Analyze this!… and this, and this, and this

Given the strict regulations here on political advertising, especially on television (the candidates get the same amount of time, equally distributed  — the networks can’t just run them at 2 AM;  or can’t run the ads  for candidates they prefer during prime time, and the rest during off-peak hours) and on the content in the ads (no attacks on other candidates or parties, and the only voice in the ad can be the candidate’s), Mexican political ads aren’t nearly as “sexy” as those north of the border.  Which by no means inhibits spin.

While it’s kind of refreshing that among other restrictions the ads aren’t going to infest the airwaves until 30 March (the end of the “veil” — vela — the time between the various parties select their candidates and the time the campaigning is allowed to begin), there’s a loophole.  The TV ads can be posted on the internet… and they were.

The Lopez Obrador ad is bland, probably for a good reason. In 2006, there weren’t any restrictions on outside advertisers, who could run negative ads. One notorious ad compared AMLO to Hitler, Stalin, Mussolini, Francisco Franco and Hugo Chavez … with the catch-phrase “A danger for Mexico”. Everyone knows AMLO’s history of street activism, and I think this ad… featuring the candidate just sitting behind a very executive looking dest, and looking very executive is meant to convey the image that he is no danger, just a new boss… hopefully seen as not the same as the old boss:

Peña Neito for some reason is focusing on Veracruz. Given his identification with his own state, Mexico, maybe the intention is to suggest to voters that the candidate has national experience. And, it gets to show him doing interesting things… being youthful and dynamic (and a snappy dancer)…

Vásquez Mota pushes the fear factor. Or is it the “never fear” factor. Her ad is scary… and maybe it’s meant to be: vote for me, or something bad will happen:

I have never figured out why Gabriel Quadri was chosen as the sacrifical lamb for PANAL, but here he is trying to sell a nice hippie version of environmentalism… or maybe old volkswagens: