Polls for Mexico City 2012 mayor

El Universal's poll for Mexico City mayor 2012 is out; the direct link to a high-res PDF is here.

So many names, so many combinations - and hell, the official campaign season is not already on. But the rub, to me at least: PRD still ahead in party preference, but with Beatriz Paredes Rangel as PRI's candidate, PRI leads Mexico City - this is an absolute first. I'll be an optimist and attribute that principally to name recognition.

The Mexican Congress: data, data, and data

If you're interested in the Mexican congress, here is neat little report from Integralia, the new consulting company of ex IFE head Luis Carlos Ugalde.

It includes data such as attendance, party unity in votes, initiatives, etc.  Direct PDF

One fun fact: guess the least productive legislator, with only six (!) percent attendance in congressional votes?

Josefina Vázquez Mota.
Gee, wonder what's been keeping her so busy.

Alejandra Barrales, for the nth time, says she wants to be mayor of Mexico City

Alejandra Barrales, apparently to the chagrin of Marcelo Ebrard, just the occasion of her second informe of her activities to express for the umpteenth time her "aspiration" to be mayor. Yes, we know - she has been expressing this for a long time. In my opinion, a far better, and much more qualified, candidate is Senator Carlos Navarrete. I'd love to see another woman as mayor (though certainly not another Rosario Robles), but I really don't see Barrales having done a whole lot that warrants her candidacy.

So when is Cordero declining? Josefina Vázquez Mota's big lead

Interesting figures on the candidates for PAN's 2012 presidential candidacy: Josefina Vázquez Mota surges ahead with 30.2 percent among all voters, and 39.4 among identified PAN voters. That is slightly ahead of Santiago Creel in the general demographic, but 9 points ahead among the PAN faithful - and poor Cordero is down on around 8.5 on both dimensions

The biggest plus, though: She is on the rise, and still is quite a bit less known than Creel, suggesting much potential to grow.

Señora presidenta?
(as it were, three of my students, Mexican nationals, all tend to think so, though they also very much like Ebrard...)

Ebrard: No to pact with criminals

Q: Is it worth making pacts with the criminals, like as proposed by Vicente Fox, or is wrong?

Marcelo Ebrard: Of course he is wrong; it would be like throwing in the towel, right? I think it is a wrong statement

Oh, god.

From Milenio, an interview with Gregorio "Greg" Sánchez

"During my stay at the maximum security prison I wrote more than 125 praises to Almighty God, I decided to record a christian album with 15 songs and it is already in the hands of producers and we tust in God that is finished and ready in December in order to be launched in the international market in January 2012. All songs are taken from the Bible, because  even if I lived for a thousand years it would be enough to exalt the name of the Lord.

Greg sang a cappella one of those tunes, "You are the Way, the Truth and the Life / Jesus Christ, you were the Resurrection / Jesus Christ my savior / rivers of living water flowing within you, sir, / let me look your face, let me touch your love."

Alonso Lujambio declines - what's next?

It was hardly a surprise that Alonso Lujambio declined to seek the PAN's presidential nomination; the more interesting issue is what he will pursue next: A senate seat? Or even mayor of Mexico City?