A coalition of 14 parties is launching Perillo's reelection campaign.
A meeting of the governing group this Saturday was marked by appeals from deputies, mayors, and senators for the incumbent governor to run again; Perillo did not confirm his candidacy, but said he would not shy away from the fight and gave a harsh speech against the opposition; "I am not afraid of angry faces, money, or the powerful. I am a man of struggle, I have fallen and risen again. Their main projects are empty criticism and the desire for power for power's sake," stated the governor; this action of support for Perillo comes at a time when he is rising in the polls and the opposition is deepening its internal crises.
José Barbacena, from Goiás247 - Marconi Perillo's allied base is paying close attention to the opposition's movements. And after Júnior Friboi, from the PMDB, and Antônio Gomide, from the PT, were launched into the race for governor in 2014, this Saturday it was Perillo's group, made up of 14 parties, that definitively placed the PSDB candidate in the running for reelection.
"I'm not afraid of angry faces, money, or powerful people. I'm a fighter, I've fallen and gotten back up. I'm not afraid because I have you, the activists, on my side," said Marconi.
The governor did not officially announce his candidacy, but adopted a strong tone against his rivals and made it clear that he will be a key player in the fight for the Palácio das Esmeraldas (Governor's Palace). The governor's acclamation took place in the morning at the Allied Base Meeting, in the auction ring of the Capital's Agricultural Exhibition Park.
Upon arriving at the venue, around 11:20 AM, Perillo was greeted with applause from approximately 3 people present. The first major leader to speak, Senator Lúcia Vânia, was responsible for launching Perillo's candidacy in the 2014 election.
She said that the activists wouldn't accept him not being a candidate and criticized his opponents. "You have an army of activists with you, Governor. Our opponents think they can defeat us, they're wrong. We have proposals and work to do," the congresswoman stated.
The government's attacks focused on the opposition's lack of proposals, which, according to Perillo, "only wants power for power's sake." "Their main projects are empty criticism and the desire for power for its own sake. They have no proposals for the state, they don't listen to the people," Marconi concluded.
Emotion
The event took on the characteristics of a campaign as soon as a video showcasing Perillo's political career was displayed on the screen. Images of the then-young Marconi during the 1998 campaign, mixed with photos of former governor Henrique Santillo (Perillo's main influence) and more images of works from the current administration, moved the governor.
Sitting next to Senator Lúcia Vânia, Marconi pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped away his tears.
Strategy
Perillo's veiled launch of his reelection campaign comes at a time when the governor is experiencing the peak of a positive agenda that began in the second half of this year, and the opposition is fighting amongst itself to figure out how it will unite for 2014.
Júnior Friboi bypassed Iris Rezende's leadership and became the official pre-candidate for governor of the PMDB party. The PT party didn't like the maneuver and launched the mayor of Anápolis, Antônio Gomide. Friboi was startled by the PT's appetite for the governorship and said that if the PT does indeed support a candidate for governor, he and his group in the PMDB will try to form an alliance with the DEM and PSB parties.
The PT (Workers' Party) was furious with what it called Friboi's "electoral blackmail" and reaffirmed its right to run for the top spot on the ticket in the alliance between the two parties.
On the government side, there is only one candidate: Marconi Perillo. Two polls released this week have further encouraged the allied base. On Monday, a survey by the Fortiori Institute published by the newspaper Diário da Manhã showed the governor leading in all scenarios.
The Ibope poll numbers, released yesterday, revealed an 8 percentage point increase in the governor's approval rating (from 21% to 29%), and in the "manner of governing" category, Perillo obtained the same rating as President Dilma Rousseff, 48%. In terms of public trust, the PSDB candidate surpassed the PT candidate, reaching 44%.