Another election is approaching and with it the effort of some politicians, sometimes even comical, to convey an image that they are “people like us”. In an attempt to get closer to the people and win votes, anything is possible in the political scene.
Some choose to eat the classic pastries at the fair. However, you need to be very careful. A bad bite usually generates those unwanted strands of melted cheese that can compromise the look at the time of the photo. Others innovated in the last election. The very traditional pastel was replaced by bread with condensed milk, and the formalism of social clothes gave way to football shirts.
Popular car appearances are also a device often used to reach the hearts of voters. However, the Northeast cannot be left out. For this region, the usual thing is to dress up as a cangaceiro and ride a horse.
These and other stagings make the elections a show apart. Several progressives who love to speak for the poor, but who have always lived far from poverty, go to favelas, embrace residents and strengthen ties with social movements. Many right-wing candidates prefer to stay away from the human warmth of the periphery and invest in advertising to make them more popular.
Behind the scenes of the show, the fact is hidden that many of them are not as people as we are. Several politicians have a wealth that contrasts considerably with the reality of the Brazilian population.
In 2018, with regard to the two main names that will compete for the presidency, Bolsonaro declared to have a net worth of around R$2 million, while Lula, of approximately R$8 million. This pattern is maintained when we look at the average equity declared by senators, federal and state deputies. In other words, if the intention was only to get closer to the people, most would need to eat much more pastries at the fair.
Despite this, in certain contexts, accumulated wealth can signal good management and political articulation skills. Especially when it comes to candidates who came from disadvantaged backgrounds. There are also several cases in which, interestingly, the wealth of politicians and their families rose exponentially after they entered public life.
However, contrary to what many believe, there are good candidates in all social classes. The challenge is to develop mechanisms to limit the rise of the bad and increase the chances of those born into low-income families. In a way, the way in which the political dispute occurs favors that many wealthy candidates, but as empty as some pastel de vento, arrive and remain in power.
There are several factors that contribute to this. Among them, one of the parties’ objectives is to seek to maximize the number of elected candidates. When it comes to distributing campaign resources, the most competitive ones tend to receive greater investment. However, part of the competitiveness is associated with the candidate’s level of visibility and political connections. In turn, this tends to be correlated with social class, gender, and race.
In this way, we regularly elect candidates who have money, but who do not have good projects or preparation to face Brazil’s deep social problems. Even so, high investments in advertising make several of them manage to raise sighs and snatch thousands of hearts.
To get in the mood, I don’t think there’s anything more “people like us” than popular art. So, given that I still don’t know if a political career will call me in the future, the tribute in this column goes to the song “Amor de Matar”, composed by Antônio Portugal and João Mendes, performed by the group Art Popular.
I have over 8 years of experience in the news industry. I have worked for various news websites and have also written for a few news agencies. I mostly cover healthcare news, but I am also interested in other topics such as politics, business, and entertainment. In my free time, I enjoy writing fiction and spending time with my family and friends.
