Almost three years ahead of the 2012 contest, any poll on possible presidential contenders is likely to reflect principally name recognition rather than any clear intended vote among the electorate. Not unsurprisingly given his excessive promotion in media, governor Enrique Peña Nieto is ahead with just above 50 percent, according to a poll by Gabinete de Comunicación Estratégica.
What is more notable is the low party identification among the electorate. PRD, for one, has a vote intention of only 10 percent in Michoacán, 11.8 in Baja California Sur, and 14 percent in Guerrero, states it currently governs. More disturbingly, in its bastion Mexico City, PRD's vote intention - regardless of candidate - is only 10 percent.
Notably, within the 31 states and federal district, the percentage of people who do not identify directly with a party ranges form to to 49 percent.
A poll is a poll is a poll. Yet it is likely to throw more fuel to the fire for those within the PRD and the left in general who are advocating a "citizen candidate" not directly affiliated with a party. Here, Juan Ramón de la Fuente and even José Woldenberg stand out as clear alternatives.
