Random numbers

It’s not Mexican “real Americans” despise… it’s Republicans

This would account for Obama-mania

Recent polling by CNN reveals Mexico, as a country, is viewed favorably by 52 percent of Americans (ok, “USAnians”).  The most popular of the countries asked about was France (viewed favorably by 68 percent).  Even Venezuela (viewed favorably by 42 percent) gets a higher favorability than the Republican Party (39 percent). (OpenLeft)

Texans (which includes a whole lotta crazies) might be the exception here.  At least, according to a Houston Chronicle survey (sombrero tip to Stace Medellin’s “Dos Centavos”)

The numbers of area residents who believe that the new immigration “mostly strengthens American culture” increased from 39 percent in 1997 to 57 percent in 2005, and then dropped to 44 percent in 2007, before recovering to 49 percent in this year’s survey.
…

In the 2009 survey, 64 percent agreed that, “The children of illegal immigrants should have the right to attend the public schools,” down from 71 percent in 2007.

…

In 2007, 44 percent were in favor of “a law that would deny health and welfare services to illegal immigrants in Texas.” In 2009, 50 percent were in support of that proposal.

They must have been surveying the suburbs…. that’s where the Republican live.

Mexican lemons… safe at any speed

Otto (Inca Kola News) found this safety/trucking issue related statistical graph:

It’s a plot of the US highway fatality rate versus the tonnage of fresh lemons imported from Mexico… I’m forced to conclude that Mexican lemons have improved highway safety a great deal. The vitamin C, maybe? The fragrance? Bioflavanoids?..”

Be PRI-pared, no PANicy PRDictions — yet

David Agren (The [Mexico City] News) (link very likely to disappear within 24 hours)

The Consulta Mitofsky poll gave the PRI 32.3 percent support, a 2 percentage point drop from a similar poll taken last month. The National Action Party, or PAN, climbed by 1.3 percentage points to 26.8 percent.

The Democratic Revolution Party, or PRD, came in a distant third at 14.7 percent, but the result continued an upward trend for the left-wing party, which bottomed out at 10.4 percent during the midst of a messy internal election in November.

The nation’s remaining five registered political parties garnered support from a total 5.3 percent of the respondents, while 20.9 percent of those surveyed said that they were undecided.

While PAN surprised me last presidential election, resorting to enough dirty tricks and negative campaigning to pull out a victory (helped by the ineptitude of PAN’s presidential candidate), I expect PRI will do very well in the June Congressional elections. PRD is about where it always is, despite rumors of its imminent demise. The smaller parties, especially Convergencia and the Workers’ Party (PT) may do better than the polls suggest.

Mitofky polls are relatively reliable, if you take the margin of error to lean towards the left. Home telephone ownership rates are very low in Mexico, which means undercounting the working class and rural voters, as well as the urban poor. AMLO, while not widely covered by the media, has been building grass-roots support among those undercounted voters thoughout the country. PAN and PRI sniping may not benefit the PRD, but may shift a percentage or two to the smaller parties which will probably be PRD allies in the next Congress.