Calderón recognizes electoral defeat

No, not Felipe, but his sister, who put up a charade claiming against all evidence that she was the winner of the Michoacán gubernatorial race, finally conceded.

Many municipal results are down to a handful of votes in differences, so final results still not clear.

Dignified response from PRD to fake debates

In response to the suggestion from AMLO - a bad joke if that is what it was, or an asinine proposal if it was real, as it seems it was, that the parties behind his candidacy simply present their party presidents as "fake" candidates so that AMLO will get the added allotted media time by the Mexican state for pre-candidacies, PRD president Jesús Zambrano answered, “It should be clear that I am the national president of the PRD" - meaning, unlike the PT president who immediately jumped on the proposal, Zambrano will not stoop to this low, and neither will the PRD. It was a dignified response.

Mexico's New No.2:

As is often noted, given that Mexico does not have a vice president, the equivalent "no. 2" has often been the interior secretary. Following the recent death of José Francisco Blake Mora, it was announced yesterday that new Secretario de Gobernación will be Alejandro Poiré Romero - the fifth of the sexenio.

Notably, Poiré has only served two months or so as head of CISEN, the federal intelligence agency. That should tell you something of what, not unexpected, the priorities are for the new secretary.

On the other hand, he is also a pretty well-respected political scientist, and knows a lot about elections matters and parties. That will come handy as well. 

Candiacies are crystallizing: Manlio Fabio Beltrones to decline from seeking candidacy

The usually very well-informed Carlos Loret de Mola writes that Manlio Fabio Beltrones is to step down from the contest to get the PRI's candidacy for president in 2012.

Significant news - and, it seems to me, a direct result of, when all is said and done, the left defying all expectations by being the first party to choose its de facto presidential nominee - Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) - without any fissures or scandals. I think that shocked quite a few of the political establishment, especially since AMLO seem to be gaining a surprising amount of momentum.

The rather hurried decision of Beltrones to step down to leave the path for Enrique Peña Nieto could be a measure of just that.

AMLO: I want to be the Mexican Lula

AMLO dixit:

I want to be the Mexican,Lula but with my own characteristics. If they had not done the fraud against us, the example to follow would not be Lula, it would be Mexico. The country would not be like it is, I assure you that. until there is a change we will not find the exit. They have shut down, they have maintained an outdated regime, they don't want any changes done to those who are already going great, the monopoly of power.

Marcelo Ebrard on his future plans

From Milenio:

I have not retired from anything, I continue as head of the government of the city, I continue my political career and I'm thinking ahead, I always think about the future, not just tomorrow but what will happen in 10 or 20 years.

Whatzatspell? I'd love to have listened in on the AMLO-Ebrard conversations, but something is telling me the year 2018 came up.

Two very recommended reads on AMLO as the left´s 2012 candidate

Two very recommended comments on Marcelo Ebrard's full acceptance of the results of the polls won by AMLO to be the left's candidate - and the way forward for the Mexican left.

* Jesús Ortega's  commentary
* Agustín Basave's commentary