Mexico

This week I have been in Mexico with a good friend. I am always relaxed here. The country is in the beginnings of a Presidential campaign that will become real in the next few months (for a July 2006 election). AT the present point there are three candidates - the mayor of Mexico City (the left PRD party) Lopez Obrador, a former Governor of Tobasco (the PRI) candidate Madrazo and a cabinet secretary Creel.

In the 2000 election people used the phrase BASTA - enough! for getting rid of the PRI - but this time the leading candidate seems to be Lopez Obrador. That would be a tragedy for Mexico. He is a demgogue and certainly a bit shady. But he offers what many on the left here have offered a free lunch.

Fox has not been as successful as one would hope. His people were idealistic in their goals but not practical in their politics. The peso has been relatively stable for most of the term.

But we should hope that the voters will think carefully on their options. The ones I know (which is probably not a good sample) will be that.