Comments on: Chavez Continues Power Grab

By: Doug Payton

Doug Payton — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 15:40:28 +0000

“Many” is pretty vague and creates a false equivalence. The document you link to says that only 49% of Venezuelans think their elections are “clean” and that 29% know of someone who has been pressured or bribed to vote a certain way. I highly doubt that those percentages would be anywhere near that in the US, so don’t try to hand-wave that away with just saying that people here complain, too.

(And as the last two elections showed, Democrats only complain about voter fraud and Diebold machines when they lose.)

A government that robs from Peter and gives to Paul (after taking it’s substantial cut off the top) is guaranteed the vote of Paul. That’s what’s going on with Chavez’s road to socialism, so short-term satisfaction doesn’t impress me. If the price of oil ever drops again, reducing the largess being used for Paul, those numbers will turn around really quickly.

By: Tom

Tom — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 07:59:05 +0000

The parallel can only really be drawn if you have faith in Venezuelan elections. Following some of the links at the end will give some indications that they’re not entirely on the up-and-up.

Many complaint about US elections as well.

Given the frequent polling and presence of numerous international observers in the Venezuelan elections there seems to be little doubt that Chavez has the support of the majority of Venezuelans.

Also Venezuelans themselves are much more satified with their government and democracy than most other countries in South America.

http://www.latinobarometro.org/uploads/media/2005_02.pdf

By: Doug Payton

Doug Payton — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 18:03:51 +0000

The parallel can only really be drawn if you have faith in Venezuelan elections. Following some of the links at the end will give some indications that they’re not entirely on the up-and-up.

Further, Congress is full of his cronies who will ram through this full-blown socialism and power grab on the Venezuelan people. When Republicans held the legislative and executive branches, Democrats were horrified. But nary a word when their socialist buddy has an even bigger hold in his country. Here, a constitutional amendment–a very bipartisan process–set term limits. Doubtful that Chavez will get such resistance to his move. A very different situation.

By: Tom

Tom — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 17:26:54 +0000

Hold on to power as long as he can? Big deal…that would make him like most politicians.

Abolish term limits? That would make him like Ike…

“The United States ought to be able to choose for its president anybody it wants, regardless of the number of terms he has served. I have got the utmost faith in the long-term common sense of the American people.”

Dwight Eisenhower on the eve of his 1956 reelection.