Mexico's AMLO is no Donald Trump

By Jeralyn, Section Colorado News
Posted on Sun Jul 01, 2018 at 12:36:33 PM EST
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I wish the media would stop comparing Mexico's presumed next President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, to Donald Trump.

López Obrador could not be more different than Donald Trump. He's been a "leftist" all his life. His beef is with official corruption and the "power mafia" in politics, and poverty.

He does not want to escalate the war on drugs. End the corruption and poverty and you will end the violence. He is open to considering legalizing drugs and amnesty for traffickers. [More..]

He wrote a book, called "Oye, Trump" ("Listen Up, Trump") blasting Trump's planned border wall and his intention to persecute migrant workers.

He won't live in Mexico's presidential mansion. He disdains the wealthy. You'd never hear him say, "I'm richer than them, I have the best apartment."

He lives in a lower-middle-class neighbourhood in Mexico City and if he wins on Sunday, has promised to turn Los Pinos, the palatial Presidential residence, into a public park dedicated to popular arts and culture.

Most importantly, he won't be Trump's doormat, like many think outgoing President Peña Nieto has been.

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Mexico's AMLO is no Donald Trump | 28 comments (28 topical)

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A populist is a populist. (none / 0) (#1)
by thomas rogan on Sun Jul 01, 2018 at 07:46:13 PM EST

And if he doesn't believe in border walls then perhaps Mexico will let the Central Americans stay there instead of making them take a dangerous journey of hundreds of miles. Mexico has a stricter immigration policy than the US does, and it will under Lopez-Abrador as well.

This election is about Mexico, and not about us. (5.00 / 1) (#10)
by Donald from Hawaii on Mon Jul 02, 2018 at 05:17:48 AM EST

thomas rogan: "And if he doesn't believe in border walls then perhaps Mexico will let the Central Americans stay there ..."

And next time, spell his name right; it's Andrés Manuel López Obrador. He was a very popular and pragmatic Mayor of Mexico City, one of the largest cities in the world. His constituents thought he did a great job, because he left office with an 84% approval rating, despite a serious attempt by then-Attorney General Rafael Macedo de la Concha to oust him from power.

It looks like López Obrador will have a clear mandate to govern. His MORENA party also won at least five of the nine state gubernatorial races that were on today's ballot, and they're ahead in the other four. And he'll likely enjoy a decisive majority in Congress.

Mexicans are sick and tired of the violence and corruption afflicting their country. The asymmetrical guerrilla / cartel conflict known as the "Drug War" has cost nearly 250,000 dead since it was launched by the federal government in 2006. With the decisive repudiation of PRI and PAN by voters across the board, today's national elections represent a watershed moment in Mexican political history.

Aloha.


: Let's hope (none / 0) (#13)
by linea on Mon Jul 02, 2018 at 08:44:06 PM EST

Something can be done about the lawlessness.
The US State Department has issued Level 4: Do Not Travel warnings for several Mexican states (including the city of Acapulco).

Violent crime, such as murder, armed robbery, carjacking, kidnapping, extortion, and sexual assault, is common. Gang activity, including gun battles, is widespread.

That's not accurate (none / 0) (#3)
by linea on Sun Jul 01, 2018 at 09:21:37 PM EST

There is a difference between left-populist and right populist. Also, specific populist issues vary and are usually nation-specific. Donald Trump is typically described as American Conservative-Populist while Senator Bernie Sanders has been described as Liberal-Populist.


Mexico did not (none / 0) (#9)
by MKS on Sun Jul 01, 2018 at 10:51:04 PM EST

did not inflict the damage on Central America that the U.S. did.


Live updates (none / 0) (#2)
by CaptHowdy on Sun Jul 01, 2018 at 07:54:07 PM EST

teleSUR

8:13 PM
Jose Antonio Meade, presidential candidate for the ruling Revolutionary Institutional Party (PRI), said the exit poll's tendencies are not in his favor and concedes defeat

Looks like we have a wiener (none / 0) (#4)
by CaptHowdy on Sun Jul 01, 2018 at 09:52:34 PM EST

8:45 PM

Two hours before the fast count is published, all other presidential candidates conceded and recognized AMLO's overwhealming lead. He will be the next president of Mexico for the next six years starting December 1.

