2007 Presidential Election
Yesterday the Argentines showed up at the polls (obligatorily so) with the opportunity to bring in a new party, but pretty much the same government. Or they could stick with the party and elect the prettier half of Kirchnerism. They chose the latter and elected the wife of President Nestor Kirchner to assume duties on December 10th. Cristina received over 42% of the vote and officially took the role she had already taken for granted as she traveled the world under the assumption of victory. To me it seems strange for a president to voluntarily forgo his opportunity for reelection and indirectly say, “What the heck? Why not put my wife in there?” As nothing will change, this will be Kirchnerism 2.0, the estrogen edition.
When it comes to Argentine politics, I don’t know much. My information comes only from my discussions with Maria and what I read in the La Nación newspaper (which is no friend of the Kirchners and laments lack of progress in the country). However, there are a few superficial aspects that I find interesting. The first observation is that politicians here have facial hair. One of the candidates running for a lower office looks like a brunette Yosemite Sam. If you look at members of the U.S. Congress, I cannot think of anyone with a beard, goatee, or mustache. If you can, please let me know. While we prefer the clean look and a smile, posters here portray solemn candidates who, if they can muster a half-hearted smile, at the very best look uncomfortable. I’ve been told this serious appearance implies that they take their job more seriously.
Another notable difference is the use of the words socialismo (socialism) and izquierda (left or leftist) on posters. In Latin America, there is no masking these terms and candidates use them as part of ther marketing slogans. The U.S. has plenty of socialists, but they still have to lie or at least hide their true intentions. Anyone who puts socialist or leftist on their poster might as well throw in the towel.
Elections here are not the media circus that we suffer through in the United States. This is a good thing. I cringe at the thought of going home in ‘08 and having to put up with campaign ads. Maybe if John McCain can “clean up politics” and restrict our free speech even more, I won’t have to! According to a poll I read last week in the newspaper, 7 out of 10 Argentine are apathetic about the election. Given the lack of variance between the candidates, their corruption, and what the people have been through, I can’t say I blame them.
I just learned this one on Saturday when Maria explained the voting process to me. It was so archaic I couldn’t believe it. When they go to the voting location, if they want to vote a straight party ballot, they simply place the paper corresponding to that party and its 5 candidates in their envelope, seal it, and walk out the door. If they choose to vote a mixed ballot, which is more common here given the large number of parties, they first select the papers of the various parties for which they would like to vote. Then, with a scissors, they cut along the dotted lines to divide the papers as necessary and place the names of their 5 choices in the envelope. With all the possible permutations and the feverish clipping, it’s no wonder yesterday was the most chaotic election since the democratization of the country in 1983. Argentina is more advanced than many countries and can offer an advanced way of life, but stone age processes such as this baffle me.
