[lbo-talk] NYT: Chavez loses, 51% to 49%; Chavez does concede on TV

[Mr. WD]

I'll certainly defer to anyone who has paid more attention to
Venezuela than I have, but my impression is that this defeat isn't
such a bad thing.  Sure, the overwhelming passage of the referendum
would have been great, but a 51/49 victory wouldn't have given Chavez
much of a mandate -- and the press would have jumped on even the
smallest irregularity in voting as evidence  the results were rigged,
that Chavez is a really a dictator, etc.  Now it'll be hard for anyone
to argue credibly to popular audiences that Venezuela isn't really a
democracy.  Additionally, I question the long term viability of any
revolution centered on one person.  If Chavez has to deal with term
limits, that will force the chavistas to groom new leaders who can
carry the revolution forward if something happens to Chavez.

Anyone think I'm off base here?
-WD