Presidential Elections 2011: Afterthoughts

Through PE2011, I have learnt the following:


(A) I suck at predictions. 

Apart from getting right (i) the winner and (ii) how he is not gonna get a more than 50% majority vote, I got everything else wrong.

I need to trade in my current crystal ball for a more lucid one...


(B1) Appearing nice is more important than solving significant & fundamental problems.


(B2) Small everyday gestures are superior to complex nation-wide solutions. 

Actually, why should I be surprised?
(Voice in my head reminds me: You are just being stubborn again.)

Again and again, I've learnt B1 and B2 about audiences at work, in school, at play etc.

But I refuse to concede, coz that is just tragic.


(C) Giving Singaporeans more choices = A more divided Singapore

The votes-split is testament to this.
Given our tiny size, we have become a fragmented society.
65% of voters did not vote for the guy who's supposed to unite Singaporeans.

We are a fragmented people, with a fragmented next generation leadership. The second part is more worrying than the first.

I still can't understand why 3 RIs boys cannot get their act together to take down 1 SJI boy.

Yes. There are winners in this PE race.
Tony Tan is a big winner.
Tan Jee Say has also won big in his own right, and he can make use of this exposure to further his political ambitions.

But Singapore has lost. Big time. Singapore is the biggest loser in this race.

I don't know why I keep thinking about the story of 'the Last of the Mohicans', especially the skinning. But it's not the right analogy intuitively, coz the Mohicans (whoever was left) were very united when faced with enemies (in the end), and no one is gonna help us in our case.

Hmmm... Maybe that's why.


(D) Despite being fragmented, Singaporeans, as a voting collective, tried very hard not to spoil their votes.

1.76% of spoilt votes is a very good collective attempt.

Most people are trying to make a decision at their individual level.

Next step is to look beyond that and see the big picture before making that decision.

Some would say that we are making progress...
Let's just hope that we will see the big picture... in time.