'El Bronco' bucks old order, rides hopeful wave in Mexican elections
| Mexico City
Mexican politician Jaime Rodr铆guez Calder贸n, aka 鈥淓l Bronco,鈥� trampled his opponents in the northern state of Nuevo Leon in midterm elections this weekend, becoming the nation鈥檚 first-ever independent to become governor.
His photo 鈥� with hands and cowboy hat held high in victory 鈥� is splashed across the front pages of national newspapers today with headlines like 鈥淓l Bronco commands,鈥� and 鈥淎n example for Mexico.鈥�
The historic win by the straight-talking candidate underscores a sense of growing discontent with politics as usual here, and could signal bigger changes to come as politicians look toward 2018 presidential elections.
This sends a 鈥渃lear message that the population has had enough of traditional politics,鈥� says R谩ul Guillermo Ben铆tez Manaut, a political analyst and professor at the National Autonomous University of Mexico.
鈥淓l Bronco's victory will likely provoke a national political change, clearing the way for more independents in the future鈥� and leading top parties to reevaluate how they govern, Mr. Manaut says. This was the first election where candidates without party backing could run for office in every state, but they faced plenty of hurdles like campaign financing and access to TV and radio advertising.
Political scandals have rocked Mexico at all levels of the government over the past year: from corruption scandals related to home purchases by the first lady and the finance minister to the disappearance of 43 teacher鈥檚 college students that allegedly involved a local mayor, police officers, and members of a criminal gang. and of Mexicans say they don鈥檛 trust political parties here, according to two recent surveys.
鈥淲ho won yesterday鈥檚 election?鈥� asked columnist F. Bartolom茅 in leading daily Reforma. It was 鈥渃hange,鈥� he writes.
鈥淭housands of citizens raised their voices to demand through the ballot box something different: a different approach, an alternative proposal.鈥�
'I need you to help me do this work'
Mr. Rodriguez defeated the ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) with a tally of nearly 50 percent of the vote in Sunday鈥檚 election. The PRI, which has controlled the economically powerful northern state of Nuevo Le贸n for 80 of the past 86 years, won 23 percent of the vote.聽Voter turnout in Nuevo Le贸n 鈥� much higher than the national average of 46 percent 鈥� an indication that when given an alternative option, citizens will participate, observers say.
The only choice established parties have in responding to this message of citizen discontent is to 鈥済overn well and without corruption,鈥� Manaut says. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 see any other option.鈥�
Despite the high levels of hope and opportunity around what El Bronco鈥檚 win can mean for the future of politics in Mexico, there鈥檚 also a lot at stake.
鈥淗e must reconcile with local congressmen, or else Nuevo Leon will live in chaos, and the illusion of the possibility of independent presidential candidates will go to hell,鈥� wrote columnist Juan Pablo Becerra-Acosta in the daily Milenio.
Rodriguez acknowledged this after his win, calling for citizen participation in his six-year administration, which begins in October. "The government can't be Santa Claus or Superman. I need you to help me do this work," he said.
Supporters offered congratulations to El Bronco on his Facebook and Twitter accounts 鈥� pivotal to his social-media driven campaign strategy 鈥� but many came with words of warning.
鈥淣ow comes the hardest part,鈥� wrote a Facebook fan who goes by the name of Manuel Mtzz. 鈥淭he whole country is watching鈥ur expectations as citizens are very high,鈥� he wrote this morning.
鈥淚 hope you don鈥檛 disappoint us.鈥�
