Chavez: In Or Out?...UPDATED...Socialism Rejected!

~Snooper~

Complete coverage at memeorandum:

HT to Dean's World

Caracas Chronicles:

Quico says: Venezuela rejects authoriarianism. It's a historic day. The myth of Chavez the invincible is no more.

Let us all pray so.

[UPDATE(S)] Apparently, the Power Grab Machine has failed the would be Castro Wannabe...

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has narrowly lost a referendum on controversial constitutional changes.

Voters rejected the sweeping reforms by a margin of 51% to 49%, the chief of the National Electoral Council said.

Mr Chavez described the defeat as a "photo finish", and urged followers not to turn it into a point of conflict.

Correspondents say the opposition could barely hide their delight and that the victory will put the brakes on Mr Chavez's "Socialist revolution".

I can hardly wait to hear the Libtards whine.

The Jawa Report: (kinda funny, actually when you read the whole post)

As is with any tin pot dictatorship, results of the vote are subject to sudden, inexplicable change at any moment, comrade.

The Astute Bloggers: Good News for Democracy: Chavez Lost

Riehl World View:

[...] Fireworks in San Felipe. Chavez on cadena!!! [...]

All Freedom Loving People are loving this news. Let us pray it stays this way.

See previous ANO coverage here...

Wake Up America has a running update as well right here...they even have a Salon type whining.

From the AP Wires:

CARACAS, Venezuela - President Hugo Chavez suffered a stunning defeat Monday in a referendum that would have let him run for re-election indefinitely and impose a socialist system in this major U.S. oil provider.

Voters defeated the sweeping measures Sunday by a vote of 51 percent to 49 percent, said Tibisay Lucena, chief of the National Electoral Council, with voter turnout at just 56 percent.

She said that with 88 percent of the votes counted, the trend was irreversible.

Opposition supporters shouted with joy as Lucena announced the results on national television early Monday, their first victory against Chavez after nine years of electoral defeats.

Some broke down in tears. Others began chanting "And now he's going away!" [...]

Well, I don't know about that "going away" thing but we could only hope as much.

Congratulations Venezuelans!!

ABC News: an unprecedented defeat? Say again?

Blue Crab Boulevard: dictatorship goes down in flames...paraphrasing, naturally.

Hot Air cautions that this is unofficial but...

Political Animal is a happy camper!

Atlas Shrugs is chiming in...it seems as though the cops down yonder have started raiding the Jooooooooooos and what not.

This photo sent via a subscriber...Norm...thanks Norm!!


Breitbart is saying the vote has not yet been settled:

The New York Times:

Voters in this country narrowly defeated a proposed overhaul to the constitution in a contentious referendum over granting President Hugo Chávez sweeping new powers, the Election Commission announced early Monday. [...]

Is it me or, did that sound a little too whiny?

NEWSFLASH!!! CHAVEZ CONCEDES DEFEAT!!

Via Redstate: WaPo and CNN: In a nutshell? We win. They lose.

Wizbang sings

CBS finally steps in it:

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has lost out on a bid to become more like his hero and political ally, Fidel Castro. A measure to allow Chavez to run for re-election an unlimited times was voted down by a margin Chavez calls a "photo finish." [...]

Wizbang seems to think the photo finish was more like a landslide but Hugo is too embarrassed to say.

WSJ is also reporting that Chavez has conceded defeat.

Words of wisdom from Pajamas Media; the Chavez opposition has become muted and they wonder what Chavez is up to next.

OTB: narrow loss it is but a loss is a loss...

[...] Quite a few of us political science types figured Chávez would win, either by hook or crook, but apparently we were mistaken, which is probably good news for those concerned by the possibility of further slides to authoritarianism in Venezuela. It's possible that these amendments will be resurrected again, however, as the next legislative elections aren't due for over two years and Chávez's term doesn’t end until January 2013.

I don't have a polisci anything but I didn't think Chavez would win. Why else would he have threatened the US with oil supply and make a lame claim that the CIA was messing with the elections?

A Libtard at the Huff and Bust whines and whimpers: It seems "mister" Goldstein is "Rather" put out that a fellow socialist scum didn't get his way...

The Bushies have called Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez a dictator and a tyrant... but since when do dictators lose elections? [...]

Poor thing. It was only a matter of time before the Libtards started whining.

PoliPundit: sanity just barely prevails...

Some 5 hours later...

Gun Toting Liberal: Sean Penn handed major defeat in Venezuela

Sister Toldjah: Chavez denied

Op For: Communism denied in Venezuela

NYT (again): sad for Chavez?

The all new PoliGazette...Chavez admits to defeat!

Challenging accusations that he is a dictator-in-waiting and implicitly abandoning his earlier characterization of dissenters as "traitors", Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has accepted defeat in a referendum that would have granted him president-for-life status and allowed him to revoke basic freedoms. [...]

Macs Mind...trouble still ahead with and for Chavez

A Blog For All...poor [T]hugo...LOL!!

Another piece from the Huff and Puff...

Another collection from memeorandum...

A surprisingly good piece from Google News? Chavez? A swaggering, cocksure juggernaut?

PowerLine...poor Chavez...dreams dashed

Captain Ed wants to know if Hugo's loss vindicates him...

HWT...Venezuela rejects Chavez for now...interesting read

Chicago Ray...Good News for Venezuelans

Check out the pathetic spin attempts at The Sideshow: socialists really are a pathetic lot...

[...] I always find Hugo Chavez to be a somewhat annoying subject because he's neither the Satanic Hitler as reflected universally in our media (and it's really creepy how much he's distorted) nor the Great Savior Of The Left. He's a left wing populist with an authoritarian streak, but no matter what they say it's "left wing populist" which makes the Villagers froth, not the authoritarian part. There are plenty of dictators around the world which get respectful treatment from our media, and the anti-Democratic authoritarian actions of our own president disturb them not at all. [...]

The Leftinistra either really don't get it or, they think we are really that dumb. Nice try Lame Bird but, no "cigar" for you...

Jules Crittenden...how to become a tin pot dictator

The Weekly Standard has a Round Up: interesting point here and it explains the Libtard whining and sad attempt at spin...

[...] Of course, our left-wing friends aren't convinced that Chávez is dangerous, or even a nutcase. One Huffington Post blogger says, "But Chávez congratulating his adversaries for winning an election? That's not a dictatorship...that's a functioning Democracy." And Power Line points out that the BBC called Chávez's referendum a "reform." [...]

Concur...they really do think we are that dumb.

Wanna hear dumb? FireDumpPond wants to know who the real Dictator is...Chavez or Bush. What a bunch of libtard leftist scum sucking IDIOTS!