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- Dec 30, 2010
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The more I know about Tan Cheng Bock, the less I want to vote for him. Pealing away his gentle, avuncular demeanour, I find a troubling hole I cannot fathom. I cannot find an answer to a fundamental question: What does the man stand for?
I have no doubt he has compassion for the common people; I have no doubt that he is more in touch with the average Joe and Jill than the other leading PAP-associated candidate. This easy familiarity probably made him a fine constituency MP. In this presidential campaign however, there is an uncomfortable disconnection among the various ideas he has expressed, as if there is no overarching political philosophy.
And this possibility made my inability to read Tan Cheng Bock’s overall political philosophy all the more troubling. Where does he stand? I kept asking myself. What does he believe in?
Even Straits Times reporters have noted that Cheng Bock is hardest to read. Reporter Elgin Toh, for example, has written that of all the candidates, his position has shifted the most in the course of the campaign.
To an extent, I am voting tactically because I personally like Tan Kin Lian, but at this stage I think his chances are poor. I have no doubt about his personal integrity and where his heart lies. However, at several points in the campaign, he gave me the impression that he was out of his depth in areas outside of finance; he had not thought through other issues enough. He might make a good candidate at the next presidential election, but alas, he appeared rather less than ready for this one.
So I am endorsing Tan Jee Say. I am voting for him because as far as I can see, he is forthright about his views and holds values that are in rough alignment with mine. These are values anyone with a concern for human rights and human dignity would be comfortable with. He has made an effort to acknowledge the concerns of the gay, lesbian and transgender communities. And not least, because I judge that his convictions are sincere and strong, he has the will to stand by them and, of all the candidates, the fortitude to withstand the bullying that will surely come
- http://yawningbread.wordpress.com/2011/08/25/i-endorse-tan-jee-say/
I have no doubt he has compassion for the common people; I have no doubt that he is more in touch with the average Joe and Jill than the other leading PAP-associated candidate. This easy familiarity probably made him a fine constituency MP. In this presidential campaign however, there is an uncomfortable disconnection among the various ideas he has expressed, as if there is no overarching political philosophy.
And this possibility made my inability to read Tan Cheng Bock’s overall political philosophy all the more troubling. Where does he stand? I kept asking myself. What does he believe in?
Even Straits Times reporters have noted that Cheng Bock is hardest to read. Reporter Elgin Toh, for example, has written that of all the candidates, his position has shifted the most in the course of the campaign.
To an extent, I am voting tactically because I personally like Tan Kin Lian, but at this stage I think his chances are poor. I have no doubt about his personal integrity and where his heart lies. However, at several points in the campaign, he gave me the impression that he was out of his depth in areas outside of finance; he had not thought through other issues enough. He might make a good candidate at the next presidential election, but alas, he appeared rather less than ready for this one.
So I am endorsing Tan Jee Say. I am voting for him because as far as I can see, he is forthright about his views and holds values that are in rough alignment with mine. These are values anyone with a concern for human rights and human dignity would be comfortable with. He has made an effort to acknowledge the concerns of the gay, lesbian and transgender communities. And not least, because I judge that his convictions are sincere and strong, he has the will to stand by them and, of all the candidates, the fortitude to withstand the bullying that will surely come
- http://yawningbread.wordpress.com/2011/08/25/i-endorse-tan-jee-say/
