Calm before the storm’s gone!

In recent months, the waters in the lagoon was calm. It glows and blinds the naked eye against the setting sun. It’s quiet, ghostly quiet, at a time of year when it usually whips-up into files of huge waves raising toward the shore. Perhaps, it’s similar to the calm before the storm in GOP land.

Indeed, there’s that quiet semblance of amiability slowly turning into an ugly divisive sanctimony among team leaders and supporters of both camps: Pepero-Kiyu and Babauta-Benavente. Slowly, though, amiability has changed for the worse. It’s now a tool of survival and the agreed civility has turned into vicious campaign materials at the firing.

Observers need not summon use of political crystal balls to see how GOP unity has simply become an inevitable source of disintegration or “one pay de odda”. The division of support in the Senate is a tale of it all. Senate President Paul Manglona and Senator Pedro P. Reyes (Slow) have thrown their support behind the double “B Team”. It’s understood why the obvious divide, but it’s equally mind boggling how they could literally neglect their colleague’s bid for the second post, namely, Senator Tomas P. Villagomez (Kiyu).

It’s comforting though that a democratic senator has rallied behind the Pepero-Kiyu (PK) tandem when his (Kiyu’s) Republican colleagues have literally abandoned him. Perhaps the once pristine GOP land has begun cascading into deadly mudslide as each struggles to intone: “Where have all the flowers gone?”–unity–to the graveyards of disunity?

The PK tandem seems to enjoy wide support on both Tinian and Rota. Pundits say they only need to work harder on Saipan to ascertain a political grand slam come Nov. 4th. It has its own setback though–an overly excited team leaders and followers–who consciously or unconsciously unleash criticisms against the BB team, you know, the “get even” syndrome. At least that’s an assessment from the double “B” camp.

The double “B tandem” (Babauta-Benavente) has found support from the two neighboring islands come in in awfully lazy trickles. It’s lukewarm at best, a political barometer pitting the voters vs. the team. Such sentiment was triggered by running mate Diego Benavente who openly announced opposition to any funds being sought in the US Congress for Tinian’s and Rota’s CIPs. This doesn’t sit well with the leadership nor grassroots level on either island. It’s the direct result of the unintended consequence of ill-conceived statements that now haunts the BB tandem, according to a PK team leader.

The race for the Washington Office has also become an interesting meet. There’s former Lt. Governor Pete A. Tenorio who’s made an official declaration for the post. He’d probably meet former Senator Herman R. Guerrero (HR), a very formidable opponent, although he hasn’t submitted a letter of intent. Rumors has it too that Rep. Heinz Hofschneider may make a run for the same post independently, a top vote getter who’s returned to his legislative seat twice as an independent.

But the other question being raised in various quarters is whether incumbent Washington Rep. Juan Babauta would insist retaining his seat if he loses his bid to represent the GOP as its gubernatorial standard bearer. It’s all up to GOP leadership to resolve this issue.

How sad the wind, the sails of both canoes are torn. The serene waters in the lagoon is no longer calm. The undercurrent has whipped up virulently and has triggered huge waves slamming against the once peaceful shores of GOP land. It may an omen of how GOP politics would pan out. Troubling, isn’t it?