Wherever and whenever these candidates campaign, especially those vying for the 12 seats in the Senate, the people swarm all over to watch them dance or sing, together with entertainment personalities, singers, actors and lovely actresses. And knowing this, the running politicos and other "wannabes" try their best to amuse the people in the hope of winning their votes.

If you wonder whether they will talk at all about issues, programs and policies, the answer, sadly, is No! They will leave such dull matters to their propagandists, publicists and ads in radio and television networks and newspapers and magazines. Of course, that would cost millions of pesos, and you can just wonder where they get that kind of financial assistance.

Now, let’s look at the senatorial candidates of the so-called "Team Unity" of Gloria Arroyo. Four of them are reelectionists, one ex-senator, two congressmen, three governors, a Cabinet official, and a Muslim sultan. Oh, some of them might be branded as "political butterflies," you know, politicos who flit from one political party to another. In alphabetical order they are Angara, Arroyo, Defensor, Kiram, Magsaysay, Oreta, Petilla, Pichay, Recto, Sotto, Singson and Zubiri.

In the United Opposition (UNO) three are reelectionists, three ex-senators, three congressmen, and three newcomers. There are no political turncoats or butterflies among them. They are Aquino, Cayetano, Coseteng, Escudero, Lacson, Legarda, Osmeña, Pangilinan, Pimentel, Roco, Trillanes, and Villar.

Of these senatorial bets, it would appear that those seeking reelection have most definitely the advantage. They are nationally well known public figures, experienced lawmakers, and, so far, untouched by the cancer of corruption that has infected the Arroyo government. Likewise, the former senators may still have retained their past popularity and the advantage of "name recall" as such.

And the same thing may be said of the young congressmen, especially the ones who have dared challenge with their strong stand against attempts to trample on human rights and constitutional processes by the powers-that-be.

Of course, those who might be identified as "political turncoats" or "political butterflies" (they are similarly called in derision as "balimbings, "after the many-sided fruit) may find it difficult to explain, honestly, why they did it and what was the price.

Oh yes, there are so-called "independent" candidates for the Senate, including an actor, experienced as a screen thespian and sportsman, but not in politics, and two others whose surnames are similar to those of two candidates in both administration and opposition teams.

And so, if all those seven reelectionists win, the other 17 bets from both sides and the "independents" will be scrambling for the five remaining berths for the six-year term in the Senate. But it’s still too early in the game to say who will be the winners and the losers.

There they are, over two dozen candidates, men and women of varied background in politics and whatever, some very good or just good, the very bad and just bad, the young and the promising, and the useless, fighting for 12 senatorial seats.

Well, what can one say about them? No doubt about it, the few best and brightest really deserve to be back in that august hall of the Senate of the Philippines. We all like to vote for the others in the "Team Unity" and the "Grand Alliance", but the trouble with the other would-be senators is that the ones that ought to get out don’t.

To put it another way, and this is not a joke, we all like to vote for the really best men and women, but they are never candidates!

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Here are some jokes about politics and politicos:

Politics should be fun, and politicians have no right to be dull. The moment politics becomes dull, democracy is in danger.

In politics you have to have a sense of humor. If you don’t have humor, you’ll end up in the nuthouse.

In campaigns, it is best not to mention your opponent’s name because by doing so it just gives him a chance to be known by voters or to get into the newspaper headlines.

An honest politician is one who when he is bought will stay bought.

No politician has ever been able to rule his country upon the principle of the Sermon on the Mount.