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FM AMEMBASSY MEXICO
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INFO RUEHXC/ALL US CONSULATES IN MEXICO COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS MEXICO 001002 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV MX
SUBJECT: POLLSTERS SAY HOLY WEEK POLLS MAY PREDICT NEXT 
PRESIDENT 
 
 
¶1.  (SBU)  Summary:  The Ambassador met on 2/21 with four 
leading Mexican pollsters who, in a lively discussion found a 
few things to agree on -- including the fact that Democratic 
Revolution Party (PRD) candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador 
(AMLO) continues to lead the race.  They also agreed that if 
he holds his lead through Holy Week (April 10-14), it's a 
good indicator the race will be his.  The pollsters uniformly 
expressed confidence in exit polling and quick counts on 
election day, saying they will be accurate indicators of the 
victor.  But they disagreed on nearly everything else. 
End Summary 
 
¶2.  (SBU)  The pollsters included PRD pollster Ana Cristina 
Covarrubias, National Action Party (PAN) pollster Rafael 
Jimenez, Televisa pollster Roy Campos and TV Azteca pollster 
Francisco Abundis, who with some argument agreed that AMLO 
leads the polls, PAN candidate Felipe Calderon is second, and 
PRI candidate Madrazo is third (although several argued that 
the latter two are nearing a virtual tie.)  AMLO's poll 
numbers couldn't go up much more, they agreed, but certainly 
had room to fall.  If he held his current lead (at least five 
points across the various polls) through Semana Santa -- the 
race was virtually his, they concurred. 
 
¶3.  (SBU)  But they didn't all think that was a likely 
contingency.  In a campaign already studded with a number of 
scandals, Roy Campos suggested that there could yet be 
revelations that could affect any of the candidates.  Rafael 
Jimenez stressed that, if the PRI imploded, the race could 
become a more traditional two-way contest, and PRI voters 
might look closely at the PAN.  He also suggested that 
candidate Calderon, who had been a little lackluster in his 
campaigning recently, might regain the dynamism he had shown 
in December.  Abundis cautioned that many voters were now 
choosing by candidate rather than by party, and decisions on 
congressional lists (which will be finalized in March and 
April) could impact the presidential race as well.  Jimenez 
agreed, noting that the PRI in Morelos had divided sharply 
over candidate selection, and this would undeniably affect 
the presidential race. 
 
¶4.  (SBU)  Asked whether we should expect the numbers to come 
closer together or spread farther apart, Campos cautioned 
against modelling this presidential race against any previous 
elections.  There are a number of firsts in this race that 
make it unique in Mexican experience, he added.  There are 
three candidates who, for the first time, each have a chance 
of winning.  It is the first time a non-PRI president defines 
his role in the process -- and that may affect the outcomes. 
It is the first election after a dramatic -- but perhaps 
unsatisfying -- transition in power.  These and other factors 
have an impact on the way voters think.  Jimenez agreed, but 
suggested that last July's Mexico State election reflected 
the campaign tactics each campaign was using -- the PRI 
relied on its reliable vote, the PRD spent little money on 
advertising, the PAN candidate started strong then fell 
dramatically.  The decisive factors there, Jimenez said, were 
the PRI's reliable vote combined with low voter turnout 
overall delivered a PRI victory.  In Veracruz, Jimenez 
continued, there were three strong candidates until the very 
end -- and different polls favored different candidates.  The 
PRI finally won, but by a small (and controversial) margin. 
 
¶5.  (SBU)  The pollsters also debated the role and size of 
the independent vote.  While some estimated as much as 40 
percent of the electorate was independent, others suggested 
it was as low as 20 percent.  These voters, Covarrubias said, 
largely belonged to AMLO.  Campos agreed, but noted a 
percentage were more likely to switch votes and were clearly 
the PAN target as well.   They came around again to the idea 
that by mid-April the voters will have settled to a larger 
degree on their candidates, and the polls will better reflect 
what might happen on July 2. 
 
¶6.  (SBU)  All four pollsters expressed absolute confidence 
in exit polling and quick count procedures that will be used 
on July 2.  They said that in Mexico the pollsters shared 
information across party lines and company lines in order to 
validate one another's findings.  This had worked effectively 
in 2000, Abundis said, when it was already clear by early 
afternoon that Fox was the winner.  Exit polls and quick 
counts in 2000 were entirely consistent, and the pollsters 
expected the same in 2006.  There is no uncertainty with exit 
polling, Campos said, because people know how they voted. 
 
 
Visit Mexico City's Classified Web Site at 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/mexicocity 
 
KELLY