So what does this mean. Clearly it implies that these voices can operate in unison or in conflict and I’m sure most readers will agree that working in unison is the best formula for success. We the people will have two voices after the Delegate race and clearly the big question is what two voices. But a bigger question is how to achieve a united people for one candidate to create the synergy for a mandate in this election.
We already know Governor Fitial will be one of the voices and our choice in choosing the other voice is just as important and even more so now than our selection for Governor. I say this because it is clear to me and many other voters that Washington is our BEST hope for getting the financial infusion of cash we need to get us through these hard times and to rebuild our economy. We the people need IMMEDIATE help, the kind of help that can’t wait for investors and development to create change which will take time and even years. We need the kind of help that Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands just got: 500 million. We can get the help we need from Washington with the simple signing of a document: a document that will be in the form of a CNMI Economic Recovery Bill that must come from our next Delegate to Congress, for true!
The welfare of our economy is TOOOO important and voters MUST get it right this time because everything is dependent upon our economy. There is only ONE candidate promoting the revitalization of our economy through the U. S. Congress. There is only ONE candidate with the experience and wisdom of both the Governor’s Office and Washington’s Political Arena which is the key to bringing the two voices of the CNMI together in unison to be heard and given political weight in Washington. There is only ONE candidate that is a member of a political team in the CNMI Government and in the U. S. Congress and don’t forget politics is a true TEAM sport. There is only ONE candidate that has proven he can cross party lines and has remained professional enough to bridge the working relationship between the present administration and the Federal Government. We must select the best Local & Washington Politician.
Determining the best candidate to be the second voice for the people should be easy given the big differences in the qualifications of all the candidates. But the biggest challenge in this election is really getting the people to unite behind the ONE candidate who is clearly the best. Creating a majority is a critical part of the selection process because the number of votes actually dictate the expectations of voters which holds the elected accountable. If an official is elected by a small majority, there is NO definitive mandate by the people and thus there is no clear accountability. However, when an official is elected by a landslide, there will be a very high level of expectations for that person to deliver on their platform with the same high level of accountability — in political terms the candidate is issued a “mandate” when elected by a large margin. In this election we all know that the mandate we want to send to Washington is “to fix our economy” first and foremost — we the people
MUST unite behind this ONE candidate for our economy.
The challenge for voters is to become one people supporting the one candidate that can best do the job with local and federal officials for the CNMI. But more importantly, we must vote with a BIG majority for the one candidate promoting the revitalization of our economy to give our delegate’s voice equal if not more credibility and volume with the Governor’s to create the badly needed mandate from the people to fix our economy through Washington — not casinos! Two voices & one people for the one — prosperity is that simple!
AMBROSE M. BENNETT
Kagman, Saipan
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