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Why many Argentines continue to support “corrupt” Cristina Fernandez

Thursday, June 8th 2017 - 09:56 UTC
Full article 53 comments
The question then is why Cristina followers believe it is OK she is corrupt, and contrary to that they believe that Macri is corrupt, asked Duran Barba The question then is why Cristina followers believe it is OK she is corrupt, and contrary to that they believe that Macri is corrupt, asked Duran Barba
The matter is that Macri was born to a rich home and had all the money he needed to make politics even before he was born. The matter is that Macri was born to a rich home and had all the money he needed to make politics even before he was born.
Cristina was born to a very poor home, the daughter of a bus driver, and obviously had to obtain money to make politics. So it is fine she managed to make the money Cristina was born to a very poor home, the daughter of a bus driver, and obviously had to obtain money to make politics. So it is fine she managed to make the money

A majority of followers of ex Argentine president Cristina Fernandez “believe she is corrupt”, but far from questioning her “they think it is OK”, since “obviously she needed the money to get involved in politics”, according to Jaime Duran Barba, sociologist and chief electoral advisor of president Mauricio Macri.

 Originally from Ecuador, Duran Barba was back in Argentina for the launching of his latest book, “Politics in the XXIst century: art, myth or science”, which he presented to Political and Institutional Communications graduates from the Argentine Catholic University.

Although the electoral expert talked about his experience leading successful political campaigns for different regional leaders, he also addressed the Argentine situation ahead of the coming October mid-term elections and downplayed the prevalent idea in many sectors that Argentina is split and there is a “significant political gap”

“In Argentina there is a lot of talk about the gap, and what really happens is that some people are convinced of certain ideas which they really believe in, and will swear on the bible in support, and become emotional when they listen to Cristina Fernandez making a speech”.

The so called Macri political guru, argues this really impacts on the strategy to implement: it's not only enough to talk about reality, but rather how to address reality. “In many discussions I listen to people saying that it is essential to explain to public opinion that Cristina is corrupt. And I´m not saying she is or she is not corrupt, but rather that we have found out that over half of those fanatic followers of Cristina believe she effectively is corrupt, and they can live with that and feel it's fine”.

The question then is why Cristina followers believe it is OK she is corrupt, and contrary to that they believe that Macri is corrupt. For this purpose Duran Barba consulted sociologist Roberto Zapata, whom he described as “the most brilliant political psychologist in the world”, and who makes qualitative surveys.

And why is this? “The matter is that Macri was born to a rich home and had all the money he needed to make politics even before he was born. But Cristina on the other hand was born to a very poor home, the daughter of a bus driver, and obviously had to obtain money to make politics. So it is fine that Cristina managed to make the money, while the corrupt character is Macri”.

So what is the next step? “There are different forms of looking at the world. If you look at it from a scientific point of view, don't ever think that those who do not follow your line of thinking are idiots. They are not idiots!! They only have a different vision. What you need is the sufficient serenity, calm to understand the other person and even try to convince him of something different”, explained Duran Barba.

Politics have changed and whoever does not adapt will be left out. “That is how society works now and this is a central piece for the political communication: if candidates want to play the role of gods, of super heroes, supernatural and marvelous, they are heading to disaster. This new chapter of humanity is no longer as it was, and it has nothing to do at all with ideology”.

In this new scenario, according to Duran Barba the new technologies and changes in telecommunications are playing an influential role. “Since some years now people believe they have the right to give their opinion on everything, and they do. People now address candidates directly, something which they did not do before: they send emails, they express themselves and demand answers. The attitude when people listened to the candidate and would not dare make a question is long over. Most probably, if somebody wrote to a candidate and received no reply, he's going to be quite pissed about it”.

Categories: Politics, Argentina.

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  • Marti Llazo

    Reekie is so far from understanding what is going on here in Argentina.

    Maybe he can find someone to read the media reports about public works expenditures here. I mean, other than Kirchnerism's over-paying people like Lázaro B, now in jail, for paving the little-traveled back roads of Santa Cruz province whilst the more important infrastructure of the country fell to pieces.

    “El Gobierno duplicó la ejecución de obras públicas desde enero - Desde enero último, el Ministerio del Interior, Obras Públicas destinó $ 17.300 millones de pesos a obras hídricas, de vivienda y obra pública”

    Ergo, in the first five month of this year, the new government nearly doubled the public works (housing, flood control, etc) versus the same period last year.

    Of course, to remote-reekie, the government isn't spending any money on this.

    What an argie he is.

    Jun 13th, 2017 - 12:24 am +7
  • Marti Llazo

    Reekie: “borrowing at scandalous interest rates”

    Reekie seems to be unaware that Argentina's current borrowing rates are about half or less than those during the Kirchner years. That is, when Argentina could find anyone willing to loan money to the Kirchners at any rate at all.

    In January this year, the Argentine government was selling 5-year bonds for an annual interest rate of about 5.6 percent. Kirchner was paying about 15 percent during her reign.

    Though corruption comes quite naturally to Argentina, we must remember that no government in its history could match the sort of corruption and theft that characterised the Kirchner years.

    Jun 12th, 2017 - 03:19 am +6
  • Marti Llazo

    The subject of the press note tells it all: even the Kirchner supporters acknowledge that she is corrupt. If the coming convictions of CFK were done were more quickly, reekie would moan and whinge that it's all the result of kangaroo courts.

    Reekie's understanding of argie economics is predictable. 5-year dollar-denominated bonds at 5.6 percent annual interest sold to foreign investors are not meant to be compared to domestic peso-denominated bonds with understandably higher rates, given the high inflation rates in this country. Peras con manzanas, pibe.

    That reekie, so much he doesn't understand, or simply confuses.

    But there is one thing on which we can agree: Argentina is synonymous with “corruption.”

    Jun 12th, 2017 - 01:03 pm +6
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