Despite the relentless jingoistic media hyperbole, the London Olympic Games have been a fun and thrilling time for locals and visitors. The residents of a city often regarded as dour, inhibited and indifferent to tourists have blossomed, at least temporarily, into demonstrative, congenial, flag-waving patriots.

I am a physician, with thirty years experience in emergency medicine, family practice and occupational medicine, and find that Obama Care (Affordable Care Act — ACA) that was rammed down our throats is even more onerous now that we have been allowed to read it.

The political buzz is starting to crank up with the U.S. presidential election a mere three months away. Many American (and other) expats in Mexico will keenly follow the campaigns of incumbent president Barack Obama and challenger Mitt Romney all the way down to the wire.  Both Democrat and Republican supporters will be actively canvassing the vote, especially in the Lake Chapala area. The Reporter will also be shadowing the build up to November’s election and is committed to giving both sides of the political divide equal opportunity to express their views. In this edition we begin publishing the first of a series of editorials on key campaign issues penned by local political activists. This week it’s the turn of Democrats Abroad; in our next edition the Lakeside Tea Party will give their response.

“The city is buzzing but the jury is still out” was how one U.S. reporter described to me the mood in London, just over 24 hours before the opening ceremony of the 2012 Olympic Games.

Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO) was well within his rights to demand a recount after thousands of “anomalies” were detected in many of the 140,000-plus polling station returns submitted after Sunday’s presidential election.