For years, those who faced Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador they sought to find the square to the circle and discover the antidote for their narrative. They left from “It is a danger to Mexico” to criticize him for putting eses to words that did not have them, or removing consonants from names like when he talked about his friend “Trum”. Once in the Presidencywhat they found is that no matter what they said to him, his popularity remained stable with an average national level of agreement of six out of 10 Mexicans, extraordinary for more than four and a half years of attrition in the can.
There were those, like Alejandro Morenothey said that when he became the national leader of the PRI, would perform a morning counter, but aborted before starting. To have a long tongue you needed a short tail, or as in the case of Lopez Obrador, having built an image of incorruptible and honest for decades, so that when they exhibited their environment in cochupos and illegalities, their word was enough to nullify negative perceptions. Criticizing him for his way of speaking was foolish. How could they diminish their image when there are so many millions of mexicans who speak like him?
The conclusion seemed Mexican manifest destiny: to neutralize the pejeneeded a anti-peje. There was nobody in the landscape because nobody had discovered it, until just over two weeks ago, unexpectedly and obviously without calculating it, Lopez Obrador had an epiphany. Mounted on his morning coat, He closed the door of the National Palace to Xochitl Galvezthe PAN senator that obtained legal protection to demand the right of reply in the same place and forum where the president had defamed her.
From one day to the next, he became the rockstar of electoral politics of the moment. How long will it last at the peak of popularity of those who disagree with Lopez Obrador no one knows but if he maintains his same line of attack against herit is guaranteed that will grow to the extent of political harassment. Clear. To dance tango you need two. So, if before the punishment Galvez it grows, the anti-peje that so many dreamed of will have been born and that no one imagined that she was in front of everyone, waiting for them to discover her.
This is the case with leadership; They arise at a time determined by circumstances. lech walesaan electrical technician, became a polish resistance icon when his destiny seemed much shorter, until in a strike at the shipyard of Gdańskclimbed over the wall to address unionists and connected with people, becoming instant leader. The same happened with Eden Pastorhe Commander Zerowho entered the emergency as the military commander of the assault sandinista to the Assembly in Managuaand although the political negotiation was carried out by a commander, her personality captivated the world in the blink of an eye and became the face of the Revolution.
Those episodes can be seen by the time line that allows us to analyze the moment, which does not happen with Galvez. But at the same time, it has what those did not have: Lopez Obrador identified her as his enemy and raised the terms in which he wants to face it. However the president it’s been so hostile and rhetorically violent against heras have also been his political and ideological advisers who express themselves in the media, who managed in these two weeks of skirmishes to erase his poppers from the landscape, struggling daily with Galvez, which came out in response. The senator reminds of Lopez Obrador when he headed the social left, which responded quickly to systematic attacks and earned political points every day.
Galvez it is an anti-peje. Unlike him, she was born in a humble cradle and she had to work since she was a child to be able to eatwithout anyone helping his family, as did the businessman Diego Rosique, the governor of Tabasco, Manuel Mora, with his mother Manuelita and the children Lopez Obrador. Gálvez did not have a godfather, while López Obrador did, Payambé López Falconi, father of Adán Augusto López, who introduced him to politics. TO Lopez Obrador politicians wrapped him up PRI to grow; Gálvez was introduced to politics by a head-hunter who recommended her to the president vincent fox. Even in symbols it challenges him: in front of the Tsuru used by López Obrador, Galvez she goes to her appointments -where the press is waiting for her- cycling.
The door to fight for presidential candidacy he opened it Lopez Obradorwho picked the lock that was protecting the status quo candidate, santiago creel, and daily he is in charge of giving one more nut to the bolt so that it does not come out. Paradoxically, Creel would be the ideal candidate for Morena, because of his profile, because of his past, because of his lack of courage and slow reflexes. Of the rest of potential rivals for whoever champions Brunette and fight him in the presidential campaign, Lopez Obrador nor does it take care
Galvez fills his imaginary, and has developed a strategy to derail it that is not crude as what he tried fox, and resembles the one used by George Bush in 2004 when he ran against Democrat John Kerry, designed to strip him of the positive image he had acquired during the primaries. Bush painted him as indecisive and lacking in conviction; López Obrador wants to mark Gálvez as the product of a finger. Bush urgently needed to overturn Kerry before voters began to take an interest in the presidential campaign; López Obrador is doing the same.
Bush succeeded and won the White House. Still It is not possible to know if López Obrador will be able to annul Gálvez. The big difference, however, is that Bush was the one vying for the Presidency, and López Obrador cannot be re-elected, but by trying to undermine the senator, he hits her popper. The paradox, at least for now, is that the opposition can grow and the morenistas collapse.
twitter: @rivapa
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