Apathy Marks Presidential Election in Argentina

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Just 5 years ago, Argentina was Latin America's most prosperous nation. Now, more than half the population lives below the poverty level, and the man most blamed for creating financial chaos is the leading candidate to become president once again. Carlos Menem, is one of five candidates in the race to be President of Argentina. The latest polls show that he has less than 20% of the vote. Furthermore, an astonishing 57% say they'll never support him. So, even if he gets into the runoff, he's going to have problems. We join a pollster in Buenos Aires, a political economist and the deputy consul general of Argentina for a preview of Sunday's election and what it could mean for the future of Argentina, the United States and tens of thousands of Argentines now living in California. Making News: State Democrats Propose Long List of New Fees With California-s billion-dollar budget gap growing by the day, state legislators went off on vacation. This is their third day back. Dan Walters, columnist for the Sacramento Bee, says that although Democrats have proposed several new fees to help balance the budget, Republicans are unlikely to budge. Reporter-s Notebook: Leon Wynter on Impending Trans-Racial World It is often said that the history of America is most importantly the history of race relations, but the man who for ten years wrote the Wall Street Journal's Business and Race column, says forget all that. Leon Wynter, the author of American Skin: Pop Culture, Big Business and the End of White America, contends that the next generation of Americans will not grow up in a popular culture dominated by whites.
Just 5 years ago, Argentina was Latin America's most prosperous nation. Now, more than half the population lives below the poverty level, and the man most blamed for creating financial chaos is the leading candidate to become president once again. Carlos Menem, is one of five candidates in the race to be President of Argentina. The latest polls show that he has less than 20% of the vote. Furthermore, an astonishing 57% say they'll never support him. So, even if he gets into the runoff, he's going to have problems. We join a pollster in Buenos Aires, a political economist and the deputy consul general of Argentina for a preview of Sunday's election and what it could mean for the future of Argentina, the United States and tens of thousands of Argentines now living in California.
  • Making News: State Democrats Propose Long List of New Fees
    With California-s billion-dollar budget gap growing by the day, state legislators went off on vacation. This is their third day back. Dan Walters, columnist for the Sacramento Bee, says that although Democrats have proposed several new fees to help balance the budget, Republicans are unlikely to budge.
  • Reporter-s Notebook: Leon Wynter on Impending Trans-Racial World
    It is often said that the history of America is most importantly the history of race relations, but the man who for ten years wrote the Wall Street Journal's Business and Race column, says forget all that. Leon Wynter, the author of American Skin: Pop Culture, Big Business and the End of White America, contends that the next generation of Americans will not grow up in a popular culture dominated by whites.

Walters' "As voter disgust mounts, a partial budget crisis deal takes shape"

Argentina and the International Monetary Fund (IMF)

Buenos Aires Herald

Credits

Host:

Warren Olney

Producer:

Frances Anderton