Boric vs. Kast: who won the last debate and how to triumph in the battle for the undecided in Chile?

The far right Jose Antonio Kast and the leftist Gabriel Boric the last cards are played to reach the presidency of Chile. With two totally opposite projects for the country, the candidates fight against the clock to add the crucial vote of the undecided and of the center sectors, although what they have shown in the final stretch seems to indicate a bet not to risk too much.

While the latest polls show that the presidential race is still close and the distance between one and the other is shortened, experts point out that both candidates are committed to moderating their speeches and pointing out the rival’s shortcomings rather than convincing with their proposals, as demonstrated in the last debate before the second round of this Sunday. For analysts, the meeting did not go beyond personal attacks and was not very effective in seeking votes from the undecided and from the center sectors.

Jeanne Simon, a political scientist and professor at the University of Concepción, considers that the general impression of the debates in this campaign is that it has not been possible to go deeply into the main topics of interest to the country.

“The discussion often remains on more personal characteristics or on polarizing the differences rather than on delving into the issues. The candidates tried not to exclude or disenchant a sector of the electorate, which is highly fragmented, and their speeches remained very general. I would say that they did not live up to what is expected. Both are trying to move towards the center to win, that is why the debate was very general, without going into depth”, He tells El Comercio.

The Chilean political analyst Patricio Navia also perceived “a debate with many personal criticisms, without much discussion of ideas and proposals”. “It was a debate of contrasts between the candidates. When an election is so contested and when the differences decrease because both take more moderate positions, then the mentions of differences in styles and personal characteristics increase.”, He points out to this newspaper.

Was there a winner?

Although the debate touched on the issues of health management in a pandemic, sexual diversity, drug trafficking and pensions, the tension rose in the last block in which both candidates asked cross questions.

It was thus that the leftist candidate blamed Kast for his little tolerance and his inability to reach agreements with those who think differently, while the conservative representative reminded Boric of a case of harassment for which he took nine years to apologize.

Kast closed his participation stating that “Difficult times are coming and a government is required that provides stability, that speaks the truth, that exercises prudence and authority. Vote for that government that guarantees that Chile will grow again in order, peace and justice”.

Meanwhile, Boric assured that his bet is for “To meet again as a country and to advance in a more just and stable way, which can only be achieved with social justice. If anyone wants to continue with the four years of Piñera’s bad government, there you have your candidate (Kast), if you want a real change, I invite you to be part of our project”.

Who performed better? “I believe that nobody, this was a debate in which the candidates spoke a lot to their own electorate”Javier Sajuria, Chilean academic, professor of Political Science at Queen Mary University of London and director of the Espacio Público foundation, tells El Comercio.

However, he considers that Boric “It was a little more effective in going to capture those votes that are remaining in the center, but I do not think it is such a high gain and probably the votes that it has been able to add are from a segment that was still thinking of voting for Boric.”

Regarding Kast’s performance, the expert points out that although after the first round the ultra-rightist had a speech in which he showed amplitude and in which he tried to talk about all Chileans, over time it seems that he and his team have realized that this strategy does not work for them. “In return, what they have done is go to polarize and openly seek to demobilize the more moderate voters because they have already realized that they will not be able to convince them”.

Navia notes that Kast, with a fairly aggressive turnout, did not do well in the debate and was unsuccessful in coming out seeking the support of moderate voters. However, he considers that neither of the two applicants for La Moneda stood out much above the other.

“Both sought rather to invite their bases to vote, rather than try to attract the undecided. That is, both were taking more moderate positions, but they also tried to highlight above all why it was not good to vote for their rivals, rather than why it was good to vote for themselves.s, ”he adds.

Simon asks not to forget that the difference between the candidates is that Kast has a much more conservative project in terms of values, much more focused on the private sector as the engine of the economy, while Boric’s left is addressing more issues of social justice, betting on generating a greater role for the State, a greater public space.

“I find that Boric is looking to give nuances to his arguments and has managed to show himself as more than just a student leader, which is how he became known. Now, from the beginning, the fortress of Kast has been a clear, simple message, based especially on security and order. But I consider that neither of them managed to convince the undecided, each one was speaking mainly to the sectors closest to their position. All in all, I think Boric did a better job”, Says the analyst.

Strategies for the final stretch

The big unknowns now are how the candidates will hone their strategies in these last days and if their efforts will be enough to capture the votes they need to win.

“In the case of Boric, I believe that he has set a fairly efficient course by showing himself as a person who, maintaining his convictions on the left, is open to dialogue. I believe that he will stay in that line. In the case of Kast, the biggest bet he can make is the one he is making, which is to continue polarizing the debate to the point where for many moderate people going to vote becomes something they do not want to do, his final goal may be that fewer people go to vote”, Dice Sajuria.

For his part, Simon believes that in this final stretch Boric will seek to strengthen “that argument of hope that reinforces your campaign“, While Kast will continue to bet on the”fear and safety importance messages associated with your project”.

The expert emphasizes that the main challenge for both candidates will be that people go out to vote since the election is expected to be quite close. In Chile, suffrage is not compulsory.

“Some surveys that have been circulating, although they cannot be made public, show that it is still a fairly competitive choice. I would say that the most important thing in the last part is to make sure that people go out to vote. The negative campaign that has been generated against either of the two candidates can cause people who are more indecisive or who are less motivated to decide not to go out to vote”, recalca Simon.

Navia thinks along the same lines: “The important thing now for both candidates is to get their supporters to vote. The polls showed Boric up a few days ago, but I get the impression that everything will depend on how many people go out to vote and who goes out to vote. If more young people come out Boric will probably win; if they go, rather, older people will probably win Kast. But I do not think that at the last minute many people will be convinced, what we do not know is who will go out to vote”, He concludes.

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