Exit Polls: Argentine First Lady Wins

[struggle4progress]

Source: Associated Press

Sunday October 28, 2007 11:16 PM
By BILL CORMIER

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) - Several major exit polls suggested that first lady Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner won the presidency Sunday by a large enough margin to avoid a runoff. She would be the first woman in Argentina elected to the post.

Official results were due later Sunday in the race between the heavily favored Fernandez and 13 rivals. Fernandez's husband, President Nestor Kirchner, is credited with Argentina's rebound from a 2001 economic collapse, and much of her support is due to his popularity ...

Five independent television networks and at least one private radio station reported their exit polling indicated Fernandez has easily won a first-round victory. Three of the television networks released their numbers, giving Fernandez between 42 and 46 percent of the vote, with advantages of between 19 and 23 percentage points over Carrio.

But no opposition candidates conceded defeat, and some said there had been unprecedented fraud. A Lavagna spokesman said the candidate would file a judicial complaint about a ``systematic lack of ballots'' marked with his name. Candidate Vilma Ripoll denounced ``ballot stealing.'' ...

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-7031491,00.html

[AlecBGreen]

1. Its a shame people have to be FORCED

"Argentina's 27.1 million registered voters are required by law to cast ballots"

Considering the other forms of government out there, one would think citizens would relish the opportunity to exercise their democratic rights.

[bluestateguy]

2. Australia and Belgium have mandatory voting as well

I don't think anyone would call those countries non-democracies.

I actually rather like mandatory voting laws. At a bare minimum, we should have election day as a national holiday.

[Judi Lynn]

4. More attention to the clowns who take office would help considerably, wouldn't it?

Here's a list of countries with compulsory voting, the two you mentioned among them:

Full list of countries with compulsory voting


Austria
Argentina
Australia
Belgium
Bolivia
Brazil
Chile
Costa Rica
Cyprus
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
Egypt
Fiji
France (senate only)
Gabon
Greece
Guatemala
Honduras
Italy
Liechtenstein

Luxembourg
Mexico
Nauru
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
Singapore
Switzerland (Schaffhausen)
Thailand
Turkey
Uruguay

http://politics.guardian.co.uk/apathy/story/0,,1521096,00.html

[arcos]

8. Our compulsory voting is in name only...

If you don't vote there is no penalty whatsoever, although the Constitution says you have the duty to go to the polls and cast a vote.

[AlecBGreen]

11. national holiday on election days.

Absolutely! I never understood how our country could so vocally proclaim the glories of a democracy yet require its citizens to work a full day when it comes time to cast a vote. :crazy:

[muriel_volestrangler]

12. Meh - you don't need a holiday, just polls that stay open long enough

The UK has polls open from 7am to 10pm - and that's enough for anyone in a remotely normal job. You can get a postal vote if you can't get to your polling station because of a 14 hour shift - you don't have to give a reason for a postal vote these days.

[AlecBGreen]

13. true

its not logistically required but symbolically important I think. If we take a day off to celebrate our veterans (Memorial Day) should we not also take a day off to celebrate that which they fought for?

[Judi Lynn]

5. They could end up with another right-wing dictatorship again, and lose ANOTHER 30,000 people

to political purges.

Argentina has seen almost enough of sadistic a-holes, up close, personal, with former President Kirchner the previous guest of honor of the Kissinger-approved and supported right-wing junta, a prisoner in their torture center.

Argentina has ALSO had its fill of genius Neo-liberal economic policies which plunged Argentina into into absolute chaos until President Kirchner started pulling them back out.

You may wonder how many of the people who found their dark, thick, dirty water, for which they paid 177% MORE than before privatization a real plunge straight into hell, and a filthy gift to them via President Carlos Menem, _Bush family friend, World Bank advocate.

Argentina would prefer its own DEMOCRATIC government, if that is acceptable with nosey, crude thieves and meddling bullies in the U.S. right-wing government who will not butt out of Latin American affairs.

[underpants]

3. We are the only place that doesn't trust the science of exit polls

of course we all know why.

[Judi Lynn]

6. Amen to that!

[arcos]

9. We don't trust exit polls either...

Last time around, the leading candidate was supposed to win by over 20%, but he won by just 1%, and that was after a month-long recount.

You would be surprised to know, that the leading candidate was the one supported by the Bush administration...

[Judi Lynn]

7. Argentina's first lady claims presidency

Monday, October 29, 2007 - Page updated at 01:02 AM
Argentina's first lady claims presidency
By Bill Cormier

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — First lady Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner claimed victory in Argentina's presidential election Sunday, with early results and exit polls suggesting she had avoided a runoff and become the first woman elected to the post.

Fernandez's husband, President Nestor Kirchner, is credited with Argentina's rebound from a 2001 economic collapse, and much of her support is due to his popularity.

She has been compared to U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, who like her is a lawyer and senator who soldiered alongside a husband as he rose from small-state governor to his nation's presidency.

"We have won amply," she proclaimed. "But this, far from putting us in a position of privilege, puts us instead in a position of greater responsibilities and obligations."

More:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2003980483_argentina29.html

:applause: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :applause:

[arcos]

10. Great news!

It was widely expected, but it is still great to receive this great news. :)

[donsu]

14. maybe - is she a beautiful geek? or just a beauty?

will she be a front?

[gula]

16. She has been in politics longer than her husband.

She is a beauty, yes, but definitely no geek.

Would you have made the same statement if she was a man?

Anyway, the couple of times I was in Argentina, the people I talked to liked Kirchner and what he was doing. I wish her all the luck in the world and that she will be able to continue her Peronist politics.

[donsu]

17. do you mean she is not smart? geek = smart

nt

[gula]

19. Geek = Smart. Thank you for telling me that, I

had no idea. I thought it meant a kind of loser. What can I tell you, the world is not yet 100% anglophone. And yes in that case she is a geek.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

15. better yet, she refuses comparisons to Hillary

she prefers to be weighed on her merits.

[donsu]

18. are her merits published somewhere?

nt

[Judi Lynn]

20. Why shouldn't you answer your own question? Only takes a second.

~snip~
Even as she followed her husband from the wind-swept plains of Patagonia to Argentina's presidential palace, she built an impressive — and impressively independent — political career.

Fernandez, 54, boasts that she won her first national election, as senator for Santa Cruz province, when Kirchner was a mere state official (he was the governor). When Kirchner moved into the presidency, she switched her residence, and became a senator for powerful Buenos Aires province.

Fernandez was born into a middle class family, and met Kirchner at law school. She was the perfect student, he was politically astute. They shared bold, brash personalities and center-left ideals to match. They married in 1975 and have two children: Maximo, 30, and Florencia, 16.

The young couple set up an office specializing in property law in the southern city of Rio Gallegos. Kirchner became mayor, then governor. She moved up through local legislatures before running for the national senate.

As senator, Fernandez served as Kirchner's de facto floor leader, driving his legislative agenda through Congress and helping him lobby the courts to prosecute atrocities of the 1976-83 dictatorship. She also became active in causes of her own, especially in defending women's rights.
(snip)

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/10/28/america/LA-POL-Argentina-Fernandez.php