MEDIA REACTION ON THE U.S ELECTIONS, NOVEMBER 5,

UNCLAS TEGUCIGALPA 002510

SIPDIS

FOR WHA/PDA (OHILTON),WHA/CEN

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OIIP PREL KPAO PGOV KDEM HO
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION ON THE U.S ELECTIONS, NOVEMBER 5,
2004



1. Editorial in Tegucigalpa-based moderate daily "El
Heraldo" on 11/5, entitled "Democratic Defeat." "Not even
the active support of several Hollywood stars, the most
influential media outlets, academics, organizations of all
kinds, including relatives of 9/11 victims and soldiers who
died or are still fighting in Iraq, or the failures and
mistakes of President Bush were enough for the Democrats to
regain the White House. To make matters worse, they got
even weaker in the House of Representatives and the Senate."

"Their bet on the vote of young people and a massive turnout
that the experts on Kerry's side saw as their key to
success, didn't yield the results expected. Although young
people voted mostly for Kerry and this election had the
largest turnout in history, the Republicans exploited to a
great extent the fear of terrorism, and they relied on
Christian conservatism, mainly in the rural areas and the
mid-size cities in the Midwest and South."

"Besides, the Democrats stressed too much the defects of
Bush rather than the virtues of their candidate. They were
also unable to grasp the idea that their opponents were
firmly rooted in the ideological dogmatism, and against it,
not even the truth is an effective tool."

Palmer