There were elections today in Mexico, and they were to be watched, although I went to a picnic. First, we will have yet one more footnote on American culture and Reeducation.
*
I am not normally cynical but I have something cynical to say.
Typical, correct statement, possibly learned on television: Person X must be in terrible pain, to be behaving in that way.
Z-Xiuhtecuhtli: No, they are not in pain at all, they just enjoy behaving like that and getting away with it.
*
Now on to the Mexico election news, to be updated late tonight. A pen pal recommends this coverage:
7:00 A.M.: Entrevista Radiofónica con José Luis Arévalo
(Radio 13, 1290 AM)
http://joseluisarevalo.radiotrece.com.mx/
5:00-6:00 P.M.: Mesa de Análisis con Carmen Aristegui
(MVS Radio/MVS Televisión, 102.5 FM y Canal 52MX)
6:00-7:00 P.M.: Mesa de Análisis en Radio Educación
(Programa Especial, 1060 AM)
http://www.radioeducacion.edu.mx/
7:00-8:00 P.M.: Mesa de Análisis con Carmen Aristegui
(MVS Radio/MVS Televisión, 102.5 FM y Canal 52MX)
8:30-9:00 P.M.: Mesa de Análisis con Enrique Campos
(Radio Fórmula/TeleFórmula, 103.3 FM, Cablevisión 702, Sky 229)
http://www.radioformula.com.mx/
http://www.radioformula.com.mx/estaciones/tele/
10:00 P.M.-12:00 A.M.: Mesa de Análisis en PCTV
(DF: Cablevision, Canal 207 ; Estados: Canal TVC)
Axé.
coldhearted scientist وداد 
Early results are in – how the day went generally: http://www.jornada.unam.mx/ultimas/elecciones-2010/2010/07/04/viene-guerra-de-proclamas-y-sondeos-tras-cierre-de-casillas
In Oaxaca, the anti-Ruiz alliance is in; in Tamaulipas and Zacatecas, the PRI; in Hidalgo, the anti-PRI alliance. So far.
This article documents the violence but having been reading the papers daily for over a month my feeling is relief that it wasn’t worse:
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-0705-mexico-elections-20100705,0,2229284.story?page=1&utm_medium=feed&track=rss&utm_campaign=Feed%3A%20latimes%2Fmiddleeast%20(L.A.%20Times%20-%20Middle%20East)&utm_source=feedburner
So what are your over all conclusions?
Well – I’m hardly an expert in this and haven’t looked into it hugely beyond reading the papers but it seems to me that as a conglomerate at least, people really did vote as they pleased; you don’t see a single party winning and you do see a lot of variety. I also think it means the PAN is doomed although I haven’t seen anyone else say so. If you notice, the elections they won are mainly elections in which they were allied with the PRD, so people were voting for this coalition against corrupt PRI members; it doesn’t mean PAN was winning on its ideas. In other places, the PRI won against the PAN. And what people have to realize, I claim, is that although the PRI had this semi dictatorial one party rule for all those decades and has corrupt people like Ulises Ruiz, outgoing governor of Oaxaca, in it, the PAN is more authoritarian than the better wings of the PRI and less interested in the defense of Mexico against the great multinationals and so on. It has called the Army out to fight the narcos, who are a multinational, but it’s also sold the country down the river in many other ways and I’m sure they’re behind the authoritarian, manipulative and deceptive Iniciativa Mexico: http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/notas/685902.html
OK, here’s what Calderon said: the elections were a rejection of violence. http://www.jornada.unam.mx/ultimas/2010/07/06/dieron-comicios-mensaje-de-rechazo-a-violencia-calderon
I agree, I think the voters expressed that; I also agree with the commenters on that article who are sarcastic and say yes, the elections were a rejection of violence, including the violence of your government, Mr. Calderon!
There’s a lot of post election violence, just look at headlines here – http://www.proceso.com.mx/
And here’s what my current semi-guru on these matters, John Ackerman, says about the PRI’s statements on all of this:
http://www.expresionlibre.org/site2/nacional/noti_2756.php
Here’s another analysis, smart and sharper than my reaction above:
http://www.proceso.com.mx/rv/modHome/detalleExclusiva/81121
All these journalists have blogs, this guy’s is on WordPress, it’s fun! 🙂
Here’s John Ackerman, saying elections are at present a jungle where the law of the jungle prevails:
http://www.jornada.unam.mx/2010/07/12/index.php?section=opinion&article=016a2pol