Don Quixote

THE MAN with his ever present and faithful sidekick Sancho Pancha is known for his big dreams, his fertile imagination and consequent strange language and/or funny actuations.

It would be hard to fault him with such a bearing or stance. He simply thought and acted according to what he thought of, willed and therefore did. Thus it is that to this date and time, his good intentions are celebrated with delight and his ludicrous antics are recalled with fun, in the course of history.

Personalities like him are wherefore described as “quixotic”, viz., over-imaginative and consequently over-acting human figures.

Impressive Don Quixote and supportive Mr. Pancha are characters whose incarnations have accompanied humanity in its long history. Together, it can be said that the pair dutifully forwarded the following more basic and distinct teaching across the decades:

* to dream big dreams is free in the same way that to imagine vain imaginations costs nothing on condition only that such remain in the sphere of desires and designs – not in the realm of ground realities under penalty of likewise big frustrations and deep depressions.

Even in the political history of this country – and so in other nations most probably – there were and there still are repeated incarnations of the pairing Don Quixote and Mr. Pancha. In other words, there are always certain personages with their respective avid followers at times called “rah-rah boys” who have the hats the latter thrown into the political arena with ideals and ideas to premise the candidacy upon.

Some of such figures are so impressive in words, looks and gestures – yet basically empty in possibilities that they rightfully merit the description “quixotic”.

To run for a national elective position with neither the standard required money chest nor the necessary machinery of as many line official supporters as possible from national, regional down to the local levels, to aspire specially for the highest elective office in the land without the backing of a standing and tested political party, to quest for a coveted elective post with but plain idealism and raw courage – this is exactly what a “quixotic” candidacy is in reality and truth. Why?

Philippine politics is inherently partisan which basically means the backing of political allies which in turn equals money – lots of money. In other words, politics in this country equals some tickling rhetoric, more die-hard allies, much freely flowing promises plus the good backing of hard cash.

Plain idealism mere purism and/or absolutism, fortunately or pitifully, have still no place in standing Philippine politics. In other words, Don Quixote and Sancho Pancha make a good story – but bad politics./PN