In defense of the D & E classes

A prevailing consensus among many Robredo supporters is that the election was lost due to the “uneducated” struggling masses. As someone who voted for Leni, this one is a head-shaker.

This sentiment often loiters in echo chambers like Twitter, dominated mainly by the mid-upper class furiously typing away on their iPhones.

The disgruntled “Kakampinks” moral grandstand on how they are “tired” of fighting for people who supposedly “refuse to help themselves.” The mindset is elitist and narcissistic, which have been the constant criticisms of a movement otherwise anchored on genuine intentions.

Filipino voters – The New York Times

Voting shares by class

Here’s a quick voter’s education: most of the Philippines’ voting shares come from the D & E socioeconomic classes, with class D dominating at 78%, followed by class E at 16%. The ABC market sits at a paltry 6%.

This data shows that the masses mainly determine who becomes president in any election.

The governments that liberals favored, such as Noynoy’s presidency and Leni Robredo’s vice presidency, became realities thanks to the people they now belittle.

A campaign cannot win without the support of the majority.

How to communicate effectively to the PH voters the attributes of the next set of ideal leaders in May 2022 ?

1. Honesty
2. Competence
3. Forward looking
4. Inspiring

Class D voters = 78 %

* By socioeconomic status ,almost 8 out of every 10 votes come from Class D. pic.twitter.com/aMg59XQtBB

— Tony Leachon MD (@DrTonyLeachon) September 18, 2021

Many also conveniently forget that President Duterte, the bane of Twitter and the supposed “educated,” received the most voter shares from the ABC class in the 2016 exit polls.

Duterte led by 26 points over then-administration bet Mar Roxas, followed by 17 points in class D and 7 points in class E.

Fanaticism and self-awareness

Many Robredo supporters often use the word “fanatic” to retort to Internet debates with the other camp. But as Eugene Cho once tweeted, “In our self-righteousness, we can become the very things we criticize in others.”

Instead of blaming the masses, we can look inward and realize that the Pink Wave, as historic as it was, was far from perfect.

Was it indeed a “People’s Campaign” if the mid-upper class outweighed other attendees in the rallies? The same realization seemingly dawned on Robredo when she announced the Angat Buhay NGO, emphasizing that it would be inclusive of all classes.

Was the opposition too lax? It knew it was against the formidable tandem of the nostalgic Marcoses and still-popular Dutertes. And yet it waited until the 11th hour to field Robredo, and even later to launch the grand rallies.

It stubbornly stuck to outdated strategies such as traditional media and “People Power,” not realizing that we’re no longer in the 80s and fake news and a solid social media presence matter.

Instead of decrying legitimate surveys and calling our statisticians and scientists “fake” and “bayaran,” we ditch Google Trends, go out of our echo chambers, and grasp the real sentiments. We wail about past injustices, but today’s people are starving for definitive change.

Disinformation and vote-buying exist, but solely blaming a campaign’s shortcomings on the “uneducated” masses is ignorant and lazy. They are also desperate for reform, maybe even more than us, because their lives depend on it.

Nothing good comes from fanaticism and denial. Self-reflection is needed, and only then can we make the necessary improvements to move forward.

The post <b> In defense of the D & E classes </b> appeared first on WE THE PVBLIC.

Source: we the pvblic