Making a Splash

Humberto Moreira's first several days as the PRI president-in-waiting have been eventful. He's had an ongoing spat with Alonso Lujambio and other cabinet members, saying (roughly) that "they know nothing, they do nothing", among sundry other insults; he defended Elba Esther Gordillo; he installed his brother as his likely successor as governor of Coahuila; and, in perhaps the surest sign that he has arrived at the national political level, he was called a "dictator" by AMLO.

It's hard to read about Moreira and his open embrace of his role as the bulldog and not think of Germán Martínez, the similarly confrontational and spectacularly unsuccessful president of the PAN in 2009. Being an aggressive loudmouth might win supporters while circumstances are good, but it also makes people more likely to turn on you when things go badly, as was the case with Martínez. Moreira's first big electoral test comes a couple of weeks from now in the gubernatorial race in Guerrero; it'll be interesting to see if Moreira's rhetoric changes if the PRI loses, as it is predicted to.