America would benefit from a Bolsonaro victory in Brazilian election
- Polling shows Bolsonaro clinging to a 51% edge, which in political terms is about as stable as a Jenga tower in an earthquake.
- The article frames the race as a simple binary—which is convenient, since nuanced policy debates are so 2019.
- Lula's star has dimmed, but he's far from dead; his machine nochurns out votes like a rusty but stubborn tractor.
- The tagline mentions Trump, China, and the economy—because, of course, the U.S. is the real center of the universe in this hemispheric drama.
- A Bolsonaro win would reportedly be 'beneficial' for America, according to this op-ed—which is precisely the kind of self-serving logic that makes neighbors love us.
Brief Summary
Buckle up, because Brazil's presidential runoff is here, and the Washington Examiner has decided that a Bolsonaro victory is just what the doctor ordered for Uncle Sam. The piece breathlessly notes that Flavio Bolsonaro (clearly a different Bolsonaro, because the original one is apparently busy or banned) leads with 51%—a number that sounds reassuring until you remember that polls have been wrong before, and these are the same people who predicted a red wave that never crested. Lula, the socialist incumbent, is apparently the devil in this narrative, so the column treats a right-wing strongman as the lesser of two evils, which is a bold strategy Cotton, let's see if it pays off. The article is paywalled, so the actual policy arguments are locked tighter than a Brazilian bank vault, but the gist is that America's geopolitical interests would be better served by a conservative in Brasília. It's a classic case of 'pragmatism' that conveniently ignores the whole 'democracy' thing when it doesn't fit the preferred outcome, and it reads like a wishlist disguised as news. Still, the outcome matters because a Brazil under Bolsonaro—or Lula—will inevitably sway trade, environmental policy, and the global balance of power in ways that hit your wallet and your newsfeed.
Why This Matters
For the average American, this isn't just about rooting for a favorite team in a South American cage match; it's about the cost of your groceries and the price of your gasoline. Brazil is a agricultural superpower and a commodity heavyweight, so its leadership will directly dictate whether your soybeans, beef, and crude oil prices go up or down. A Bolsonaro win might mean friendlier trade deals and a more predictable U.S.-aligned partner, but it also comes with the distinct possibility of instability and Amazon deforestation that could spark global climate backlash. Meanwhile, a Lula victory could shift Brazil toward socialist policies that might spook markets, but it could also stabilize social unrest and give you a more predictable—if less sympathetic—trading partner. Either way, you're not just a spectator; you're a participant whose bank account and grocery bill are on the ballot. The real kicker is that neither candidate is exactly a saint, and the 'benefit' to America is mostly a corporate fantasy that rarely trickles down to your paycheck.