This April 2009 photo shows then-Liberal Party president and now-Interior Secretary Mar Roxas speaking before the graduates of Bulacan State University. MAR ROXAS FACEBOOK PAGE

Fast-forwarding Mar Roxas’ decline

Ed JavierThe latest poll conducted by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) showed that Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte is leading the current field of aspirants in terms of voters’ choice for the next president of the country. 

Tied at second were Vice President Jejomar Binay and Sen. Grace Poe.

Trailing at third is former Secretary Mar Roxas.

If his campaign team is not yet alarmed by this development, Roxas should start worrying. It may be left with nothing in its bag of tricks to help Roxas catch up.

Last we heard, that Mar Roxas MTV aired just a few days ago, is—in the words of netizens—an “epic fail.” Similar to most other propaganda materials created by advertising groups for Roxas, that MTV—titled “Fast Forward” may have only succeeded in fast-forwarding Roxas’ decline in voter-preference rating.

As usual, the material showed a very tentative Roxas, uncomfortable and uncertain with what he is doing, particularly when he did that very awkward chest-bump with basketball superstar James Yap in the MTV.

Again, here is an expensive material showing a vain attempt to reinvent Roxas. We agree with the view of many that this is a waste of precious campaign funds, never mind that Roxas appears to have lots of it.

It has been proven many times before that the invented version of Roxas cannot get the bigger number of voters to like him nor to consider him seriously for the presidency.

So far, his invented version—which that MTV may have merely reemerged—appears to alienate ordinary Filipinos and may have consigned Roxas to the periphery of public consciousness.

Whoever goaded Roxas into doing and funding this MTV has certainly done the man a great disservice. Roxas should kick him or her out of his team – that is, of course, if Roxas can be decisive at all.

Last we heard, the Roxas communication group was celebrating the entry of Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez to the Liberal Party bet’s team.

This may be welcome development. Jimenez does have a major track record in advertising. His experience and talent should breathe fresh life into Roxas’s sluggish campaign.

The view of many is that Jimenez should now craft a whole new approach to Roxas’ campaign.

For starters, Jimenez should junk that “matuwid na daan” theme. It has done Roxas’ campaign no good. Jimenez should pay attention to the survey result, which showed that the endorsement of President Noynoy Aquino is, to say the least, an albatross. And to say the worst, a kiss of death to Roxas’ candidacy.

According to the latest SWS survey, voters will not probably favor a candidate endorsed by Mr. Aquino. Worse, Mr. Aquino’s endorsement may cost Roxas crucial votes not just across the country but also in Metro Manila in the May 2016 elections.

Mr. Aquino got a -6 net effect of endorsement in the privately commissioned SWS survey conducted from Nov. 26 to 28.

In Metro Manila, the impact of the President’s endorsement was a huge -26 percent.

Jimenez must also put his foot down on any further effort to reinvent Roxas. Jimenez is a cut-and-dried advertising man who understands that one cannot merely repackage or re-launch a product that the market has already rejected. That principle should offer a lot of wisdom to Roxas’s faltering campaign.

In other words, Jimenez should tell and show us what we have not yet heard nor seen about his candidate.

If it is to be more of the same, then Roxas would appear to be set to waste more campaign money.

To sell Roxas to the electorate, his campaign team has shown us his invented version, has paraded young stars, has repeatedly reminded us that he is the anointed of a President who apparently has little endorsing power.

None of those shown the electorate has created enough affection and excitement that could, in turn, generate preference.

Why not show people the real Roxas instead?

Who knows?

People might actually get to like what they have never seen nor known before.

Jimenez just might be the man to do that for Roxas.

Roxas needs a man like Jimenez because, unlike Duterte, Binay and Poe, Roxas cannot sell himself.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *