AFTER Democrats throughout the United States have been dragged through 19 debates, $200 million-plus in fundraising, and 40 primaries and caucuses, signs are pointing to Barack Obama as the Democrats’ standard bearer against John McCain of the rival Republican Party.

        After tens of thousands of handshakes, and thousands of stump speeches Democrats have grown tired and they now want one candidate: Obama – he who has been doing great in all caucuses with his having more votes, more delegates, and more money.

        The New York Times on its Feb. 23, 2008 issue, said the Hillary Clinton camp is now beginning to see a darkening horizon over her bid for the Democratic presidential nomination.

        NYT says Ms. Clinton rarely uses the phrase like “when I’m president” anymore. “Somber at times, determined at others, she talks to aides and confidants about the importance of focusing on a good day’s work,” the report says, stressing that at some point Madam Hillary has been quoted as saying, “someone will win and someone will not”. That’s a far cry from her hardened belief that she will make it, no matter the cost.

        Everyone thought that she would make it in the Texas primary, a contest that no less than her husband Bill has said is a “must win”. The statistics, at the end of the day, however, proved the couple wrong, as it had proven in all the other states that Obama won.

        In fact, the same NYT report says that while advisers are drawing some hope from Mrs. Clinton’s indefatigable nature, some are burning out.

        “Morale is low. After 13 months of dawn-to-dark seven-day weeks, the staff is exhausted,” the report of the world’s most influential and most read newspaper said.

        “On occasion she has looked back … but mostly she has tried to look forward, and has pointedly not talked to her staff about the notion that she might drop out someday,” the New York Times stressed.

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        On the local scene, it looks like our dear Gloria will continue to hold on to her throne, no matter the cost, even if it would mean people scorching her soul.

        While the people outside the palace are strongly clamoring for change as they are convinced that graft and corruption have never been so widespread and “garapal” than in GMA’s time, the nation’s capitals, especially Metro Manila, are still missing those huge rallies to drive the President out of her imperious perch. Well, these “communal actions” may be a good idea but am sure they are not meant to create an impact nor will they endure unless they cover all sectors. Communal actions are only meant as pincer campaigns for a bigger mass action. They will require new twists and turns each time to sustain the momentum.

        For a nation reeling with fatigue over street demonstrations and effigy burning, what we need now are more novel ways of ventilating people’s sentiments and agitation, with patriotic ideals and fervor always highlighted upfront.

        Maybe a day of just staying home would be one, making the whole of Metro Manila or a participating provincial city a virtual desert of civil disobedience and passive resistance. Everybody will stay home with only the radio and TV turned on at home as our tool for communication and expression. The next day, residents, starting from their respective neighborhoods or barangays will walk the streets from different directions and converge at the plaza to air their grievances and demand for better governance. This should be replicated in other cities, to reach its climax for a people’s march to Manila where millions of warm bodies will in unison ask Gloria to give up her seat for the nation to move on.

        One bolder step will be for the whole opposition senators to tender their resignation en masse (with probably only the minority pro-Administration senators left) as a form of protest to the worsening bureaucratic corruption that the present leadership shamelessly failed to address head on. If this is done, we expect more resignations, from the Cabinet level and House level and the military, to follow suit. This could be the most peaceful and dramatic expression of people power ever, an improvement over EDSA 1 that once in our lifetime made us proud as a people who earnestly love our liberty and democratic ideals. This time, we will be fighting not only against a repressive regime but against the twin evil of graft and corruption that have brought our country down. This time, we will be vindicating what we have lost after EDSA 1.

        After Gloria steps down, the vice president will take over by virtue of succession as provided for by the Constitution. Political ambitions and selfish agenda are downplayed by this process. Respect for the Constitution, our supreme law, is also honored in its pristine form. From thereon, we will work together towards change while waiting for 2010 which is not too far away anyway to choose a new president. Under an atmosphere of a cleansed nation, we will all march ahead minus the widespread greed, patronage politics and corruption. Of course, the road to redemption may not be easy but we should all start on the right foot in order to get there.