Don’t be scared by surveys, big crowd

By Alex P. Vidal

“Fearless means trusting your instincts and clarity of thought. Once you have made up your mind, don’t be scared of what if.”—Ravi Shastri

SURVEYS and big crowds in political rallies are good indicators of the possible results of an election, but they aren’t the be-all and end-all of the whole race.

Former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr may have consistently dominated the “scientific” surveys conducted on 2,500 respondents; his lead in those surveys has been “unmoved” as the pollsters described it, but they don’t put an exclamation point with finality on the presidential race on May 9.

More than 63 million Filipinos from various islands not covered by surveys have registered to votes. Pollsters can never read the minds of voters in far-flung regions, municipalities and villages in the entire archipelago.

The last-minute groundswell of support to be amassed by certain candidates lagging behind the surveys can never be underestimated.

Also, the big crowds in both the grand rallies of Vice President Leonor “Leni” Robredo and even Marcos Jr. don’t translate into actual votes on May 9.

Many of those in the rallies may not be registered voters; or, if they can vote, may not be able to vote because of various circumstances on Election Day.

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The best pulse, I think, is to feel the heat of passion among the people; how excited and determined they have been and will be to go all out for their chosen candidates.

If these passionate voters don’t just shout and dance but also go house to house, invite others or convince the undecided with so much fervor and intensity, their number will certainly grow.

And they are the most powerful motivating engines that can produce a whirlwind of support and probably votes for certain candidates on the day of reckoning.

Isaac Newton’s third law states that when two bodies interact, they apply forces to one another that are equal in magnitude and opposite in direction.

Newton’s third law is also known as the law of action and reaction. If applied in the May 9 Philippine presidential election, it will dismiss altogether the tenacity of all the pre-election surveys and big crowds.

The election on May 9 will be determined by the quality of people who will cast their votes.

Since this contest is about the number of votes to be garnered, the quality voters will be the quantity that will overwhelm the lesser quality.

So let’s not be nervous or scared if our chosen candidates didn’t fare well in the surveys, or didn’t attract a mammoth crowed.

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OUTSMARTING A SNACK ATTACK. Eating two small snacks a day can help us lose weight. Trouble is, research shows that we’re munching more than ever before–choosing foods that are high in calories and fat–and packing on the pounds as a result. “Often we’re not even hungry, but because we’re surrounded by food, we’re tempted to eat anyway,” says Kerry Neville, Ph.D. of American Dietetic Association.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two local dailies in Iloilo.—Ed)