: LATimes (none / 0) (#5)
by CaptHowdy on Sun Jul 01, 2018 at 09:57:09 PM EST

Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador wins the Mexico presidential election as his competitors concede based on exit polls giving him a landslide victory

My only concern is, does this AMLO (none / 0) (#6)
by Chuck0 on Sun Jul 01, 2018 at 10:08:17 PM EST

have the cojones to not give in to any where Bone Spurs is concerned. Does he have the cojones to poke Bone Spurs in the eye and spit in his face? Figuratively speaking. But my heart won't be broken if he really did poke him in the eye ala the 3 stooges.

My only concern is, does this AMLO (none / 0) (#7)
by Chuck0 on Sun Jul 01, 2018 at 10:09:03 PM EST

Trump tweeted (none / 0) (#8)
by CaptHowdy on Sun Jul 01, 2018 at 10:25:34 PM EST

Very cordial congratulations. It will be interesting to see. He basically ran against Trump it sounds like.


: See my post below (none / 0) (#12)
by ragebot on Mon Jul 02, 2018 at 06:28:19 PM EST

MOLA ran against the establishment and it is easy to say his major policy was to drain the swamp; woops I should have said get rid of corruption in government.
I was not aware that there was a little bit of history between MOLA and Trump. When they met Trump said this guy will be president and MOLA said he remembered it.

Interesting blurb from the (none / 0) (#11)
by ragebot on Mon Jul 02, 2018 at 06:25:54 PM EST

Hill

López Obrador's personal style contrasts sharply with Peña Nieto's -- and often closely resembles Trump's.
The Mexican leader is prone to long-winded answers and vague policy prescriptions, including his core campaign call to eradicate corruption in Mexico. Asked multiple times during the campaign for specifics on his anti-corruption policy, López Obrador repeatedly said he would end corruption leading by example.

One thing I saw on a business forum was that MOLA wants to raise the hourly wage of Mexicans working car factories to $US16/hr. Something Trump was also in favor of since it would reduce the attraction of US car makers to locate plants in Mexico.

There has been lots of analysis about how Trump and Sanders both attracted voters who viewed the establishment as not helping things; something it seems MOLA's supporters agree with.

It will be interesting to see how this works out. Trump had met MOLA when he was the mayor in Mexico City and said someday this guy will be president of Mexico; something MOLA said he remembered. I was not aware that the two had met before and seemed to hit it off.

Gotta say I don't agree with Jeralyn. My take is that Trump and MOLA have a lot in common in wanting to shake things up.

AMLO (5.00 / 2) (#15)
by Ga6thDem on Tue Jul 03, 2018 at 05:41:55 AM EST

ran against Trump. So I'm not seeing what you're saying. Seems like you are cherry picking things in an attempt to make it seem like this was a "win" for Trump when it really was a loss.


What I am saying is a rehash of (none / 0) (#16)
by ragebot on Tue Jul 03, 2018 at 05:13:26 PM EST

The Hill's analysis of two pols who are long on promises and short on specifics. Additionally it was a rewording of a quotation at The Hill that both seemed to hit it off when the met; and seemed to be getting along after the election. Not sure I ever said it was a win for Trump; rather that both seem to agree on some issues and both said they would be able to work together. I have no idea if it will work out; but would rather see a start like this than them start off fighting.


I would (none / 0) (#17)
by Ga6thDem on Tue Jul 03, 2018 at 05:23:56 PM EST

watch this which shows that he ran against Trump and that's the reason he won. All the insults Trump hurled at Mexico they heard and AMLO used Trump's statements to his advantage and his main campaign theme was he was going to stand up to Trump whereas EPN was too concilatory to Trump. I would imagine this is going to play out all over the world where Trump is going to be the main fall guy for politicians all over the world.


Most of the analysis (1.67 / 3) (#20)
by ragebot on Wed Jul 04, 2018 at 12:34:31 PM EST

I have respect for has repeated endlessly the claim that you should not pay attention to what Trump says; rather pay attention to what he does. I have not seen anyone doubt Trump has reshaped the federal courts and may well get more than two SC appointments; same goes for elimination a huge number of federal regulations. Yet if you listen to what Trump says you might well think his main interest is dissing Maxine Waters' IQ and claiming Robert de Niro is punch drunk. No one really thinks de Niro took any punches making movies but it sure has resulted in a huge number of zeroes and ones on the internet.

I would think by now most of the folks here would have realized you can't believe what pols say; especially campaign promises like 'if you like your doctor you can keep your doctor'.


Do not pay attention to what Trump (5.00 / 2) (#29)
by MKS on Fri Jul 06, 2018 at 01:51:46 PM EST

says but only what he does????

Yes, I have heard that glib excuse before.

