Calderon Enjoys Widespread Support, Despite Security Issues

68% of Mexicans nationally approve the PAN President – Over 80% in the Yucatan.

By Edward V. Byrne for The Yucatan Times
September 1, 2011
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Mexico’s President Felipe Calderon Hinojosa enjoys a high level of support throughout the country, despite persistent economic and security challenges.

In a nation-wide survey conducted by the private pollster Parametría, 68% of respondents voiced their approval of Calderon, while 31% had a negative opinion.  The remaining one percent did not respond or had no opinion.  By comparison, U.S. President Barack Obama has a current approval rating of 40% (as of August 28), with an average of 51% since taking office in January 2009.  The American polls were taken by Gallup.

Parametría noted that Calderon’s high overall approval rating may be due to his “perceived efforts rather than measurable successes, taking into consideration, for instance, his declared war against organized drug criminals, who pose such a threat to the Mexican populace.”

President Calderon received a low grade – 44% approval – with respect to job creation and economic development.  And only about 40% of those responding specifically approved his accomplishments in the now five year old drug war.
Calderon received his highest marks in the Mexican states of Chiapas, Baja California Sur, Yucatán, Campeche and Nuevo León, with an approval rating of over 80% in each.  Nuevo León’s capital city of Monterrey was the scene of an August 25 arson attack which left 52 people dead, the worst single episode of drug violence yet, but the survey was conducted weeks before that event.  Most of the Yucatán is under the control of Calderon’s political opposition, the Institutional Revolutionary Party.  Both the City of Merida and the State of Yucatan have PRI leaders.

The President’s lowest ratings were in Tabasco, with 58% disapproval, followed by the Federal District (57% disapproval) and Morelos (40% disapproval).  Calderon enjoyed his highest public approval in February 2009, when 76% of all Mexicans had a favorable impression of him.

The Parametría survey was conducted in June and July, and was based upon 12,800 responses nationwide, with a margin of error of +- .09%.  The results were released today.