26 October 2010

BRASIL: 1ST UPDATE: Jose Serra's Fading Prospect; New Polls Give Dilma 15% Lead.

LINK CHANGE/ BLOOMBERG / 27 OCT/
    The possibility of a Jose Serra presidential victory is seriously dimming according to new polling.
    Support for Rousseff rose to 51.9 percent from 46.8 percent from the previous Sensus poll taken Oct. 18-19.
      Support for Serra declined to 36.7 percent from 41.8 percent. Serra, 68, trails Rousseff by 15.2 percentage points, up from five points in the previous poll. 
    A poll released Monday  by the Vox Populi shows Dilma Rousseff with 49% of the vote and Jose Serra with 38%.
     For a brief period, Serra seemed to be gaining momentum but over the past week lost much of it as the debate once again focused on Brasil's burgeoning economy.
     Most seem happy with policies that have lifted millions into the middle class and have Brasil growing by 7.5% this year.
     "This is back to being a choice between a popular government and a candidate who has been unable to provide reasons for voters to abandon it," said political scientist Alberto Almeida.