Mexico decides

Townhall.com ^ | 07/06/06 | Linda Chavez

[garbageseeker]

While the U.S. Congress dithers over how best to stop illegal immigration, the Mexican people may have already decided the issue this past weekend. Mexicans went to the polls Sunday to pick a new president, only the second presidential election in the last 75 years that could be characterized as a truly free and democratic contest.

The more conservative, free-trade-oriented candidate, Felipe Calderon of the National Action Party (PAN), appears to have eked out a slim victory with a few hundred thousand more votes than the leftist Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. Although Lopez Obrador, the former mayor of Mexico City and the candidate of the Democratic Revolution Party, fashions himself the champion of the poor, his economic policies would likely have increased poverty, not eliminated it. Like most socialists, Lopez Obrador believes in redistributing wealth, not creating it -- a failed policy that won't work in Mexico any better than it has anywhere else in the world.

But even if Calderon's narrow victory holds -- it is being challenged, and an elaborate mechanism to ensure the results are fair has now kicked in -- he still faces an uphill battle in a country that is rich in resources but has never been able to provide a decent economic environment for its people.

[garbageseeker]

There will not be any changes until they deal with their institutional corruption.

[hispanarepublicana]

The way this has ended up is actually probably exactly what Obrador prefers. If he'd won, he'd become Francisco Madero, and the coming revolution would be against him.

[garbageseeker]

I agree with you. Obrador can be the stone in Calderon's shoe for next term. Orbrador can go around the country(with Chavez financial backing) whipping up all sorts of trouble.

[garbageseeker]

Do not be surprised if Obrador shows up with Castro or Chavez asking for money.

[Libloather]

NEVER FEAR!

[garbageseeker]

LOL

[Bigg Red]

The corruption mainly lies in the Mexican Congress which is controlled the PRI. The next leader will have to contend with this.

&&&
The next leader will perhaps contend with the corruption. Or perhaps he will just partake of it. Sorry, but I cannot share your optimism.

[garbageseeker]

The corruption mainly lies in the Mexican Congress which is controlled the PRI. The next leader will have to contend with this

I agree and this is why the United States needs to remind him to deal with the problem.

[Postman]

I think it's just too bad that Obrador didn't make it. We should recall that among the first steps taken by Socialist dictators is to erect walls to prevent their subjects from escaping to freedom. With a hostile country to our South, we would then have a much better excuse to militarize our Southern border and, since Mexico will have built the fence already..........

Well, on the other hand...............................

[Indiana Man]

It's a good thing we've never had an election that lasted an eternity. Oh! Wait! We HAVE!!! (Gore vs. Bush)