And now, Aécio?
Senator Aécio Neves (PSDB-MG) faces a double challenge: avoiding betrayals and defections among the PSDB members, who are already supporting Marina Silva, and not losing in Minas Gerais, where his candidate, Pimenta da Veiga, is far behind the PT candidate Fernando Pimentel; yesterday, the campaign leadership in Minas Gerais changed; for the senator, it is vital to preserve the Minas Gerais political machine, which gives him power and influence nationally; is it still possible to turn the tide in these two matches, or at least in one of them?
247 - Falling in the polls after the emergence of Marina Silva as a presidential candidate, Senator Aécio Neves (PSDB) is scrambling to prevent betrayals within his own party and stop the flow of donations to his PSB opponent. Adding to the complexity of this operation, Aécio also needs to avoid defeat in Minas Gerais, his main political stronghold, where the PSDB candidate Pimenta da Veiga risks being defeated in the first round by the PT candidate Fernando Pimentel.
Aécio's countermeasures on both fronts have already begun to be implemented.
In the states, the national campaign coordination requested more airtime for the presidential candidate in the regional schedule of free radio and TV advertising for the PSDB candidates. One of Aécio's most loyal supporters, the governor of Goiás, Marconi Perillo, who is leading in the polls, promptly agreed to the request.
In São Paulo, however, the country's largest electoral college, Governor Geraldo Alckmin (PSDB) took the opposite approach, showing a video of Congressman Beto Albuquerque (PSB), Marina's running mate.
It is in São Paulo where Aécio faces the most difficulties in bringing his supporters into line, despite having Senator Aloysio Nunes (SP) as his running mate. This is likely largely due to the fact that Alckmin and former governor José Serra attribute part of their defeats in the 2006 and 2010 presidential elections to Aécio's "lack of commitment" to the campaign.
In the haze of a difficult week, Aécio was even betrayed by discouragement last Wednesday (27), after receiving information from surveys, confirmed by Datafolha, that he was declining in the polls. “Look, Aloysio, I don’t know where we’re going to end up, but knowing that I’m going to get there with you is already a victory,” he said, thanking his vice-president for his encouragement. After that, he showed no more signs of pessimism, at least not in public.
Nationally, Aécio intends to present himself as the safe alternative between the president who "failed" and a candidate full of good intentions, but still "too early" to implement her ideas. Criticism remains vigorous against Dilma Rousseff, the Workers' Party candidate seeking re-election, especially regarding the direction of the economy. But this may not be enough, which could lead the PSDB campaign to escalate its attacks against Marina.
In Minas Gerais, where maintaining power is vital for Aécio to continue to be a prominent national leader, the leadership of the local campaign has changed. Federal deputy Alexandre Silveira (PSD) has left, and former state Secretary of Government Danilo de Castro, Aécio's main political strategist in the state and coordinator of the victorious campaigns of 2002, 2006, and 2010 (with Antonio Anastasia), has taken over.
In Minas Gerais, Aécio's candidate, former minister Pimenta da Veiga, trails between 14 and 17 percentage points behind the Workers' Party candidate, Fernando Pimentel, depending on the poll. Andrea Neves, Aécio's sister and national communications coordinator, will focus more on the state. Pimenta da Veiga's campaign strategy is to intensify attacks on Pimentel in an already tense campaign with mutual accusations.
Aécio is expected to appear more frequently in Pimenta's campaign. Before that, however, the presidential candidate will have to consolidate his national staff, who want to see him on more trips around Brazil.