Calderon confirmed as president elect of Mexico

Mexico’s Federal Electoral Tribunal confirmed Felipe Calderon as president-elect about two months after elections took place. The Tribunal ruled that Calderon (image via ABC News) was the winner by slightly over 0.5% and its decision cannot be appealed. As part of its ruling, the Tribunal rejected claims by candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO) that Calderon ran a “dirty campaign” though the court did blast President Vicente Fox for putting “the election at risk” through his comments during the campaign period.

So how have bloggers reacted to the news? Here’s a small sample:

• Conservative blogger Jay Reding blames AMLO for putting Mexico in a “state of virtual civil war.”
• Daily Kos points out the different viewpoints people have of protestors supporting AMLO such as derision, fear, and optimism.
• CorrenteWire makes the inevitable comparisons between Mexico’s political snafu and the previous 2 U.S. presidential elections.
• Is the Mexican political left “cursed”? Hmmm?
• Ana Maria Salazar wonders if Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas, another leftist who lost the presidency, will step up and take a more public role.
• Blogcritics.org looks at the aftermath of the Tribunal’s court ruling, while Madam Mayo links into author Enrique Krauze’s analysis of what could happen in the near future.
• VivirLatino notes how the Bush Administration is pleased that Calderon will be Mexico’s next president.

Mexico, Bush administration, international politics, blogs