Basically an admission that Tr*mp lies all the time, and that is okay.


And how are any of these specific (none / 0) (#21)
by jondee on Wed Jul 04, 2018 at 03:34:32 PM EST

appointments like anything an Obrador ever think of doing? Seeing as how he and Trump "have a lot in common."

Another big thing Trump Did do was pledge a loyalty oath to the GOP conservative establishment to "shake things up" by running with Mike Pence and by appointing other conservative holy rollers like Scott Pruitt to important administrative positions.

That's a significant road-less-traveled that I doubt would ever occur to Obrador. Even in his wildest dreams.


: "Shake things up" (none / 0) (#22)
by jondee on Wed Jul 04, 2018 at 03:51:32 PM EST

"populism"..Seemed to hit it off..two arms..two legs..
What are all the other significant things Obrador and Trump have in common?

People (none / 0) (#23)
by Ga6thDem on Wed Jul 04, 2018 at 04:38:49 PM EST

are paying attention to what he does like ordering families torn apart. As far as the courts, that is not going to last. You can't have a court that operates on the strict basis of restricting or reducing rights that 2/3 of the general public supports. It will cause a ton of social unrest in this country.

And today it is announced that he is going to attempt to strip American citizens of their citizenship, people who were immigrants and became citizens. We see the un-American stuff that he does all the time.

Minority rule never goes over well in a democracy and you seem to think that is a good idea.


Who in the hell is "MOLA"? (none / 0) (#14)
by Donald from Hawaii on Mon Jul 02, 2018 at 09:21:44 PM EST

Seriously, if you guys on the right are going to comment about Mexican President-elect Andrés Manuel López Obrador, aka "AMLO," at least have the decency to spell his name correctly. Because if you can't even be bothered to do that, I'm really hard-pressed to see how you'll bother to get much else right about him.


I don't believe I agree (none / 0) (#18)
by linea on Tue Jul 03, 2018 at 10:09:38 PM EST

I had not head this and do not know if this is accurate. But I certainly support an increase in labour wage in Mexico.

I don't believe `anti-establishment' is the correct way to describe Populist political movements and as I previously mentioned, liberal-populism and conservative-populism are different though they may intersect on specific points (typically, anti-libertarianism) though this varies by nation.


Time will tell (none / 0) (#19)
by ragebot on Wed Jul 04, 2018 at 12:24:29 PM EST

how big the intersection is. The wage increase is only a small part of what I will call anti-multinationalism both AMLO and Trump seem to agree on. Not saying there are not significant differences, but sometimes those differences result in the same policies. Both Trump and AMLO seem to agree that NAFTA as it exists not needs to change, most likely for different reasons. Business news seems to indicate they also agree on foreign investment in Mexico, again most likely for different reasons. Much has been made of Trump's relationship with Putin. My take is that this is in part because both Trump and Putin are use to being the alpha male in the room (something that results in a grudging kinship), something I think AMLO also views him self as.

If alpha males think short term gains can be accomplished by making an ally of another alpha male they will do it. The question I have is just how long that short term alliance will last.


: You have no idea what you're talking about. (5.00 / 2) (#24)
by Donald from Hawaii on Wed Jul 04, 2018 at 05:31:02 PM EST

The two men could not possibly be any more opposite politically, philosophically and spiritually.
Trump is a self-absorbed hedonist and unabashed racist. AMLO is not.
Trump's self-styled populism is merely a political flag of convenience; once it ceases to serve any useful purpose for him, he'll chuck it aside faster that a curveball from Clayton Kershaw. AMLO's populism is rooted firmly in his genuine concern for the plight of the poor and oppressed.
It's quite obvious that you know little or nothing about the problems afflicting Mexico, never mind your own country. So, educate yourself accordingly, and stop playing Little Sir Echo here for Fox News, because others who post at TL are not sincerely ignorant and conscientiously stupid, like the denizens of Hannity Nation.
Aloha.

Mexico's President-elect (none / 0) (#25)
by ragebot on Fri Jul 06, 2018 at 12:02:15 AM EST

Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Thursday he would invite U.S. President Donald Trump to his Dec. 1 inauguration


: Along with (5.00 / 1) (#27)
by Ga6thDem on Fri Jul 06, 2018 at 07:47:46 AM EST

everybody else. He's just not singling Trump out for exclusion but I seriously doubt Trump is going to go. After all it's not Kim Jung or Putin.

SITE VIOLATOR (none / 0) (#31)
by CaptHowdy on Tue Jul 10, 2018 at 08:23:13 AM EST