In looking at the United States from inside
México, I thought it interesting to look at some comparisons.
On the US side, George Bush is now in his seventh year of being
president. For the first six years, his party had the majority in both
houses of congress. He is working with a two party system.
On the Mexican side, Felipe Calderón has just passed his first 100
days in office. Although his party holds the most seats in the houses of
congress, in neither case does it hold a majority. And he is working with
three major parties along with three minor parties. A lot more
complicated.
The US two party system has the Republicans and the Democrats. While
the Republicans are traditionally more conservative and the Democrats are
more liberal, there are even stronger splits within each party on the
right/left issues. As it stands now, there is a clearer split on whether
they like of hate Bush. It is very ideology oriented on a very personal
level.
The Mexican multiparty system is easier to understand. The most
liberal (left leaning) party is the PRD who holds the second most seats in
the congress. The most central party is the PRI, who after being trounced
in the last election is moving to reinforce their center position and has
smallest number of votes in congress. The right leaning (conservative) and
business oriented party is the PAN, the party of Calderón, with the most
votes in congress.
Bush must get some votes from the opposition to pass anything, and it
is more so with Calderón. While Bush's opposition in congress is in fact
razor thin, they act as though they have a mandate from the voters.
Calderón is no better off, and remember that he won office with only a
fractional percentage point of the vote, and this was in the 30% range
because of the multiparty system in México. So, it would seem that between
the two presidents, Bush should be in a better position to get things done
his way. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth.
The approval rating of Bush continues in the low 30% range and seems
to be headed downward. Yet Calderón has an over 50% approval rating and it
is rising. It would take a general peace break out and having all of the
imams to declare for world peace for anything good to happen to Bush's
approval ratings at this stage.
But in reality, there are more basic differences between the two
presidents that should be looked at.
Bush, deep in his heart, believes that he is right in whatever he is
doing. He behaves like a man following a vision. But he seems to forget to
get anything done, he needs followers. And he is having a growing
difficulty in finding them.
While Calderón has his visions, he is also more pragmatic. In order
to do any good, he has to have the people behind him. That is not to say
that he is running a popularity contest, but he recognizes where his power
comes from. This includes reforms in the very structure of México.
It is interesting that some of his first acts have been to
directly improve the lot of the most downtrodden of Mexicans. He is taking
steps to improve our national health care system and installing a national
pension system to apply to the poorest elderly. Not what you would expect
from a right winger, is it? But everybody agrees that México needs these
steps. And Calderón has a full-fledged shooting war going on . . . inside
México. This is a war with the large backing of the people who cry out for
a more secure life. Calderón is fortunate that the result of this fight
against the drug lords and its accompanying corruption is something that
the masses can understand.
What Calderón seems to be good at is to figure out an issue and know
where he needs to go to get the political backing to enact the necessary
legislation. That's why at times he is able to pick up needed votes from
either the PRD or the PRI, depending on the issue. The bottom line is that
Calderón is flexible.
A lot of observers thought that México was heading for another 6
years of gridlock (as we had under past president Fox), but it would look
like México has someone who is in charge and knows how to get needed
things done.
But for the US, I don't think any reasonable person thinks that the
next two (or more) years will be anything but gridlock. _____________________________________
Richard N. Baldwin T., a HispanicVista.com (http://www.hispanicvista.com/)
contributing columnist, lives in Tlalnepantla, Edo de México. E-mail at:
R1041643422@aol.com
By
Richard N. Baldwin T. /HispanicVista.com