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[h=2]Why the Workers Party cannot afford to be complacent in the coming Hougang by-election[/h]Posted by temasektimes on May 19, 2012
The result of the last election was 65-35 in favor of the WP. That was a big 30% margin.
The PAP will need a swing of 15% or more to win this round. Can this happen after the voters of Hougang have repeatedly voted against the PAP for the past several elections?
Most political pundits don’t think so. They have written off the PAP. They have written off Desmond Choo as the underdog. They are predicting “easy victory” for the WP. I beg to differ. I may be different but I may be right. Reasons?
1. Worry no more
In the past 20 years, Hougang voters had carried the burden of ensuring that there were true democracy in this country with the presence of Opposition in Parliament. During the last national election, this worry led to intense fear as they saw Low Thia Kiang and other heavyweights of the WP took on the risk of contesting for a GRC. They realised that Parliament might end up without any Opposition at all and true democracy will again to dead in Singapore. That caused more of them to vote for the WP and this explained the higher percentage of vote for Yaw Shin Leong. They are to be admired for it.
Today, the political landscape changed for the better. There is now not one, but five elected opposition MPs in Parliament, all from the WP. The worry should have dissipated. The concern will be local issues like upgrading and development programs. It is time to catch up with the other constituencies in getting equally good, if not better, facilities and getting them in shorter time. In this sense, it is a local election.
2. Disappointment
It would be unrealistic to deny that the YSL saga does not cause any disappointment among the voters of Hougang. More than that. They felt being used. A certain percentage must have felt their vote being wasted. A certain percentage will feel sore for having to make the effort to vote again. They will form part of the swing voters.
This saga tells the voters that everything possible has to be known about a candidate before their votes are cast. You can bet that this time round, everything about both candidates will be deeply probed. Both candidates should expect their private lives to come under the microscope. Anyone of them who has any skeleton behind his closet better come clean, voluntarily.
3. Personality
In the age of online and real-time mass media, the presence of an election candidate is wide and far, instantly and frequently. The personality he projects to the masses is much more important than before. Desmond Choo seems to be outgoing, fitting in well with people from all walks of life, comfortable and articulate when facing the media. Overall, he is projecting himself as a peoples’ person.
Mr. Png, on the other hand, seems cautious and reserved, looking like a piece of cold hardware, uncomfortable in front of the media and having difficulty in articulating his thoughts. In addition, with his more youthful look, Desmond Choo will appeal more to the young than Mr. Png.
4.Sympathy
Last but not least, don’t forget, being an underdog can be a plus because underdogs do win sympathy votes.
Nine-day is a short period in a person’s political life. If Desmond Choo can give that burst of intense energy for a nine-day stretch, he may well outshine his opponent and turn himself into a political star henceforth.
SHAUN 13
* The above was first posted as a comment here
The result of the last election was 65-35 in favor of the WP. That was a big 30% margin.The PAP will need a swing of 15% or more to win this round. Can this happen after the voters of Hougang have repeatedly voted against the PAP for the past several elections?
Most political pundits don’t think so. They have written off the PAP. They have written off Desmond Choo as the underdog. They are predicting “easy victory” for the WP. I beg to differ. I may be different but I may be right. Reasons?
1. Worry no more
In the past 20 years, Hougang voters had carried the burden of ensuring that there were true democracy in this country with the presence of Opposition in Parliament. During the last national election, this worry led to intense fear as they saw Low Thia Kiang and other heavyweights of the WP took on the risk of contesting for a GRC. They realised that Parliament might end up without any Opposition at all and true democracy will again to dead in Singapore. That caused more of them to vote for the WP and this explained the higher percentage of vote for Yaw Shin Leong. They are to be admired for it.
Today, the political landscape changed for the better. There is now not one, but five elected opposition MPs in Parliament, all from the WP. The worry should have dissipated. The concern will be local issues like upgrading and development programs. It is time to catch up with the other constituencies in getting equally good, if not better, facilities and getting them in shorter time. In this sense, it is a local election.
2. Disappointment
It would be unrealistic to deny that the YSL saga does not cause any disappointment among the voters of Hougang. More than that. They felt being used. A certain percentage must have felt their vote being wasted. A certain percentage will feel sore for having to make the effort to vote again. They will form part of the swing voters.
This saga tells the voters that everything possible has to be known about a candidate before their votes are cast. You can bet that this time round, everything about both candidates will be deeply probed. Both candidates should expect their private lives to come under the microscope. Anyone of them who has any skeleton behind his closet better come clean, voluntarily.
3. Personality
In the age of online and real-time mass media, the presence of an election candidate is wide and far, instantly and frequently. The personality he projects to the masses is much more important than before. Desmond Choo seems to be outgoing, fitting in well with people from all walks of life, comfortable and articulate when facing the media. Overall, he is projecting himself as a peoples’ person.
Mr. Png, on the other hand, seems cautious and reserved, looking like a piece of cold hardware, uncomfortable in front of the media and having difficulty in articulating his thoughts. In addition, with his more youthful look, Desmond Choo will appeal more to the young than Mr. Png.
4.Sympathy
Last but not least, don’t forget, being an underdog can be a plus because underdogs do win sympathy votes.
Nine-day is a short period in a person’s political life. If Desmond Choo can give that burst of intense energy for a nine-day stretch, he may well outshine his opponent and turn himself into a political star henceforth.
SHAUN 13
* The above was first posted as a comment here
