BY THE time Brazilians pick their president on October 26th they will have few nails left to bite. Three polls published on the eve of the tightest and tetchiest election Brazil has ever seen suggest the race will go to a photo-finish. After trailing Aécio Neves, of the centre-right Party of Brazilian Social Democracy (PSDB), by a whisker, the left-wing incumbent, Dilma Rousseff this week opened up a sizeable six-to-eight point lead. But on the final straight Mr Neves has picked up pace. He still trails by four and six points in surveys by two most reputable pollsters, IBOPE and Datafolha, respectively. But momentum seems once again to be with him.
Mr Neves has shown a knack for confounding expectations. As Marina Silva, a charismatic centrist, soared in the polls, he looked out of the running. Then, in an unprecedented surge days before the first round on October 5th, propelled by an assured performance in an important televised debate and the PSDB’s tireless canvassing, he leapt past Ms Silva and into the run-off. On polling day he notched up 34%, eight points less than Ms Rousseff, even though polls had him trailing by 18 on the eve of the...Continue reading
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