Lopez Obrador Lead Narrows in Mexican Election Poll

Former Mexico City Mayor Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, the frontrunner in presidential polls for more than two years, saw his lead narrow in a poll released by El Universal today.

Support for Lopez Obrador, of the opposition Party of the Democratic Revolution, fell to 38 percent from 42 percent in the previous poll by the Mexico City-based newspaper. Felipe Calderon, of President Vicente Fox's National Action Party, had 34 percent support, up from 32 percent in March, Universal said.

The Universal poll is at least the third to show Lopez Obrador's lead narrowing since Calderon began running a series of campaign advertisements attacking the frontrunner last month. The ads have compared Lopez Obrador to socialist Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and claimed he would cause an economic crisis as president.

``Calderon's campaign found something that resonates,'' John Bailey, who directs Georgetown University's Mexico project, said in a telephone interview from Washington, D.C. ``Negative advertising works.''

Former Tabasco state Governor Roberto Madrazo of the Institutional Revolutionary Party remained in third place in the Universal poll with 25 percent, compared with 24 percent in March.
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Calderon began attacking Lopez Obrador after the former mayor last month told Fox to ``shut up'' using informal Spanish during a campaign stop.

One ad alternates images of Lopez Obrador and Chavez in a November speech, when the Venezuelan leader warned Fox: ``Don't mess with me, sir.'' Another ad labels Lopez Obrador a ``danger to Mexico'' and claims the type of public spending that marked his tenure as mayor would bankrupt the country.

Lopez Obrador said today during his morning television program in Mexico City that his adversaries have begun running negative campaign ads because they are ``desperate.'' Lopez Obrador said he wouldn't retaliate.

``I am not accustomed to lying,'' he said. ``I am not going to get involved in the mud war.''