The Future In Mexico Is Red

Investor's Business Daily ^ | 12 July 2006 | Editorial Staff

[Bangupjob]

Latin America: You'd think Mexico's election was lost by a leftist instead of won by a free marketer. But Felipe Calderon's victory reflects growing confidence in free trade in overlooked flyover states.

Not that the media have noticed. Virtually all of them covered the election from Mexico City expecting a leftist victory, so it's little surprise that they ignore the winner and focus now on soap opera and sour grapes rallies led by Calderon's opponent, Mexico City-based Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.

During the campaign, U.S. media gushed over Lopez Obrador as the "Mestizo Bill Clinton." Now he's preparing to become the Mexican Al Gore, turning his narrow loss into a long debacle he's unlikely to win.

The real story in the wake of Mexico's tightest election ever is in the strength of Calderon's base in Mexico's competitive, energetic north and west.

There, a Mexican Sunbelt is taking shape right on the edge of ours. "Remarkably, this thin stretch of land is now one of the most productive areas in the world," said U.S. Ambassador Tony Garza, referring to the two regions last year.

[Bangupjob]

Red as in Red State

[xcamel]

Ditto.

[stuartcr]

I wonder what the new guy thinks of NASCO, smart ports and the NAFTA super highway?

[Clemenza]

Speaking as someone who has spent time in the North (especially Sonora, Tamulipas, and Nuevo Leon) and the South (Chiapas, Oaxaca, Guerrero, among others), the contrast between the two regions is striking. In the North, you have large malls, decent local roads, and a populace Americanized in many respects. The south is largely populated by indigenas ("injuns") and remains, in many ways, stuck in the early 20th century, if not earlier.

[Mr. Jeeves]

The media needs to knock off this "red state" nonsense. "Red" means Communist and it always will - this intentional blurring of terms and political spectrums isn't fooling anyone with an IQ higher than a potted palm.

[6SJ7]

The media needs to knock off this "red state" nonsense.

I've wondered who in the media latched onto labeling Republicans 'red'. I think the media did it to deliberately confuse since 'red' is associated with communists and 'blue' with patriots; as in 'true blue'.

[Chi-townChief]

More like in the red.

[theFIRMbss]

>The Future In Mexico Is Red

The place is run by businessmen. Not Soviets, just a tight-knit group of rich guys using classic and modern techiques to rule and stay rich.

[Kimberly GG]

I wonder what the new guy thinks of NASCO, smart ports and the NAFTA super highway?


Same as Bush, I suspect, otherwise the new guy wouldn't be the 'new guy'. We've got too much invested to have allowed any other outcome in Mexico (or Canada). In my opinion, of course.

[js1138]

It will be useful to have an Algasm in a neighboring country while our own Al is prepping for another run.

[Texas Federalist]

I've wondered who in the media latched onto labeling Republicans 'red'. I think the media did it to deliberately confuse since 'red' is associated with communists and 'blue' with patriots; as in 'true blue'.

Yeah. Before 2004, wasn't the incumbant party always depicted in blue on election day maps?

[RegulatorCountry]

"Now he's preparing to become the Mexican Al Gore"

Fiesta fiesta fiesta! I'm sure Obrador can pull off a better Macarena than Al, though.

[Heartofsong83]

Most of the illegals probably come from the South too...

[The_Reader_David]

Nah, we beat them in the Cold War fair and square, and now, in their last good deed, the MSM has liberated the color red from them.

Just ask a Nebraska fan, red is a fine color. I for one am glad to have it back on our side.

The enemy now is green (Islam's favorite color, and incidentally, now the favorite color of the left with their environmental romanticism).

[Clemenza]

In NY, most of the illegal Mexicans are from the state of Puebla in the South. In Chicago, most are from Michocan, also in the south. VERY few illegals with roots in Nuevo Leon or Tamaulipas, even though they may "live" there en route to the U.S..

[Clemenza]

Hate to be so blunt, but blue is the color of impotence, red is that of passionate masculinity.

[chilepepper]

the Mexican middle class is starting to shake off its slumber, and correctly sees the Chavista/Fidelista Obrador as setting up the same-old same-old corrupt, socialist monopoly that the PRI had, except worse.

Wal-Mart, in this case, is the ultimate expression of the American dream, and the Mexican middle class will not be denied the same right to buying Chinese junk available to even the most humble American (e.g. - brother felipe who is in L.A. building condos)

[NavySon]

"Now he's preparing to become the Mexican Al Gore"

Unfortunately it will probably be easier for him to use his global warming brainwashing in a country that's closer to the equator.

[NavySon]

"Hate to be so blunt, but blue is the color of impotence..."

Yeah, just ask monica lewinski!

[Defiant]

Sounds like the border between Gaul and Rome. Over a few centuries, the border provinces became latinized, and while still gallic in ethnicity, were Roman in outlook and culture. I think this was Lombardy and another province in what is now northern Italy.