Scioli, a centrist running on the social-democratic Front for Victory ticket widely credited with revitalizing Argentina since they were first elected in 2003, has a good personal reputation and a fairly strong economy (2.8% growth, near-record consumer confidence) on his side. He's also supported by Pope Francis, who's asked him to "fight savage capitalism" in his campaign for the presidency.
But Macri has the local Catholic hierarchy (particularly the Opus Dei), big business, and big media on his side - not to mention a relentless and well-financed Limbaugh-style attack machine. Some of this is being financed by GOP megadonor Paul Singer (the Cayman Islands vulture fundie who bought Argentine bonds from a reseller for $48 million, and now wants a billion).
Since the three largest media groups in the country are right-wing, Macri also benefits from a veritable media bulletproofing to the point that his advisers can openly boast about their plans to impose shock doctrine policies and know that most undecided voters will either not have heard of said plans or simply not believe it. Voter fatigue, moreover, has set in to some extent after 12 years of the same party in office.
These new policies would include, but are not limited to: quashing collective bargaining, curtailing benefits and public mortgage programs, cutting health and education, privatizing and outsourcing, and a sharp devaluation which would bring a windfall to the rich at everyone else's expense (a massive jump in prices -already in evidence due to the mere "expectation" of a devaluation- and a deep recession). Many are the same neocon and IMF recipes that caused the country's much-publicized collapse in 2001.
Argentina resembles the U.S. ethnically and culturally, and has a lot of the same political problems with the right the U.S. has: many white, middle-class voters will support the far right - even at their loss - because they see progressives as people who coddle "lazy blacks" (sound familiar?). That, of course, works in Macri's favor.
If Macri loses tomorrow, watch for cries of "fraud" - in fact, a real chorus of them. Which is ironic since the only one who's been attempting voter fraud in Argentina, is Macri himself. http://www.democraticunderground.com/10026942187
No progressive should want to have anything to do with Macri and his race-baiting or Bushonomics. Argentina's own history leaves no doubt that returning to such policies would be truly harmful to Argentina - or any country, really.
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