Polls: Support for Chavez government falling

Public support for President Hugo Chavez’s government has significantly declined, according to two polls published on Tuesday.

Some 34% of Venezuelans surveyed said they support Chavez’s government, down from a high of 67% in early 2005, to the lowest level in five years, a quarterly survey of 2,000 Venezuelans by Caracas pollster Datos found.

The poll was published by the Caracas-based newspaper El Nacional, which said it had a margin of error of 2.2 percentage points and was carried out last month in cities and towns representing 75% of Venezuela’s population….

Another survey, by Venezuelan pollster Alfredo Keller, showed that 37% of Venezuelans questioned identified themselves as Chavez supporters in February, down from 50% in mid-2007.

Chavez’ moves towards a Marxist socialism is having its usual effect on the economic situation:

Polls have consistently shown that rampant crime is a major concern to Venezuelans. Double-digit inflation has also accelerated, and sporadic shortages of milk and other food products persist.

Meanwhile, apparently the usual lib apologists attempt to explain things away:

Mark Weisbrot, co-director of the Washington-based Center for Economic and Policy Research, was skeptical of the polls’ results, citing Chavez’s longstanding popularity and the growth of the country’s oil-rich economy. “Obviously, Chavez has been affected by these food shortages,” said Weisbrot, who has supported Chavez’s policies.

This is worth some examination.

First, the assertion that Venezuela’s economy is growing. Obviously the curse of economic growth is causing the food shortages, and inflation. Sounds like a healthy economy to the Chief. Not.

Secondly, there is the point that there are food shortages at all. D’ya think that just MAYBE food shortages might cause people to think less of the leadership of their gloriously “progressive” socialist government?

DUH! The sooner Chavez is gone from the scene, the better it will be for Venezuela.