What does NoyNoy have to do with you?

The Phillipines, you ask?! What on Earth does this have to do with us? One word: Smartmatic. The money quote from The Economist: "In electing Mr Aquino, voters used...

The Phillipines, you ask?! What on Earth does this have to do with us?

One word: Smartmatic.

The money quote from The Economist:

"In electing Mr Aquino, voters used a new computerised vote-counting system almost as revolutionary, by Philippine standards, as the “People Power” uprising that toppled Marcos. The system was meant to prevent the cheating that has marred previous elections, but there were doubts that it would work, and last-minute calls for the election to be postponed. Some members of the opposition suspected that the system was bound to fail and so allow the incumbent president, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, to cling to power. In the event the system worked fine, though largely because Mr Aquino’s lead was so great as to be beyond dispute. There was a national sigh of relief: Mr Aquino had threatened another People Power uprising if he was cheated of victory."

Think of it: his lead was so great, not even Smartmatic could do anything about it.