Chavez
Holds Commanding Lead
Eight Days Before Election
By Stephen Lendman
27 November, 2006
Countercurrents.org
Hugo
Chavez holds an insurmountable lead in two late November polls - one
by Ipsos Venezuela/the AP-Ipsos Poll and the other by Zogby International-University
of Miami. Both were released on November 24 and are the most current
and reliable data available and are consistent with most independent
poll results for months. This is in stark contrast to several fraudulent
US National Endowment of Democracy (NED)-financed oligarch-run ones
published to create a false perception of public sentiment in preparation
for cries of fraud once the election results are in.
This is now standard US operating
practice in all developing countries when Washington fears an unacceptable
electoral outcome, so it tries to subvert the democratic process by
engineering one in its favor. That's how it's playing out in Venezuela
now where things are in place to create the myth of what's impossible
to achieve in fact to help Washington pull off its scheme to remove
the main "threat" to its hegemony in the hemisphere. It's
not likely to work any better now than in the failed 2002 coup attempt,
but there will be mass-staged street protests that may get violent before
it's over proving it.
Here's what's now going on.
The Washington-based and NED-funded Penn, Schoen & Berland polling
organization is part of the scheme to depose Chavez and has set up camp
in Venezuela working with the opposition to do what they're expert at
- putting out phony polling data currently showing main opposition candidate
Manuel Rosales closing the gap and almost pulling even with Hugo Chavez
as the December 3 election date approaches. Baloney, but that doesn't
stop the Venezuelan corporate media from reporting it saying "The
momentum is clearly with Rosales," and it looks like he can win.
If past Penn, Schoen &
Berland tactics are prologue, expect their pre-election poll number-rigging
to be supplemented with equally fraudulent exit polls on election day
showing the same kind of cooked results. More baloney, smell included.
That will be following by blasting them all over the Venezuelan corporate
media airwaves and front pages to convey the false impression Rosales
may have won to shape public perception in preparation for whatever
Washington-concocted scheme is planned likely beginning on December
4.
Rosales has no chance whatever
of even coming close to winning on December 3, and the Venezuelan people
know it. They'll never tolerate a result made in Washington that's contrary
to the way they'll vote that's pretty obvious from some "real"
polling data. Here's what the oligarchs, corporate media and Washington
suppress - and for good reason because it's so lopsided in favor of
Hugo Chavez.
The latest Ipsos/AP poll
shows Chavez getting overwhelming support from 59% of likely voters
with Rosales trailing far behind at 27%. The margin of error is from
2.2 - 2.9%. Zogby International confirms this showing Chavez at 60%
and Rosales at 31%. It's margin of error is 3.5%. Both polls thus show
Chavez with an insurmountable 2 - 1 lead with eight days to go before
the election. Moreover, these polls are consistent with nearly all independently-run
pre-election surveys showing Washington-selected Rosales has no chance
to win (something he knows), and Hugo Chavez will be reelected for another
six year term as president with an impressive margin of victory - because
the great majority of Venezuelans love him and won't allow anyone else
to serve as their president as long as he wants the job.
Here's the rub. That's not
what the Bush administration wants, virtually guaranteeing post-election
cries of fraud followed by staged street protests with likely violence
and a fourth Washington-directed attempt to oust Chavez to prevent him
from continuing as president. The people of Venezuela won't tolerate
this kind of interference, and that sets the stage for a turbulent period
just ahead - the many millions of Venezuelans vs. George Bush and his
failed administration visibly consumed in the burning sands of Iraq.
If some variety of that template is the way to defeat a hegemon, it
bodes well for democracy in Venezuela but not without a struggle to
achieve it. History shows even superpowers are no match for mass people-action
when it's determined enough to prevail. We'll soon know if it proves
so Venezuelan-style again.
Stephen Lendman
can be reached at [email protected].
Also, visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.
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