He still wears his cowboy boots and his silver belt buckle that has his last name on it. He's not the stiff, distant president that has been the style of Mexico for the last 71 years. The new Mexican foreign minister, Jorge Castaneda, told me a couple days ago that now that the Mexican government has all the credentials of democracy and that nobody can question the legitimacy of the Mexican government, that it is time for Mexico to be taken more seriously. And he would hope that the United States would start considering Mexico as more than just a neighbor, but as a diplomatic partner in tackling multilateral issues. He would like to see the relationship take on a new dimension, to go beyond bilateral relations.
Today's a holiday, so the streets are much more quiet than usual.
Here at Zocalo, Mexico City's main square, people are starting to gather. There is going to be a popular celebration tonight organized by the Fox inaugural group. There is a general festive mood. I wouldn't say dancing in the streets but people certainly seem happy. People see that as a good thing, some people see it as an overture of sorts.