Second, if there's something in one's own agenda that pisses off the voter, why not fudge on the issue?
In this campaign, the opposition in Cebu province seems to be doing both: imitate the enemy and obscure the unpopular stand.
The opposition led by outgoing House members Antonio Yapha and Clavel Asas-Martinez must have tapped a propaganda expert (who probably read "Age of Propaganda: The Everyday Use and Abuse of Persuasion" by Anthony Pratkanis and Elliot Aronson). Or it must have taken the cue from battle-scarred tacticians Lito and Sonny Osmeña.
Same buttons
Imitating the enemy's platform is tough to avoid since the buttons one pushes to persuade the voter are the same: no complex ideology book, just grocery list of needs.
Take health care, education, housing, water, transit system, peace and order. Throw in slogans like fighting poverty, unifying the province.
The opposition program matches the Capitol program almost like photo-copy. The opposition, Gov. Gwen Garcia says, is aping Capitol agenda. Of course it is, and no snide insult from Tony or Clavel can hide that.
Who can persuade the voter better, imitator or imitated?
Then there's the opposition promise "to maintain one Cebu with the present geographic boundaries as one nation."
What is that---from two of three confirmed butchers who by statute would cut up Cebu province---a sellout or a lie?
