The 5 Ms for winning an election

Confidentially, this writer had been involved in the think tanks of some past campaigns, formulating strategies of a number of national and local electoral contests in the last 20 years. But as a writer and columnist, I had to keep that confidential. Now, I am sharing these secrets which I have distilled, summarized and made into a compact but comprehensive and complete formula for winning an election: M1 for the Man (or the Woman) or the Candidate); M2 as the Message; M3, the Method, M4, the Money and M5, the Machinery.

M1 is the man. The candidate is the most essential element.  That is why Kamala Harris is winning in the US because she embodies, and exudes, enthusiasm, dynamism and, positive energy, unity, decency, respect for law and for authority. Kamala stands for freedom, liberty and human rights. She also represents freedom of choice for women's reproductive health, she fights for affordable healthcare and she is caring and compassionate for labor and the working class. Kamala means moving forward and not backward. She is the uncompromising defender of the rule of law, an experienced and crusading prosecutor and the number one nemesis of an anti-woman, anti-poor, anti-Asian misogynist, and racist, who had been convicted of multiple felonies.

M2 represents the message, which, in the case of Kamala, is a government that protects, cares for and is compassionate to the poor people and the middle class, which are completely in contrast to Trump's alliance with the richest of the rich, the multi-billionaires like Elon Musk. Trump gave the wealthy multibillionaires huge tax cuts and tax amnesty. Kamala brings the message of more jobs, better incomes, better healthcare, higher quality of education and welfare services. Kamala is also the living testament of an inclusive, progressive and open, multi-racial, multi-generational, multi-gender coalition of Americans. Her opponent works for racism and misogyny and white supremacy, blocking off blacks, Hispanics, Asians. Kamala's messages are hopes, freedom and human rights. Kamala represents possibility, faith and joy.

M3 is the method. Kamala has gotten the massive support of the young, the women, the minorities, the LGBTQIA++. The method is using technology in all the platforms like Facebook, Tiktok, Twitter, Messenger, Viber, WhatsApp and all the rest to reach out to millions and millions of American voters. Hundreds of thousands of volunteers are knocking doors, sending Text messages, posting ads in the FB and doing anything and everything to bring the message of moving forward, choosing freedom, embracing inclusivity, respecting women and the minorities and bringing people together, instead of fragmenting them, which is the strategy of negatives like Trump.

M4 is the money. Kamala has made history for achieving more than a million-dollar contribution in less than 48 hours. This never happened in all US history, not even during the times of Franklin Delano Roosevelt or John F Kennedy, or Bill Clinton, not even during the time of Barack Obama. Small people, ordinary laborers, office clerks, factory workers, and teachers, policemen and post office messengers and delivery boys and girls were chapping in coins, dollars, a hundred dollars and other small amounts which, when taken together, reached more than hundred million. This is a contrast to Trump's few bankers, tycoons and magnates who put in money with quid pro quo. These are eccentric billionaires like Elon Musk and Tim Mellon who are the last remaining vanguards of the ultra-right wing.

M5 is the machinery. The Democrats are well-organized in every state, in every city and county, town and borough, down to every homeowner association and church organization, labor unions, racial alliances, and other professional associations. But on top of the mainstream organizations of the Democratic Party are Kamala volunteers coming from all walks of life, from all colors of the multi races, from all genders and all generations. That is why, in a matter of one week, the momentum shifted from Trump's Republican Party to Kamala Harris' Democrats. Kamala Harris is winning not just in traditional Blue States like California, New York, Illinois and Washington, but also in swing states like Georgia, Alabama, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and North Carolina.,

In Cebu City, I predict that Mike Rama will still win. Gwen Garcia shall prevail. Ahong Chan will dominate in Lapu-Lapu. But there are very hot and precarious contests and neck-and-neck fights in Mandaue, Toledo, Bogo and even Talisay and Carcar, Argao and in some towns in both the north and the south. Their eventual winning or the losing shall depend much on the five Ms. These are the secrets that matter most.