BUMP!
Posted on 07/02/2006 10:53:31 AM PDT by La Enchiladita
MEXICO CITY — After a presidential campaign that exposed Mexico's deep class divisions, voters chose Sunday between a free-spending leftist pledging to put the poor first or a conservative pushing private investment and free markets as the keys to prosperity.
The presidential election is the first since Vicente Fox's stunning victory in 2000 ended 71 years of rule by the Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI. The vote will determine whether Mexico becomes the latest Latin American country to move to the left.
...
Polls predict a close race between conservative Felipe Calderon of Fox's party and leftist Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, a former Mexico City mayor. The PRI's Roberto Madrazo was running a distant third, ahead of two minor candidates.
Five governors and both houses of Congress also were being elected.
Officials hoped to announce a winner within hours of the 9 p.m. EDT closing of the last poll, based on a quick count. But they cautioned they would wait if the race was too close.
About 71 million of Mexico's 103 million people are eligible to vote.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
How much worse will it get (for US) if the lefties win?
I'd like to vote on a national referendum to abolish pensions for House Reps and Senators.
Or, at the least make it much harder to become vested and reduce the rates of compensation. Also, the business of voting themselves a raise is a joke. Some other body needs to regulate their salaries.
How about a "Citizens Commission?"
Elections should not be held on a Sunday (religious reasons) in my opinion, but Election Day should not be a legal holiday either.
My prediction:
Calderon 36.8%
Obradar 32.2%
Madrazo 23.7%
Mercado 5.3%
Cifrian 2.0%
I LIKE your prediction.
Yes, in our precinct, everyone had to have ID, matching it with PHOTO Id, books, downtown laptops cross checked photo ID with National Data Base, purty....much civic minded, local party observers, all peaceful, and in order. Some chaos as unexpected numbers turned out, this will be a close one. I thought that the order and and attempts to stop voter fraud were aplaudable.
I am not an economist, but I play one on FR.
Obrador (leftist, Chavezista) campaigned in the State of Sonora (south of Arizona) to give a pension of about $63 per month. I don't know the details or the cut-off, if any. That is about a week's wages for many factory workers. Mexico's economy has grown, though hampered by decades (or centuries) of mordida (bribes), an anti-business atmosphere, and a dubious legal-political system. If Obrador is elected and follows his Chavezista inclinations, then unemployment will increase as foreign and domestic capital will flow elsewhere. That means an even greater number of Mexicans trying to get north. And longer term it means unrest in Mexico. There were already reports of teachers rioting over pay issues. Then in another six years there will be another chance to elect a pro-growth candidate, but the road will be bumpy.
Pray to God that AMLO does not win today, or things will get much worse in the days to come.
What time do the polls close and when will the first results come in?
When will the results be available? Anyone know?
I have been looking around all the news stories and none of them mention what time the polls close.
I'm hoping Draco knows.
Officials hoped to announce a new president a few hours after the last poll closed at 9 p.m. EDT, based on a quick count. But they cautioned they would wait if no candidate had a strong enough lead.
I think "closed" should be read as "closes."
Stay tuned to local news, especially Spanish language stations, in the southland as they will be on top of it.
Reference to an "Halloween Horror" episode of the Simpsons set during the clinton/dole election.
http://www.snpp.com/episodes/4F02.html
BUMP!
Nah. Reading every little word is MY job.
LOL.
I don't watch the Simpsons; I like King of the Hill.
I usually do ... and have no qualms about lambasting those who don't. :)
Qualms? What're qualms? (Heh heh, missed my calling as an English teacher.)
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.