So Mexico, I watched your election results come in last night and it looks as though you've probably elected Felipe Calderon as your next president. This seems pretty damned stupid to me, but that's just me, and I'm an outsider. Nevertheless, I can totally get where you're coming from on this, because I'm the same way...
You're still kinda new to this whole "functional democracy" thing, so you're still feeling it out, trying to figure out what to expect out of the process. I'm young, haven't been out on my own too much, haven't head many "real" jobs or dealt with all that many "real" world issues. Like you, I feel as though I'm perfectly capable of handling all of this, but I'm worried about making rookie mistakes- reaching too far, expecting too much, making decisions too rashly, sacrificing stability for what might be the next best thing. When something doesn't feel right, I always think to myself "well, I dunno...maybe that's just how it works and I didn't know until now" but seriously, this is a bit much don't you think?
I suppose maybe I'm not one to talk since I still struggle with all of this myself. It took me almost a year and a half of putting up with all sorts of craziness to find a decent place to live. I'm in a dead end job that isn't even remotely in my field, but I'm not really looking cause health insurance is a nice safety net. And, while I'm quite happy about it, I've basically stuck with the first girl that came along and didn't get bored with me. So yeah, I'm not the picture of radical change or anything. But I'm tellin ya, settling for "it probably won't be worse" is NOT the way to run a country. This would be like deciding to quit my job for another dead-end job outside of my field. It's different, but it's still the same. And remember, the "probably not worse" candidate almost ALWAYS is worse. I've seen it more than once, just trust me.
Furthermore, you're constitutionally obligated to get rid of the guy after six years. Let me hit that point again: you HAVE to. If I was required to switch jobs on a regular basis, and was choosing with "not worse" and "could be great" I'm totally choosing the latter. Wouldn't you? If you vote for someone because he probably won't make things worse, you're just locking yourself into making the same choice six years from now. Are you just waiting for someone to surprise you and be better than "not worse?" If so, you're gonna have a long wait. And, once you find him, he can't stay.
Here's another tip: If a candidate spends most of their time and energy talking about the other guy instead of themselves, it's probably because they've got nothing going on themselves. My last roommate, when I first met him, talked only about his past roommates. Talked about what he didn't like about them and whatnot. Talked a bit about me, but mostly about them. Didn't talk about himself, didn't really respond when I tried to steer the conversation that direction. I took the place cause I needed a place, but also because nothing bad came up. Turns out, he was a complete nutcase, but I didn't know cause he didn't talk about himself. He just kept reminding me that "other roommates" are crazy. It was effective, and I learned my lesson. I offer that lesson to you now. Insist that you know about what you're choosing, not just about what you're not choosing. Just think about it a little bit. If this guy knew how to fix the country, don't you think he would say so? You may think that AMLO's policies were gonna be trouble, but all you'd have to do is grab a microphone and say so and then POOF- you're Calderon. Maybe that's a little harsh, maybe not. But always ALWAYS trust the guy who'd rather talk about his own ideas when it comes to politics. It's the sign of substance that is hardest to fake.
Look, I'm sympathetic, believe me. You've just gotten out of a long, terrible political situation. You're afraid of too much too fast because you're not sure the country can handle it. You don't want to make a bold choice and have it fail because you know what might happen as a result. Most likely, since you're alive, you've noticed that governments in Latin America are about as stable as Patrick Bateman in American Psycho. You don't want to rock the boat too much because the consequences could be anarchic. But is this really all you want out of life? I promise, it's not all you deserve out of life.
And now, here's the rub- you'd make more money with less poor people. Half of Mexicans live in poverty. Half! Imagine it- if they got a break or two, from the government or otherwise- 50 million people to buy what you're selling. Is PAN gonna pull that one off? I doubt it, because the entire platform is "don't screw up." If you're scared of losing, you'll never win. Politics, and life, is like futbol. You can't win without an offense. You have to attack and take your shots. If you miss, just remember to get back on D.
Mexico, I get you. We're the same, you and me. But I have the luxury of seeing it all from the outside and trust me- the next chance you get, take it.