President Dilma

[The Green Goblin]

A woman President for Brazil for the first time ever tonight. Dilma has never run for elected office before, yet has managed to become President in her first run at it, although having the outgoing president with 80% approval ratings telling people that a vote for her was a vote for him probably helped. I wonder if he`ll take that statement literally and pull the strings or seek a higher position within the UN....

Anyway, it`s been a dirty campaign by both candidates since the start, with some truly awful moments to watch all round.

My wife`s grandmother asked me tonight if I wasn`t pleased that Brazil had a female leader, that it was a good thing? I said that in a Brazilian context it might help some things in society, but that I also spent most of my childhood growing up under Thatcher, and this taught me that a woman leader in itself was not automatically either a good thing or any different from a male leader.

Anyway, I was wondering - what has been the reaction to her election, if any, back home?

Cheers,

GG

[easty]

I've not heard anything about this here...

I don't think that having a female as president is necessarily a good or a bad thing, it completely depends on the individual.

[CropleyWasGod]

A woman President for Brazil for the first time ever tonight. Dilma has never run for elected office before, yet has managed to become President in her first run at it, although having the outgoing president with 80% approval ratings telling people that a vote for her was a vote for him probably helped. I wonder if he`ll take that statement literally and pull the strings or seek a higher position within the UN....

Anyway, it`s been a dirty campaign by both candidates since the start, with some truly awful moments to watch all round.

My wife`s grandmother asked me tonight if I wasn`t pleased that Brazil had a female leader, that it was a good thing? I said that in a Brazilian context it might help some things in society, but that I also spent most of my childhood growing up under Thatcher, and this taught me that a woman leader in itself was not automatically either a good thing or any different from a male leader.

Anyway, I was wondering - what has been the reaction to her election, if any, back home?

Cheers,

GG

As ever, in the blinkered world of the UK, the reaction has been a resounding ":confused:".

I was in Brazil earlier this year, and so have been following the election stuff. For me, with Lula's backing, the result was never in doubt. However, I will turn the question around.... does this mean that the stereotype of Brazil as a macho culture is being eroded?

[Betty Boop]

As ever, in the blinkered world of the UK, the reaction has been a resounding ":confused:".

I was in Brazil earlier this year, and so have been following the election stuff. For me, with Lula's backing, the result was never in doubt. However, I will turn the question around.... does this mean that the stereotype of Brazil as a macho culture is being eroded?

She was a former Marxist rebel. :greengrin

[Future17]

To be fair, it has been fairly well covered by most news media - I suppose it depends where you go for your news.

It's not exactly got the Obama-factor and folk haven't been talking about it in offices and pubs, but that;s probably because most people know little or nothing about Brazil or the significance of the nation having female president.

Most of what I've read from British media has been positive about it but the analysis does always seem to touch on whether Lula will be the real leader.

[RyeSloan]

She really has used the previous presidents success as her main tool....in fact I think it's fair to say that she was very very fortunate to have such a poor opposition candidate (there was only a run off due to a strong polling in the first election by a 3rd runner) and such resounding backing from probably the most popular President ever seen.

Her presonal politics seem a bit muddled but I suppose proof will be in the pudding...Lula was a master tactitian and managed to largely balance out the competing demands of the state and private sectors.

Whether Dilma will have the same ability or the spine to make the tough choices that Brazil will still need I'm not too sure.

Oh and I really don't understand why her being a woman rather than a man would deserve extra coverage....OK I know that equal opportunites might still have a bit to go but in my head it actually didn't cross my mind that this was exceptional at all. Considering Argentina has had a female in charge for a while it's not exactly ground breaking.

[CropleyWasGod]

She was a former Marxist rebel. :greengrin

Unlike you, you mean, who still is one??? :wink:

[The Green Goblin]

She was a former Marxist rebel. :greengrin

Yes, that came out a lot during the election, but it led to the somewhat ridiculous (imo) accusation that she was a "terrorist" for resisting a military dictatorship.

GG

[The Green Goblin]

Oh and I really don't understand why her being a woman rather than a man would deserve extra coverage....OK I know that equal opportunites might still have a bit to go but in my head it actually didn't cross my mind that this was exceptional at all. Considering Argentina has had a female in charge for a while it's not exactly ground breaking.

Indeed, but I think CropleywasGod hit it on the head:


does this mean that the stereotype of Brazil as a macho culture is being eroded?

I agree that being a woman president isn`t in itself big news these days, but for Brazil it`s a big change, as CWG said.

As for the significance of whatever the result ended up being, Brazil is fast becoming a major player in the world politically and especially economically. As of last year, the country no longer needs to import fuel/oil/petrol from abroad and has discovered a massive oil field off the coast. The currency is very strong against the pound, euro and dollar and continues to get stronger every year. Add that to the not too distant approach of the 2014 World cup and 2016 Olympics here, and you are looking at a big upward shift in status for this often overlooked and misunderstood country.

GG

[Future17]

Yes, that came out a lot during the election, but it led to the somewhat ridiculous (imo) accusation that she was a "terrorist" for resisting a military dictatorship.

GG

Well technically she was, but in this scenario that may not have been a bad thing.

[Twiglet]

Don't know what a difference it will make to the country in general. I really hope she will continue to grow Brasil into one of the best economies on the world.
I do know that Lula was loved when he came to power as he was "one of the people" if I remember correctly. I think for some that kind of wore off a bit over the years.

On the actual election, when I was out in Brasil in 2004 or 2007 (think it was when I was there in 2004) I remember thinking it was a bit peculiar how some of the campaigning was done.
The children at the childrens home I was at in Goias all ended up with t-shirts of some politician. It may not have been a national election, but a local one, but coming from Scotland it was very different.

Brasil's economy has grown so much, and the Real is so strong now. When I first went I got 5R$ to the £, then it was 3.5R$, now it's even less. That said, I'm delighted in a way that I get less for my £ as it can only mean a better future for all the children, teenagers and adults I came to know and love, though it does mean the British part of the charity that supports the home needs to raise even more.

Sorry for the slight tangent at the end there.

[The Green Goblin]

Don't know what a difference it will make to the country in general. I really hope she will continue to grow Brasil into one of the best economies on the world.
I do know that Lula was loved when he came to power as he was "one of the people" if I remember correctly. I think for some that kind of wore off a bit over the years.

On the actual election, when I was out in Brasil in 2004 or 2007 (think it was when I was there in 2004) I remember thinking it was a bit peculiar how some of the campaigning was done.
The children at the childrens home I was at in Goias all ended up with t-shirts of some politician. It may not have been a national election, but a local one, but coming from Scotland it was very different.

Brasil's economy has grown so much, and the Real is so strong now. When I first went I got 5R$ to the £, then it was 3.5R$, now it's even less. That said, I'm delighted in a way that I get less for my £ as it can only mean a better future for all the children, teenagers and adults I came to know and love, though it does mean the British part of the charity that supports the home needs to raise even more.

Sorry for the slight tangent at the end there.

Good post and no tangent - it`s all relevant and interesting to hear of your experiences in Goias. Yeah, the real against the pound on exe is now around 2.8, but I have seen it as low as 2.6. The big question is whether the new found wealth and economic strength will be invested inwards for the good of the people who need it, or if the bulk of it will end up in the pockets of half the politicians. Sadly, corruption is rife here amongst politicians. I know it`s the same everywhere you go, but here it happens on a much larger scale.

GG