Obama may want to throw this one in the unsolicited communist dictator endorsement pile. From CNN [4]: "President Barack Obama received one endorsement he definitely did not ask for Monday: Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. The leftist leader and strong man, who has used strong anti-United States language in his political rallies and official speeches, told state-owned VTV, "In the point of view of his politics, if I were voting, I would vote for Obama and I believe that if Obama was from Caracas, he would vote for Chavez." Whatever one says or thinks about the Caracas head guy who recently is quoted as saying that [5]"perhaps Mars had life at one time but then evil capitalism showed up and finished the planet off" (and Mars didn't build that life he forgot to add) or his foray into US elections, where he now shares the view of socialist Europe, he sure knows a gold bar in the local safe is worth two in the LBMA vaults in London.
More:
"I am positive, Obama is a good guy," said the Venezuelan president, who has led his country since 1999 but is facing his strongest challenge in years. The outspoken, socialist leader is predicted to win a sweeping victory.
Chavez became well known for using strong anti-American rhetoric against former President George W. Bush, whom he called a "devil" and also referred to as a drunk.
Things seemed to be changing in 2009, when Chavez and Obama met during the Summit of the Americas. The two leaders shook hands and Chavez presented Obama with the book "Open Veins of Latin America: Five Centuries of the Pillage of a Continent."
Chavez spoke highly of a newly elected Obama during a rambling speech at the U.N. General Assembly, calling Obama an "intelligent man" and compared him to President John F. Kennedy.
Since then, however, Chavez has largely backed off his kinder approach to the American president, calling Obama a "great disappointment" in an interview with CNN en Español's Juan Carlos Lopez in 2010.
Perhaps this is sincere... Perhaps it is all just a reverse communist ploy: just like the "Evil Empire" was destroyed after it spent itself into oblivion in the great US arms race, so the communist world will have the last laugh as it is now America's turn to add another $8 trillion in debt in the next 4 years (incidentally, irrelevant of who is president).