Mexico returns to normality

James C. McKinley reports in the New York Times that after an interesting period of protest, Mexico is now returning to normal: Supporters of a leftist candidate who narrowly lost the presidential election this summer were tearing down five miles of tents on Thursday that have blockaded this capital?s central avenues for six weeks. ?It?s an emotional situation,? Juan Guti?rrez Calva, 45, a street vendor, said as he packed up his tent. ?I?m calm. I?m not sad or happy. It was always clear that we were not going to advance much toward a real democracy in this country.? The move signaled a shift by their leader, Andr?s Manuel L?pez Obrador, the former mayor of Mexico City, who says he was robbed of an election victory. Having lost a legal battle for a full recount, and facing a steady defection of supporters, Mr. L?pez Obrador is now striving to find a way to remain a political force over the coming six years, while Felipe Calder?n, a conservative, serves as president. It is an interesting irony that one of the reasons for this is Mr. L?pez Obrador's self-defeating strategy -- by alienating so many of his supporters, he created a consensus for Calder?n that did not exist at the time of the election: Now even Mr. L?pez Obrador?s aides acknowledge that he is losing some support among middle-class liberals and influential leftist politicians and intellectuals, as Mexicans seem prepared to move on from the election dispute, even if Mr. L?pez Obrador is not. The founder of his party, Cuauht?moc C?rdenas, for instance, published a letter on Thursday accusing Mr. L?pez Obrador and his inner circle of being intolerant of dissent. ?It worries me profoundly, the intolerance and demonization, the dogmatic attitude that prevails around Andr?s Manuel for those of us who do not accept unconditionally his proposals and who question his points of view and decisions,? he wrote. And Carlos Fuentes, the giant of Mexican letters, also assailed Mr. L?pez Obrador this week for continuing to insist there was widespread fraud in the election, while he never challenged the elections of his party?s members to the Legislature. ?There could have been fraud in the Chamber of Deputies, there could have been fraud in the Senate, but there wasn?t,? he said. ?There was only fraud for the presidency of the republic. How strange, no? I don?t believe it.? There have been other signs of weakening support. Mr. L?pez Obrador?s party voted down a slate of his closest allies for leadership positions in Congress, choosing the leaders of other factions. Two prominent governors from his party have also recognized Mr. Calder?n?s victory. The questioning extends to the voters. Several said in interviews that the prolonged blockade of the city?s central avenues and main square, as well as Mr. L?pez Obrador?s refusal to concede defeat, only confirmed the accusations of his political enemies that he was autocratic and had little regard for courts or the law.