The IMF, for one, made it clear that a victory by the left would spell disaster for Brazil's attempt at stemming the tide of economic deterioration. As leader of South America's most populous country and the continent's economic powerhouse, this is Cardoso's chance to leave his mark on history. As far as the left is concerned, the struggle is on to fit the pieces together again. Cardoso leads a powerful anti-leftist coalition. Obviously, the Brazilian voters discounted his claims, and his protestations have stirred barely a ripple.
Ideals are fine, ideology is out.
Lula was the Workers Party presidential candidate in the 1989 and 1994 elections. Smaller leftist political parties such as the Democratic Labour Party and the Brazilian Labour Party did much worse this time round. No independent candidacies are permitted in the country and all candidates for the National Congress must belong to a registered political party. One of the primary methods of election campaigning in Brazil is the use of free television air time. The amount of air time awarded to a candidate is determined by his or her party's strength in the National Congress.