• AlterNet, Thursday, July 6, 2006 12 PM

With 2.5 million votes still to be counted, "American news outlets have already declared victory for Mexico's conservative presidential candidate," writes Chuck Collins at AlterNet. He says that on a radio interview he did this week in Texas, the host started the program by saying: 'In a cliffhanger election, the right-wing candidate Felipe Calderon has beaten the left-wing firebrand Lopez Obrador by 1 percent. But Lopez Obrador is demanding a recount and threatening street protests." Later, he notes, CBS Radio called for an interview to discuss the Calderon "victory." For Collins, it is "Whoa. Time out!" While the election is indeed a cliffhanger, there are no official results, as preliminary computer tallies giving Calderon a 1 percent lead, were insufficient. "On Tuesday, they admitted that there are 2.58 million additional ballots that still need to be counted. So let's repeat: there are no official results or official count estimates." As reported by Mexican daily El Universal, "despite repeated reminders that [preliminary] results are unofficial, Calderon has claimed that they show he is the clear winner and that Lopez Obrador should step aside, while Lopez Obrador has highlighted the systems inaccuracies to suggest the contest was rigged against him." Collins goes on to describe the vote-counting in minute detail, and asserts that U.S. media "have seized upon the Calderon 1 percent lead number and begun coronation proceedings.' The implication is that it is all over--even though it isn't--and "the U.S. media should butt out of the Mexican election until they can get their facts straight on the actual process and the historical context of Mexico's evolving democracy. "

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