Embarrassing picture of the day: Why AMLO's anti-alliance stance on "principles" ring hollow

That's the front cover Proceso magazine, March 7, 1999. "López Obrador: If in any primary Fox would win, I would vote for him." It refers to the talks between PAN and PRD to present a common presidential candidate ahead of 2000. AMLO, then PRD president, was clearly quite positive to the idea, which obviously undermines his and his backers' argument that their opposition to any PRD-PAN state alliances today are particularly principled.

Well, one might respond, this was about the  2000 election, where the opposition wanted to end a 71-year old rule of the PRI - surely this is different than today's situation? Yes, that's correct - but in that 1) we are not talking of the national level, but on a state-level alliance, and 2) in Mexico State, the pro-alliance forces within the two parties want to end what is now an uninterrupted 82-year long reign of the PRI, which in this state has used any means at its disposal to cling to power, and will almost inevitably succeed again in doing so if the PRD-PAN alliance fails.

There are many valid arguments, and many less so, why AMLO and his backers oppose a PRD-PAN alliance. But principled their opposition is not.