65 pct. of all voters want change

Approximately 65 percent of all registered voters wanting change are going into the runoff wanting change but those for change can still lose. I really wouldn’t be surprised at anything our losing candidates will do for power in the next administration and what the IT team will do by courting them and voters with the obvious political bribes to win. FYI readers, 77 percent of all registered voters cast their vote and collectively about 55 percent of them were against Inos/Torres. It should be a done deal that Heinz will win the runoff if these voters stay united for new leadership. There is also the 23 percent of all voters who did not even vote and one can only assume most of them were not happy and even fed up with CNMI’s politics and our present leadership. But they need to come out and vote now because if you do the math you will find that IT only got 34.65 percent of all voters’ support. That’s a landslide for change.

But even against the tremendous numbers of 65 percent of all the voters not showing support for IT, they could still win with a little over 35 percent of all the voters with just a 6-percent shift in the numbers, especially if the 23 percent (1/4) of all voters are going to still be non-functioning voters. Yes, we the people are killing our own desires by not voting and abandoning our objectives for change and a new and different leader to follow! Some voters will surely blindly follow a losing candidate and the only question is how many.

But based on the numbers, Heinz should have the best chance of uniting the overwhelming majority who are already against IT and want change. Even though IT has really made the election and the runoff a popularity contest again and it even seems that Babauta and Tofila helped by violating a secret agreement made during the election. I am truly disappointed and I will tell the CNMI about it in my next letter. I’m sure the smart voters won’t be surprised if this entire election had been planned and paid for before voters even went to the polls. But hopefully most voters are not stupid, which is why 65 percent want change. They just have to prove it by voting for Heinz!

It should be obvious that IT is spending an enormous amount of money. It would have been relatively easy for Babauta and Tofila to be bought so they could run just so they could throw their votes behind IT. Voters had better wake up and start thinking about what really happened instead of talking about Heinz’s origins from Yap and Ray’s origins as part-Filipino, just like IT wants dumb voters to do. IT would love for voters to lose their focus and get caught up in the IT hype.

This is not the first time and voters should know how the game is played by our politicians when candidates who lose will try to get voters to abandon their own desires to follow them, which is why voters justifiably need a special debate now, not a forum. Inos can’t hide behind any questions in a debate and he certainly can’t use his doctor’s excuses anymore so make it more interesting and revealing of the candidates and their plans with a debate. I can guarantee it will be a packed house. So please, Chamber and Mr. Sablan, do this public service and have a special debate so voters can finally compare the candidates, their abilities and their platforms. I also hope Heinz will demand a debate as he should be able to eat Inos alive based on his poorly delivered State of the Commonwealth Address!

So voters really need to vote with their conscience for new leadership and not listen to losing candidates. As for my critics, I didn’t lose, Tofila did and I’m still voting for who should be the winner.

I actually like Ralph and some things about IT but the problem I have with IT is they violated one the most precious principles of a democracy—government by the people—and forced a 40-year-old agreement upon the people just to get elected. It’s the principle of the matter because you don’t reward politicians for that kind of behavior, you send a message like your parents so IT and no other official will do it again. To elect Inos would be like thanking a naughty child for being naughty!

The fact that Heinz is promoting change should give us all hope but the problem for Heinz is many voters really don’t know what he plans to do as he doesn’t have the money and advertising ability to compete with IT. Heinz should fight for a debate because personally, I think Heinz has a better plan and will certainly be more responsive to the people. So for me it was only a question of does money win the election again or will the American Dream of change and progress and our principle of governing prevail? What voters will do is the real question because the Inos money showers are over and it is not what Inos has gotten you in the past that counts. It’s the future that counts for you now!

Ambrose M Bennett
Kagman, Saipan