Roberto Madrazo Changes Parties
No, Madrazo isn’t making a sudden move to the PAN or the New Alliance. But he has gone from Democrat to Republican in his choice of American political consultants.
In 1999, I was working for Stan Greenberg and James Carville as we helped Francisco Labastida beat Madrazo, an old PRIsta of the worst kind, in the PRI primary. The American pollsters in Madrazo’s camp at the time were Penn & Schoen, perhaps best known in Latin America for their controversial exit poll in Venezuela.
Apparently, Madrazo has decided against going back to the same old well.
This time, his hired guns have a decidedly Texas twang. The firm is called ViaNovo and it has the GWB stamp of approval all over it, what with principals like Matthew Dowd (”Chief Campaign Strategist for Bush-Cheney”) and Tucker Eskew (”former Deputy Assistant to President George W. Bush”). While they deserve credit for getting a candidate as flawed as Bush re-elected in 2004, I’m confident they won’t be able to work any magic with Madrazo.
Owing in large part to the disappointing performance of President Fox, the PRI had been making great strides towards regaining power. And then Madrazo became their nominee. He is part of the old PRI machine that stole elections the old-fashioned way, by buying votes. Maybe the PRI might have had a chance with another candidate, but there is no way the people of Mexico are going back to the age of dinosaurs.
Even with the help of American consultants adept at Swift Boat-style tactics.
P.S. In other political news from Latin America, congratulations to Mark Feierstein and the GQR team on the win in Honduras!
[Update:] I just found a six-month old piece in The New Republic Online written by Michael C. Boyer comparing Madrazo with Vladimir Putin. I shudder at the one degree of unholy separation: Putin and Bush and Madrazo!
April 30th, 2006 at 4:49 am
VERY SIMPLE, DINOUSAURS GOT EXTINCT IN THE WHOLE WORLD MILLIONS OF YEARS AGO, EXCEPT IN MEXICO, THERE STILL THREATENS WITH ITS CORRUPTION AND CHEAP POLITICAL TACTITS TO WIN POWER, BY PURCHASING FOOD OR MONEY FOR VOTES, THE CORROPTUSAURUS: ROBERTO MADRAZO AND THE PRI (AND ALL ITS BEAUTIFUL SCANDALS LIKE THE DRUGS AND THE GOVERNOR MONTIEL AND THE PEDOPHIA PROBLEM AND THE GOVERNOR OF PUEBLA). THE PRI TYRANY MUST END, FOR A FREE MEXICO, WITH FULL DEMOCRACY AND LIBERTY, MEXICO HAS TO FINISH WITH THE CARTEL OF CRIME CALLED PRI AND THE CAPO OF THE MAFIA AND DRUGS CALLED ROBERTO MADRAZO!!!
June 27th, 2006 at 1:23 am
IT SEEMS THAT AT THIS POINT THE “POLICITAL ANIMAL” MADRAZO HAS A REAL CHANCE OF BECOMING THE NEXT PRESIDENT,AFTER ALL WITH ALL THE BEAUTIFUL
SCANDALS THAT YOU MENTION.IT SEEMS THAT HES COUNTING THE THE PAN & PRD
WILL KILL EACH OTHER WITH THEIR PUSSY FIGHTS, AND THEN WILL TAKE THE LEAD. ITS INCREDIBLE THAT AFTER ALL THE PRI MEMBERS THAT HAVE BAILED THE SHIP HES STILL STANDING OR UNDERSTRUCTIBLE(QUOTE FROM JOAQUIN LOPEZ DORIGA)HES A WARRIOR OR THE MEXICAN PEOPLE ARE VERY NAIVE.
MEXICO STILL LOVES THE PRI ITS PART OF THE MEXICAN CULTURE,
AFTER AL THATS WHY THE PAN ITS CALLING PRISTAS” TO JOIN THEIR CAMPAIN.
AND LOPEZ OBRADOR HIMSELF & THE MAIN GUYS ARA ALL FORMER MEMBERS OF THE PRI AND USING THOSE POLITCAL TACTITS THAT YOU MENTION.
AFTER ALL HE’S THE ONLY PROVEN POLITAL ANIMAL…
ROBERTO MADRAZO…………