MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Dilma/Serra debate was “boring” and unable to distract Brazilians from soccer

Incumbent Rousseff came out from the duel with positive image

The first television debate between the Brazilian leading presidential candidates, Dilma Rousseff and Jose Serra had one of the lowest ratings Thursday night and analysts defined it as ‘boring’ and a at the most, ‘a test for future duels’.

The average rating for the debate on Bandeirantes TV was 3 points, with a brief maximum of 5 at 22:56, according to pollster Ibope.

Bandeirantes on Thursday night was virtually at the bottom of preferences with TV Globo airing the semi-final of a continental soccer cup comfortably ahead with a 31 points rating.

Incumbent Dilma Rousseff from the Workers party and hand picked by president Lula da Silva, and former Sao Paulo governor and mayor Jose Serra from the opposition Brazilian Social Democracy clearly monopolize vote intention for October 3 first round of the presidential election.

“Serra and Dilma polarize the first debate focusing on health and jobs”, was the headline from O Estado de Sao Paulo, a leading Brazilian newspaper.

“A first round with the legacies of FHC (former president Fernando Henrique Cardoso) and Lula da Silva” said O’Globo in its internet edition in reference to the fact both candidates have strong political leaders behind them.

Cardoso was president for eight years from 1995 to 2003 and is considered the architect of the strong foundations of the current Brazilian strong economic performance. Serra held several ministerial posts with Cardoso.

This first television debate (out of five that have been programmed and accepted by the candidates’ teams) helped “to warm up engines, like de-oxidizing the candidates. Dilma on her debut was very nervous and committed mistakes, but none of them serious” wrote analysts Carlos Melo.

Serra on the other hand showed “more experience and had better control of the different issues” said the political scientists Melo and Humberto Dantas quoted in Estado de Sao Paulo.

But Dantas said Serra did not manage a clear advantage and both contenders seemed to be “starched” to the scripts from their image advisors which resulted in “a boring inconsequential debate”.

Josias de Souza, a columnist from Folha de Sao Paulo said “none of the two came out bashed and none of them managed a strike that could modify public opinion; it was all quite anticipated and predictable”.

But in spite the fact Ms Rousseff committed mistakes and was very nervous at the start, “her conclusion was more positive”, according to Souza.

Marina Silva from the Green party and Plinio de Arruda Sampaio from the Socialism and Liberty also participated but with not much impact.

Both are dissidents from Lula da Silva’s Workers Party and were among the founders of the party with the former metal industry union leader, but abandoned following disagreements on Amazon environmental policies and congressional corruption.

Nevertheless commentators and journalists underlined the zeal and sense of humour displayed by the 80 year old solicitor, Sampaio.

In the afternoon previous to the debate a public opinion poll was released indicating that Ms Rousseff keeps advancing and is now ten points ahead of Serra.

According to Sensus, contracted by the Brazilian National Transport Confederation, CNT, a trade union close to Lula da Silva, Dilma figures with 41.6% vote intention while the former Sao Paulo mayor with 31.6%. In May the numbers were 35.7% and 33.2% respectively. The latest poll was taken between 31 July and 2 August.

In third place appears Marina Silva from the Greens with 8.5% and another 10.5% of the electorate is defined as undecided.

A week ago pollster Ibope, published that Rousseff was leading 39% to Serra’s 34% and Vox Populi, 40% to 35%.

“It is most clear” that the support from President Lula da Silva is essential to understand the steady advance of Dilma according to Celsio Andrade from CNT.

Lula da Silva who steps down next January first has an unprecedented support for an outgoing president of 80.5%, and has been actively participating in the Rousseff campaign, and has promised to continue doing so.