The Accidental Explorer

BUENOS AIRES – Down here in Argentina we get a lot of political news, and just like in the U.S. one of the hot topics is the upcoming presidential election. One candidate in particular is getting a lot of press. You’ll probably figure out pretty quickly who I’m talking about…

She’s a woman, and is the likely presidential candidate for one of the major parties. If successful, she will be the first woman elected president. Her husband has already been president, and she has been first lady. On top of that, she is currently a senator.

Think you know who I’m talking about, right?

Let’s throw in a couple more factoids. She’s a lawyer. She met her husband (the president) while attending law school in the 1970’s, and he was later a governor. People often refer to her by first name, though her maiden name is almost always included when using her full name.

By now you’re sure you know who I’m talking about, right?

Of course you do. I’m talking about Cristina.

Who???

Cristina. As in Cristina Fernández de Kirchner. Her husband, Néstor Kirchner, is the sitting president of Argentina, and she is the leading candidate for president in the upcoming October elections. Who did you think I was talking about? Just goes to show how weird the world of politics can be.

Speaking of politics, I seem to have a knack for landing in countries in the midst of big election cycles. I arrived in Buenos Aires just a few weeks before the elections for a new “Jefe del Gobierno” – basically the mayor.

That’s a pretty big deal considering Buenos Aires is about the size of New York City, but represents a third of the population of Argentina. I had a blast watching the campaigns duke it out. One of the most brilliant print ads I saw was from a candidate who portrayed his opponents as characters from The Simpsons – one as the evil Mr. Burns and the other as Krusty the Clown.

I say brilliant because because people in Argentina love The Simpsons, or as they are known here, “Los Simpson.” Opening day of the new Simpsons movie is looking to be kind of like Super Bowl Sunday back at home. The ad must not have been that brilliant, however, because the candidate who ran it ended up losing.

One final twist. Here in Buenos Aires, voting is compulsory; you’re required by law to vote. The day after the elections I spotted the following notice in the newspaper:

Failure to vote can be justified:

“As from today voters who were not able to cast ballots yesterday will be able to justify their failure to do so. People who could not go to the polls because of illness or because they were at a distance of more than 500 kilometers away from their polling station will have to go to the Electoral Secretariat to get clearance of absence.”

Now, imagine seeing that after an election back home!