THIS early, anything can happen yet but after having been feted and cheered, and carried shoulder high, so to speak, by the party’s top leaders, Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro has acquired the advantage he needs to be proclaimed Lakas-Kampi-CMD standard bearer for the 2010 presidential polls.

He has been described as resembling an “eagle soaring high” – and we are tempted to add – to he heights of his highest possibilities.

The occasion was on the eve of Teodoro’s 45th birthday anniversary celebration which was attended by some 100 national and local top leaders of the newly merged administration party led by Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita.

The gathering was said to be the “biggest yet in this political season,” composed of power brokers and precinct leaders, progressives and reformers, etc. There were at least nine governors and vice-governors from the various parts of the country, 31 congressmen, 11 city mayors, and a big number of provincial, city, and municipal officials.
 
They came to indicate their support for Teodoro’s joining the administration party and be its standard bearer.

It appears that they see in him the qualities and background of a winning candidate for the country’s next president.

Governor Jose Zubiri of Bukidnon sounded candid in saying that Mindanao leaders see Teodoro as the most qualified among the presidential aspirants to succeed President Arroyo.

It was also observed that during the Lakas-Kampi-CMD merger at the Manila Hotel recently the appearance of Teodoro at the ceremonies won the strongest and prolonged applause from the party memberships.

To be sure, other aspirants within the party equally meet the constitutional requirements for the country’s top post, but they may not have the qualities needed to win the election – and that makes all the difference.

Those qualities could be anything from public perception of his personal or family background, the demonstrated vote-getting ability, excellence in the profession, political socialization or just the belief in what he stands for.

All these affect the people’s voting behavior.

But beyond all these applause and acclamations, what appeared in news reports the other day was a dim view of ‘Gibo’ as a presidential hopeful.

In fact, his name was miles from nowhere in the list of 13 presidential aspirants preferred by voters in a survey recently released by the Social Weather Station.

The list is topped by Senator Manuel Villar with a rating of 29 percent and ended with Senators Miriam Defensor-Santiago, Richard Gordon, and Francis Pangilinan and MMDA chairman Bayani Fernando with one percent each.

In between are Vice-President Noli de Castro, Senators Manuel Roxas II, Francis Escudero, Loren Legarda, former President Joseph Estrada, Senator Panfilo Lacson, Mayor Jejomar Binay, and President Arroyo, in that order.

So, where were those governors and congressmen, and city and municipal mayors, and local officials – power brokers and precinct leaders, and progressives and reformers -- who were rooting for ‘Gibo’ when the survey was taken?

That’s one of the mysteries of surveys, particularly on political overview and judgment. But you cannot argue against them especially when they start talking about the pluses and minuses and margins and so forth, whatever they mean.

No matter. Anybody can commission a survey for his own purpose. (zhern_218@yahoo.com)