It could have been better. But it could have been infinitely worse.
This Sunday, just over six million voters established themselves as the most solid base of democratic support ever witnessed for Venezuela’s socialist project. Meanwhile, just over five million Venezuelan voters established themselves as the proportion of the electorate which does not fully understand the importance of — or outright opposes — the socialist project.
This crucial difference of 55% to 45% represents the best estimate so far of the closest the opposition will ever come to defeating the Bolivarian revolution itself (not its policies) in electoral terms.
What was the importance of the question posed in Sunday’s referendum? Broadly speaking, it separated those who would support the current process indefinitely (barring a change in its fortunes) from those who wouldn’t. The result proved that six million Venezuelans comprehend the historic importance of the socialist mission.
That’s enough to retain a majority in the legislature and defeat the opposition presidential candidate in 2012, after which a trend of gradually rising revolutionary support will be very likely to assert itself. They can hope for domestic disaster in the face of the global depression and floundering oil prices. Neither will be the death of this revolution — of that I’m 99% certain.
“Most solid base of democratic support ever witnessed for Venezuela’s socialist project”?
Interesting way to spin it.
Didn’t Chavez attract more than 7.3 million votes in 2006? A million fewer turned-out to support Si this time around.
Of course, 6.3 million still represents a jump over the November elections (5.4 million for Chavez) and especially the poor showing the first time the Venezuelan people said no to these amendments in 2007 (4.4 million for Si).
Just under a million less votes….
But 2006 can’t be classified as the most solid showing of support…the 7.3m votes preferred Chavez over his opponent…nothing more.
These 6m votes represent a far more rigid base of support. Either an unquestioning loyalty to Chavez….or a recognition that the revolution must proceed at full pace.
You decide.
The most important point is the level of actual voting.
you seem to think “unquestioning loyalty to Chavez” is a good thing.
do you even know what socialism is?
i wrote that, but read the context and you’ll see it’s not necessarily (or even probably) what i believe/endorse
true socialism is absolute worker/community control over everything in the political/economic spheres
The most important point is the level of actual voting.