Presidental Election in 2011

[vanessa]

I'm unsure if I should post this here or in World Politics, so feel free to move this. I have been trying to educated myself about all the candidates for the election for president in 2011. No, I cannot vote but still would like to know. I know what CFK and Macri are about (somewhat) but not so much about the others. I have been talking to Argentine friends (which like many Argentines I know love to talk politics) but they are all very opinionated (as I am honestly about American politics) and I would like some non-biased views (is that even possible?). Also I don't want to ask questions that would offend anyone, so I been sticking to asking my Argentine friends who have lived in the USA at one point in their life to avoid conflict (I guess I figure they can understand my viewpoint better). Can anyone run down the candidates? My friend told me Duhalde is rumored to be a drug lord. I have no idea and like I said would like some as unbiased as possible viewpoints. I hope this will be a civil conversation.

 

[EdRooney]

"non-biased views"
Boy have you ever come to the wrong place.

The challenge for you will be you have few reliable sources. The unipolar media here (Clarín, TN, La Nación, C5N et al.) are in a knock down drag out fight with the Kirchner Administration to preserve their monopoly, so can't say anything unbiased. The Administration is in a death match with the City Gov't to fend off Macri's presidential aspirations. The monied classes (incl most Argie expats abroad and foreigners living here) are convinced there is a crimewave about to topple their privileged position. And the Left (esp. Partido Obrero) thinks that one of their militants getting killed means the return of 'El Proceso'.

So to summarise:
you can't trust the papers
you can't trust the government
you can't trust what Argentines say
you can' trust what non-Argentines say
and most of all, you can't trust what I say.

Good Luck!

 

[HenryNisental]

Here the situation is simple: the most important social charasterictics of our people are two: envy and the corruption (greed). The Peronist party has a virtual monopoly on this, and that is the reason they have been in power most of the time. The Radical party (who is anything but radical) is a palid version of it, is more like the European Social- democrats, brain-less, cluless, and gutless. I think that the right comparison might be between bank robbers and chicken coop thieves. The leftist parties are just like everywhere: utopian, ineffective, anticuated, failed, pre-historic relics of a philosophy that just committed suicide not long ago around the globe (but not here yet).
If you say you are a conservative you may be lynched in the streets, Austian economists are banned here, besides being virtually unknown.
Regarding this goverment, their social contrat is simple: they let the mobs do what they want as long as the mobs let those in power to do what they really want (steal the country blind). God luck to Argentine politics!!!!

 

[pauper]

"non-biased views"
Boy have you ever come to the wrong place.

The challenge for you will be you have few reliable sources. The unipolar media here (Clarín, TN, La Nación, C5N et al.) are in a knock down drag out fight with the Kirchner Administration to preserve their monopoly, so can't say anything unbiased. The Administration is in a death match with the City Gov't to fend off Macri's presidential aspirations. The monied classes (incl most Argie expats abroad and foreigners living here) are convinced there is a crimewave about to topple their privileged position. And the Left (esp. Partido Obrero) thinks that one of their militants getting killed means the return of 'El Proceso'.

So to summarise:
you can't trust the papers
you can't trust the government
you can't trust what Argentines say
you can' trust what non-Argentines say
and most of all, you can't trust what I say.

Good Luck!

That's actually a surprisingly good first response, expect things to degenerate greatly from here.

 

[pauper]

Alfonsín - drunk
Carrio - loca
Cobos - traitor
Duhalde - mafia
Solanas - '68 comeback
De Narvaez - drug lord
Reutemann - asleep at the wheel

PS - I told you so.

 

[vanessa]

Yeah I suppose I shouldn't have asked but I'm getting such mixed information from everywhere. I guess it's like Fox News vs Huffington Post for example.

I thought what Cobos did was honorable.

 

[Bajo_cero2]

So to summarise:
you can't trust the papers
you can't trust the government
you can't trust what Argentines say
you can' trust what non-Argentines say
and most of all, you can't trust what I say.

You forgot to say:

You can´t trust politicians ever.

 

[syngirl]

Yeah I suppose I shouldn't have asked but I'm getting such mixed information from everywhere. I guess it's like Fox News vs Huffington Post for example.

Lol -- today they published a study (an unnecessary one if you asked me) that confirmed that the longer you watch Fox News -- no matter if you're Democrat or Republican -- you will end up becoming increasingly more and more misinformed.

The only way to tackle the news here is to consume from the largest variety of sources -- remembering that about half the sources are 100% contra CFK and the other half are fully-funded by her government.

 

[vanessa]

I suppose the winner will be whoever buys enough votes.

 

[Bajo_cero2]

The real struggle is between Duhalde and CFK.