Election officials and political scientists fear that it will prove to be a poor time to get voters to come to the polls. Experts fear that voter turnout on July 2 could be especially small should the Mexican team still be playing in the tournament at that time.
Because Mexicans are crazy about football, the floodlights currently are aimed at the forthcoming events in Germany far more intensely than they are on political rallies and other events featuring candidates.
So it is no surprise that the candidates are leaning into the spotlight beamed at Mexico's World Cup team to grasp some of the limelight. Mexico's World Cup experience in Germany is fitting more frequently into political strategies for taking power in Mexico.
Starting June 9, the opening day of the tournament, the candidates will stand before a large screen and offer commentary on the contests in Germany, at least those involving the Mexican team.
'The World Cup is a very important event,' said Roberto Madrazo of the Institutional Revolutionary party, or PRI, whose poll numbers show is in third place. His party ruled Mexico for more than 70 years uninterrupted until the current president, Vicente Fox, won in 2000.
'I believe people will watch very carefully how we perform. And we will combine campaigning with football,' he said. 'For example, if there's a game on June 11, then we will stand on the plaza and watch it with the public.'
While campaigning, Madrazo passes out little calendars containing shortened names of the locations where matches will be played - because the entire German name would be a tongue twister for a Mexican. All matches, times and groups are listed from Munich to Berlin.
And there is a card for keeping track of tournament results. The slogan of the PRI is printed across the top: Alliance for Mexico.
The former mayor of Mexico City, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador of the leftist Democratic Revolution Party, who had steadily led the polls for more than a year, now is speaking even more about football.
Since telling President Vicente Fox to 'shut up' and comparing him to a chattering hen, his image has suffered. He has been touring the country, discovering along the way what a magnet football is. The most recent polls showed Lopez trailing Felipe Calderon, the candidate of Fox's PAN party.
Lopez, whose nickname AMLO is formed by his initials, has promised Mexicans something new practically every day since the beginning of the campaign. Campaigning on the slogan 'For the welfare of all,' he has pledged to reduce prices, conquer injustice and ensure that elderly people are better off. He has even promised to reduce his presidential salary should he win.
But all that will be forgotten when the national team appears on the football pitch in Germany. Recently, his handlers switched to a television spot showing AMLO with football scenes in the background. The words on the bottom of the image say: 'Andreas Manuel, Mexico is your team.'
Though Felipe Calderon is ahead in the polls, it's always wise to be cautious about enjoying a lead.
Calderon, an attorney who always turns out looking sharp, brought football into his campaign early enough. He said he wanted to make Mexico victorious, comparing the World Cup team to the national youth football team (sub-17), which last year won the world championship to the delight of the entire country.
'We cannot ignore that Mexico through and through is a football country,' said a PAN strategist.
Calderon, of course, hopes the team will be a success.
'I want Mexico to be the champion,' he recently told journalists.
It will be decided on July 1 whether Mexico for the first time in its history will make it past the quarterfinals. That would turn the country on its head.
One day later, voters in Mexico will decide the country's next president.
© 2003 - 2006 by Monsters and Critics.com, WotR Ltd. All Rights Reserved. All photos are copyright their respective owners and are used under license or with permission. * Note M&C cannot be held responsible for the content on other Web Sites.
Arts - Books - DVD - Forums - Home - Movies - Music - People & Celebrity - Science - Soundtracks - Sport - Tech - TV - World News
About Us - The Team - Advertise - Contact - Join the Team - Privacy - RSS Feeds - Site Map - Terms & Conditions - Webmasters
Servers supplied by Servint