kind of voters that we have. How popularity, trustworthy perception, rather than performance, track record, potential, rules the day in our minds.
It will also seem to be unfair to other candidates who are focusing on issues in their campaign trails and discussing them out there. I'm sure even Sen. Chiz Escudero is also doing the same but only his "Heart" side is the one getting the most exposure in the media.
