Hugo Chavez holds an insurmountable lead in two late
November polls - one by Ipsos Venezuela/the AP-Ipsos
Poll and the other by Zogby International-University
of Miami. Both were released on November 24 and are
the most current and reliable data available and are
consistent with most independent poll results for
months. This is in stark contrast to several
fraudulent US National Endowment of Democracy
(NED)-financed oligarch-run ones published to create a
false perception of public sentiment in preparation
for cries of fraud once the election results are in.
This is now standard US operating practice in all
developing countries when Washington fears an
unacceptable electoral outcome, so it tries to subvert
the democratic process by engineering one in its
favor. That's how it's playing out in Venezuela now
where things are in place to create the myth of what's
impossible to achieve in fact to help Washington pull
off its scheme to remove the main "threat" to its
hegemony in the hemisphere. It's not likely to work
any better now than in the failed 2002 coup attempt,
but there will be mass-staged street protests that may
get violent before it's over proving it.
Here's what's now going on. The Washington-based and
NED-funded Penn, Schoen & Berland polling organization
is part of the scheme to depose Chavez and has set up
camp in Venezuela working with the opposition to do
what they're expert at - putting out phony polling
data currently showing main opposition candidate
Manuel Rosales closing the gap and almost pulling even
with Hugo Chavez as the December 3 election date
approaches. Baloney, but that doesn't stop the
Venezuelan corporate media from reporting it saying
"The momentum is clearly with Rosales," and it looks
like he can win.
If past Penn, Schoen & Berland tactics are prologue,
expect their pre-election poll number-rigging to be
supplemented with equally fraudulent exit polls on
election day showing the same kind of cooked results.
More baloney, smell included. That will be following
by blasting them all over the Venezuelan corporate
media airwaves and front pages to convey the false
impression Rosales may have won to shape public
perception in preparation for whatever
Washington-concocted scheme is planned likely
beginning on December 4.
Rosales has no chance whatever of even coming close to
winning on December 3, and the Venezuelan people know
it. They'll never tolerate a result made in
Washington that's contrary to the way they'll vote
that's pretty obvious from some "real" polling data.
Here's what the oligarchs, corporate media and
Washington suppress - and for good reason because it's
so lopsided in favor of Hugo Chavez.
The latest Ipsos/AP poll shows Chavez getting
overwhelming support from 59% of likely voters with
Rosales trailing far behind at 27%. The margin of
error is from 2.2 - 2.9%. Zogby International
confirms this showing Chavez at 60% and Rosales at
31%. It's margin of error is 3.5%. Both polls thus
show Chavez with an insurmountable 2 - 1 lead with
eight days to go before the election. Moreover, these
polls are consistent with nearly all independently-run
pre-election surveys showing Washington-selected
Rosales has no chance to win (something he knows), and
Hugo Chavez will be reelected for another six year
term as president with an impressive margin of victory
- because the great majority of Venezuelans love him
and won't allow anyone else to serve as their
president as long as he wants the job.
Here's the rub. That's not what the Bush
administration wants, virtually guaranteeing
post-election cries of fraud followed by staged street
protests with likely violence and a fourth
Washington-directed attempt to oust Chavez to prevent
him from continuing as president. The people of
Venezuela won't tolerate this kind of interference,
and that sets the stage for a turbulent period just
ahead - the many millions of Venezuelans vs. George
Bush and his failed administration visibly consumed in
the burning sands of Iraq. If some variety of that
template is the way to defeat a hegemon, it bodes well
for democracy in Venezuela but not without a struggle
to achieve it. History shows even superpowers are no
match for mass people-action when it's determined
enough to prevail. We'll soon know if it proves so
Venezuelan-style again.
Stephen Lendman can be reached at
lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. Also, visit his blog
site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.
Writings 
Hugo Chavez holds an insurmountable lead in two late
November polls - one by Ipsos Venezuela/the AP-Ipsos
Poll and the other by Zogby International-University
of Miami. Both were released on November 24 and are
the most current and reliable data available and are
consistent with most independent poll results for
months. This is in stark contrast to several
fraudulent US National Endowment of Democracy
(NED)-financed oligarch-run ones published to create a
false perception of public sentiment in preparation
for cries of fraud once the election results are in. 
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