Teodoro's weaknesses

I wrote last May 30, 2008 about Defense secretary Gilbert Teodoro being "Gloria's ace". Sure enough, after barely a year, Teodoro got bolder and announced his candidacy. Jose Maria Sison, our resident analyst based in Utretch would probably say " I told you so." (Joma, by the way, is my Facebook friend, along with General Lim and Ariel Querubin).

As I wrote in previous posts, Teodoro represents big business and big comprador interests. He's also very close to the generals and could be a poster boy, like what they did to Mrs. Arroyo.

Two things that would probably affect Teodoro's chances of winning 2010.

1. Teodoro is sickly. He has asthma. Like Manny Villar, he's under medication. Can he survive a gruelling national campaign?

2. Teodoro's charisma infects the intelligentsia; yet it is doubtful whether he could connect with the C-D voters. Like other technocrats (Amina Rasul for one, deserves to be a Senator. Yet, she can't seem to speak intelligently before voters and the masses), Teodoro has not mastered the Art of Masa Speak. It is doubtful whether he can really connect with the voters, especially those in the Visayas and Mindanao.

He needs someone to train him. Yet, with just a few months into 2010, I truly doubt if he can speak like Escudero.

Teodoro has a secret weapon though---his lovely wife, who, surprisingly, could speak very well infront of people. She intelligent and eloquent, a product of a fine political pedigree. She could cover for him in some areas; still, I hate to disappoint Teodoro's backers but Teodoro's statuequely wife would find it quite difficult to connect with voters from the Visayas.

Lastly, what Teodoro enjoys as an advantage is the mammoth administration machinery he'll inherit should KAMPI and Lakas-CMD merge to form one administration party. With the Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC) backbone supporting a Teodoro-Escudero or an Escudero-Teodoro tandem, that's a sure winner.

I hate to disappoint opposition analysts but the prospects of an opposition win is starting to whittle as the administration forces gather steam. The Opposition is expected to just dismiss Teodoro; yet, the very mention of his name seemed to elicit excitement among KAMPI and Lakas-CMD stalwarts. His announcement was electrifying, an obvious sign that people are really wanting to write a fresh name in that space for president in their ballots.

Teodoro, they say, could be the "dark horse" in the presidential run-up. Again, I hate to disappoint, but, it still remains to be seen whether the people would lap up a Teodoro candidacy and if Teodoro is really up to the campaigning job.