Lula Must Win. Now It Looks Like He Can.
Victory for Flávio Bolsonaro in Brazil’s election would bring mafiosi to power and reward interference by the White House and Miami reactionaries. In the final stretch of the campaign, Bolsonaro no longer looks invincible.
In recent years, Brazil’s right-wingers often dominated the politics of the street. In the final days of the campaign, President Lula’s supporters have occupied public space, hoping that their mobilization can drive up turnout and defy the polls. (Mateus Bonomi / Anadolu via Getty Images)
As Brazil heads to the polls on Sunday, the latest polls show Flávio Bolsonaro’s lead over incumbent president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva narrowing. One pollster, Qeast, had the eldest of Jair’s brood on 45 percent, just 1 point ahead of Lula.
Flávio’s rejection rates have been steadily climbing since he flopped in last Sunday’s debate. While there is a good chance Brazil may still elect the crooked son of a convicted idiot, three weeks after his first-round victory, it’s also clear that Lula is back in the game thanks to a historic mobilization.
Bolsonaro’s campaign has largely tried to keep him out of the limelight while portraying him as a more moderate version of his father and pushing anti-incumbent messaging through influencers and proxies. After winning the first round by 2 percent, Bolsonaro and his allies started acting as if the election was already in the bag and announcing bizarre potential cabinet appointments, such as a health minister opposed to the idea of health care as a universal right, which is enshrined in Brazil’s constitution. The right-winger’s pick (for now) as finance minister has talked about cutting the Bolsa Família welfare payment and other social programs.
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