Two weeks before midterm election

The electorate has pretty much made up its mind who among candidates being fielded by the Republicans, Democrats and Reform they would choose when they march into voting booths in their respective precincts next week on Saturday, Nov. 6th.

The Saipan Senate duel grants Morgen a 2-1 favorite over Kumoi. There are reasons that we can reasonably say so: He’s an incumbent with a good track record, a no frills lawmaker who also knows how to employ the art of persuasion to get his views across. Furthermore, the decision by the Democrats not to field their own senatorial trade horse is a statement against Kumoi for playing a key role in furthering the fragmentation of the democrats. Thus, the 2-1 lead for Morgen, Kumoi going into the final stretch a definite underdog.

In the House race, the republicans will retain majority control once more for obvious reasons–its ability to field superior candidates. In Precinct I, the GOP’S best case scenario is 4-2. Worst case scenario, 3-3. The former means that the Democrats would gain a seat, the latter would grant them two more seats. Lest it be forgotten, Precinct I is a Democratic Party stronghold and all that it needs to do is rebuild a once fully greased political machinery not necessarily for this year’s race, but the gubernatorial showdown in the Year 2001.

In Precinct II, the two incumbents still have the connectivity and command of the voters in their election turf. Influential democrats have rallied behind the Benavente-Babauta candidacy. There’s hardly any room for political mischiefs. Though the double “B” team still need to guard their commanders and troops and walk with them to the bitter end. Give it a 2-0 margin in favor of the two incumbents.

The Precinct III contest heavily favors Republicans. About the only opponents GOP candidates face in this unruly popularity contest is themselves. Best case scenario is 5-1, worst case, 4-2. The former means the democrats would retain its lone seat and nothing much changes even with if the latter case pans-out. But it would be interesting who would top the total number of votes among candidates, something I’d rather leave to the voters.

The Precinct IV duel is as interesting as it is confusing. The undecided though have been feeling their way around newcomer Tom Pangelinan and Justo S. Quitugua. Pangelinan enjoys the visibility of being a member of the Board of Education while Quitugua has enjoyed the same as former deputy commissioner of education. Quitugua is that stealth candidate one can’t discount however an independent. Meanwhile, the two incumbents have a lot of work to contend with down the final days of the midterm election.

This precinct, like that of precinct one, is riddled with spoilers or political mischiefs which would deny incumbents votes they once had relied upon in previous election. Thus, their fate is as real as a two dollar bill. When spoilers pull votes every which way imaginable, the less certainty exist to declare that any of incumbents have gotten this contest in the bag. Well, it’s anybody’s bag, so to speak.

Interesting though that some have picked issues promising delivery of, i.e., retroactive pay of statutory increase approved in recent years. Nice try, but such promise is just that–a promise–that would never be fulfilled given the current economic doldrums that descended in these isles since 1997. It’s an empty promise based on an empty local coffers. Sorry, but you can’t “fool all the people all of the time”. They know what current conditions are and definitely it isn’t the appropriate juncture to be talking about retroactive pay when it’s only too obvious that there’s no money even for basic needs. A case of tired and washed-out political aspirants?