Voting the American Way...

I've been following America's election process since January this year and it has been entertaining. The candidates are colorful, not to mention historic - they could either have the first black president in Barack Obama or the first woman vice president in Sarah Palin. They also have a lot interesting sides to tell like John McCain's wars stories and Obama's swift rise to stardom from anonymity.

Their election process is quite different from ours and I do get to research a lot about Democrats, Republicans, and their Electoral College. I tuned in to CNN, left-leaning NBC, and Fox News Channel for a right wing view (please drop the "Fair and Balanced" slogan).


In view of the Philippine election setting, their process is much more efficient and refined. For one, they can determine the winner in a day or two, and that the air is much more of enthusiasm rather than fear. Their main election issues include voter fraud, history of candidates, and differing stands on their failing economy, defense, and health care. The bashing and smearing are prevalent but one thing that strikes me is the lack of casualties.

Here in our country entering into politics can be deadly as seen in the rise of body counts during election season. This can be attributed to Filipinos seeing political positions as means of living and opportunities to advance personal interests and not the public's.

I hope we could learn some lessons and inject relevant strategies in the hope of improving our election process and politics in general. Though far from being perfect, America has provided a framework on how democracy works - where everyone can agree to disagree but in the end, unite for the common good.