Two Presidents Try to Concentrate Power, with Different Results

Yesterday's elections in Russia and Venezuela were watched around the world for signs of how democracy is faring in those very different countries. Vladimir Putin and Hugo Chavez were both accused of unfairly using government resources to influence elections important to their own political futures. In Russia, the results went as expected and Putin won, but Venezuela saw what can only be called an upset. Chavez lost.  Moisés Naím, editor-in-chief of Foreign Policy magazine, was Venezuela's Minister of Trade and Industry before Chavez took power.