By George, he’s got it!

"By George, you’ve got it!" – that famous line by Professor Henry Higgins in the musical My Fair Lady – seems to apply to George W. Unless he fouls up in the next two debates, it looks to me like he is going to win. I agree with most analysts that the first debate was a draw. Neither candidates scored a homerun nor a knockout. But Bush held the high ground because as President, he had a firm command of the realities of foreign policy. He put Kerry on the defensive when he said, "I know how the world works." Apparently, Bush was prepped up in his Crawford ranch for two days by well-known top spinmasters. For those who watched the debate, his lines were memorized and consistent: The war against terrorism is difficult. He simply stuck to his script with very little ad-libbing. Former Texas Gov. Ann Richards, whom Bush unseated, said, "He is good at continuously repeating the same thing over and over again and getting the message across." In fact, former Vice President Al Gore observed that the Bush campaign has made "lowering expectations" into a high art form. "The record is clear – he’s a skilled debater who uses the format to his advantage," wrote Gore.

The Bush team is led by Karl Rove. He is alternately described as a Jedi master or an evil genius, depending on which side you’re on. Rove, Bush’s senior adviser, is largely credited for the victory of Bush in 2000. Time magazine called Rove "one of the shrewdest men in Washington". Most Filipinos are not aware that Susan Ralston, Rove’s executive assistant, is the highest-ranking Filipina at the White House. Karen Hughes is Bush’s communications strategist, speechwriter, and his No. 1 spin doctor. This communications Swiss Army knife is one of the president’s most trusted longtime confidantes. The Kerry team has Mary Cahill – former chief of staff of Sen. Ted Kennedy – as his campaign manager and Bob Shrum – former Al Gore strategist – doing his speeches and sound bites. The Gallup poll reported that Bush took the lowest dip in his job approval rating in May during the Abu Ghraib prison scandals. Kerry’s group, however, failed to capitalize on this. At one point Kerry even admitted that he himself would have voted to give Bush authorization to wage war on Iraq even if he knew there were no weapons of mass destruction. Kerry’s group lacked the instinct for the kill. Instead, they focused on health care and the economy and insisted on a state-the-positive strategy in the belief that mudslinging would turn-off swing voters. Then a group calling itself the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth came out with a slick ad in August charging that Kerry had lied about his Vietnam record and his Purple Heart. This resulted in damaging Kerry, who was forced to enlist a group of Clintonites to give his campaign a more aggressive stance. But it may be a case of too little, too late, with Kerry’s chief campaigner Bill Clinton sidelined after a heart surgery.

Locally, a survey conducted by the Social Weather Station (SWS) from Aug. 5 to 22 found that 78 percent of Filipinos would like to see good relations with the US and hope for better economic cooperation and US protection from terrorism. It is significant to note that the same SWS survey found that 62 percent approve the government’s policy of accepting US military assistance against the Abu Sayyaf. Obviously, this sentiment is fueled by family ties – with almost every other Filipino having a relative or friend in the United States. There are now an estimated three million Filipinos living and working in the United States. As a matter of fact, a recent survey showed that a majority of Filipinos living in the US want Bush to win. When Bush said, "In the Philippines, we’re trying to bring Al Qaeda affiliates to justice" – that was actually deliberate. Karl Rove put that in the script to play up to a big chunk of Filipino voters in California. Much in the same way that Israel uses the strong Jewish-American political force in the US, the Philippine government should take advantage of the increasing political clout of Filipinos for a stronger voice in Washington. That is why our next ambassador to the US should be someone who has the potential of uniting Filipino-Americans, at the same time knowing how to play the game in Washington. I am certain that our top diplomat – the good Foreign Affairs Sec. Bert Romulo – will be able to help the president astutely choose the right person. This is a post that must not be given to any payback appointee. GMA must not allow backroom influence-peddlers and power-brokers to interfere with the selection of this very important post. At the same time, GMA should do some work to get our relations back to where it was before the Iraq pullout.

At lunch the other day with DILG Sec. Angie Reyes, he told us that he would be leading the drive against drugs. Obviously, this is a key component in our relations with the US because there is definitely a direct link between drugs and terrorism. In another occasion, Defense Sec. Nonong Cruz told us that his highest priority is to get our armed forces up to speed. At present, it is only 30 percent equipped. He intimated to us that he needs to raise the level to at least 50 percent with the assistance of the US. That is why I really believe that a Bush Presidency is all the more important and ultimately good for the country.

Bush’s straightforward manner and "You’re-either-with-us-or-against-us" policy make him look like a "quick to the draw" Cowboy-in-Chief. With his Texan swagger, he looks like Gary Cooper in the movie High Noon ready to duel with Osama bin Laden and his gang. Already, the Republican Inaugural Event Committee is drawing up the guest list for Bush’s January 20 inauguration. There is talk that George W wants to invite heads of state from the coalition of the willing. Hopefully, the Philippines is still on that list because by George, he looks like he is going to make it to a second term.

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