[EM] Romanian 2009 main candidates -- sketches

[Warren Smith]

http://rangevoting.org/Romania2009MainCanddts.txt

gives brief sketches of some of the major candidates.

Can we now invent a plausible-sounding story explaining the cycle(s)?
Well...  here is some grist for that mill...

Reasons to prefer Oprescu>Basescu:
  Oprescu not accused of corruption, links to wealthy special
interests, hitting children,
  nasty personal style, and had not been subject of an impeachment attempt.
  Maybe voters like the fact O is independent.  Basescu says
progressive (non-flat) tax is
  "mistake."

Reasons to prefer Basescu>Geoana:
   Basescu wants to cut govt spending, says govt is "burden on the
backs of the citizens";
   Geoana wants more govt investment.
   Basescu supposedly won debate vs Geoana (Basescu web page:
   "According to a survey by the ongoing site realitatea.net "Who do
you think won the
  debate" Basescu 8587, Geoana 2580, though I'm not sure I believe
Basescu's count).
   Geoana also accused of corruption and links to special interests, perhaps to
   a greater extent than Basescu.   Foreign-residing Romanians voted 79% for
   Basescu>Geoana,   supposedly liked Basescu's stance that, e.g. Moldovan
   Romanians   should easily get Romanian citizenship.  Geoana has at
least been
  associated with those, like former foreign minister Diaconescu, who
are against that or at
  least want to limit it.

Reasons to prefer Geoana>Oprescu:
    Maybe they like G's foreign experience (as US ambassador and many
other diplomatic posts) whereas Oprescu has virtually zero.  Maybe
they think G will have party support in parliament and O as an
independent would not.



-- 
Warren D. Smith
http://RangeVoting.org  <-- add your endorsement (by clicking
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and
math.temple.edu/~wds/homepage/works.html