I DON’T have any problem with welcoming the Lt. Governor back and wishing him “good health” but the concern that WE the People should ALL have is “WHAT work is he and his running mate Apatang are talking about.” I’m glad he recovered and is even making positive changes in his lifestyle. But his return seems to be more of the “Grandstanding, Deflecting and Gaslighting Show” on his return that was more like a “Political Rally.” I’m sure these crowds would not have been there if it wasn’t Election Season, as the Lt. Governor has left entirely toooo many times only to return without anyone even knowing he left but this time his returned was literally staged like a “Hero’s Welcome.” I’m not hating nor displeased with the people coming out to greet him and welcome him back but WE should all be concerned that this staged Welcome was more about generating sympathy to garner votes FOR the Lt. Governor — for TRUE.
WE the Voters have been entirely TOOOO Gullible and even Sympathetic in the past believing and hanging-on-to every word these Republicans have infected our reasoning with over the years. It seems they think they can say and tell us ANYTHING as WE are supposed to buy-it-all without question. Well, WE should really be questioning “WHAT Work is it that the Lt. Governor is supposed to be coming back to do” — for REAL! Based on what he said in the news, “he’s back to campaign” and not to do anything that will have a direct effect on helping the People nor our Economy. He didn’t even mention the AD Platform, if they have one, which is supposed to be their plan. He wasn’t doing anything to help the People nor our Economy before he left so WHAT he is coming back to do is to simply continue campaigning. The Governor and the Lt. Governor talk to us-folks-in-the-cheap-seats like we are total IDIOTS who can’t reason or think rationally, which should make voters very upset but for some it’s OK.
Rebuilding Trust is NOT going to Rebuild our Economy & our quality of life and campaigning by its very nature is “a competition that DIVIDES the People” Putting on the appearance of “being Civil and non-divisive” is just a “Political Ploy” because in the end they want to take votes AWAY from the competition by what seems to be “any means necessary” including using the Lt. Governor’s health issue to get FREE Public Advertisement. There may have been a crowd to welcome the Lt. Governor back BUT the majority of voters in the CNMI were not present for this Political Rally. I’m sure hope the majority didn’t fall for this Political Ploy.
Voters really need to be looking at “What is the Lt. Governor and the other two candidates for Governor plan to DO for the CNMI and her People” and not falling prey to a “sympathy campaign tactic” that WE just witnessed. There is entirely tooooo much at stake for voters to base their decision on “the Lt. Governor returning and saying he’s ready to work” with no real substance. If he campaigning, the Lt. Governor really needs to FIRST explain WHY he “turned-a-blind-eye” to what he KNEW was ILLEGAL activity and he even signed-off on some of that illegal activity that contributed to destroying the Trust in him and the Governor. The Lt. Governor is only fighting to get re-elected while WE the People need to be fighting for “our quality of life and our economy” when it comes to casting our votes and not be so gullible to fall for these Political Ploy tactics that WE are seeing with the Governor and the Lt. Governor, as they were in charge when we go into this Economic Conundrum.
Reiterating my sincere wishes for good health to continue for the Lt. Governor but most of us folks in-the-cheap-seats are far more concerned about WHAT him and the other candidates for Governor are going to do to improve our quality of life and our economy — not his ability to campaign again.
One People One Direction for electing BETTER Leaders for a BETTER CNMI!
The writer is an Economist who minored in Sociology, Political Scientist, retired teacher, former CNMI Board of Education Member, James Madison Fellow (U.S. Constitutional Scholar), a Fulbright-Hays & Humanities Scholar who resides in Kagman III.
Ambrose M. Bennett
