What the Hell Is Wrong With Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador?

Of all the irresponsible, dangerous bullshit...well just read

Lopez Obrador's "Legitimate Government"

Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, convinced he won't be awarded the presidency, has vowed to create a parallel leftist government and is urging Mexicans not to recognize the apparent victory of the ruling party's Felipe Calderon.

While his party lacks the seats in Congress to block legislation, Lopez Obrador can mobilize millions to pressure his conservative rival to adopt the left's agenda or to clamp down and risk a backlash.

Both scenarios are possibilities as the former Mexico City mayor lays out plans to create his own government to rule from the streets, with the support of thousands who are already occupying protest camps throughout downtown Mexico City.

Some predict his parallel initiative which Lopez Obrador's supporters call the "legitimate government" could turn those protest camps into the core of a violent revolt, especially if the government tries to shut it down.

Such violence broke out in the southern city of Oaxaca after Gov. Ulises Ruiz sent police to evict striking teachers. Outraged citizens' groups joined the protests, setting fire to buildings and public buses, seizing radio and TV stations and forcing the closure of businesses in a city known throughout the world as a quaint tourist destination.

"Everything we do, from property taxes to permits to natural resources, will go through the 'legitimate government,'" said Severina Martinez, a school teacher from Oaxaca camped out in a tent in Mexico City's main Zocalo plaza. "We won't have anything to do with the official government."(...)

Lopez Obrador is encouraging his followers to disobey Calderon, whose 240,000-vote advantage was confirmed Monday by the country's top electoral court.(...)

Oh, this is not looking pretty. Sure they say it will be peacefull but how long before the clashes begin with Mexican police? The government of Mexico certainly should not be expected to simply allow the existence of a parallel government, it would be disaster.

Its a very delicate and precarious situation because, all assurances aside, if they do go through with it, IT WILL PROVOKE A RESPONSE EVENTUALLY by a Mexican government who will see its sovereignty, and legitimacy threatened by the mere existence of this "legitimate government" of Obrador. Some response will occur, and when that happens its very possible that it will provoke PRD supporters to violence, a scenario that spells trouble for Mexico.

Hopefully it can be sorted out with words before that happens (or at least before the crackdown begins), or that Obrador will be persuaded to forget about the alternative government. Or lets hope that, when push comes to shove, when the moment of truth arrives, that even most of Obrador's followers will not listen to Obrador but continue to recognize the official government of Mexico as the real government. Who knows?

Lopez Obrador and the PRD need to stop acting like the damn sore losers that they are. They got their chance to contest their elections, by the laws that govern such things in Mexico.
Obrador demanded a full recount because of accusations (no doubt some true) of elections tampering.

The problem is: The law does not allow for a full recound, only recounts of boxes where there is actual suspicion of tampering...Or is that only in precinct where tampering is claimed?
Well, in any case, the law is clear: No Full Recount. That is the law. You cannot go outside the law because you do not like the result. [An interesting note: Both sides lost votes due to vote tampering, apparently PRD does its share too. Even with that, these have been some of the cleanest elections in Mexico]

Lopez Obrador's demands for recounts outside the bounds of the law, his encouragement of the civil disturbance to support his illegal demand, and recently his idea to declare his own parallel government (again, outside the law) point us to a very distrubing trend in Obrador.

He has little regard for the rule of law, or of the laws themselves. If he thinks it helps him or if he wants to do something, it seems apparent that he cares very little if the law stands in his way. A respect for the rule of law is essential for any leader of a democracy and highlights some very disturbing tendencies in Obrador.

All one has to do is look at our own president, with his NSA warantless wiretapping program (outside the law), with his Presidential Signing Statements to overide the will of Congress contra the Constitution etc..., to see the danger of what a leader who does not respect the rule of law means when the leader of a nation.