Tabata intensifies pre-candidacy and targets Nunes and Boulos – 12/11/2023 – Power

PSB’s name to São Paulo City Hall, Tabata Amaral has a ready answer for those who describe her as a third way in the dispute currently led by Guilherme Boulos (PSOL) and Ricardo Nunes (MDB).

The federal deputy immediately tries to remove the label, saying that it has been intended for those who come in third place. This was her position in the Datafolha survey in August, in which she scored 11%, behind her colleague in the Chamber (32%) and the current mayor (24%).

Tabata exchanged the wavering tone about his pre-candidacy that he displayed until mid-year for a mayoral agenda. Dividing herself between Brasília and São Paulo, in recent weeks she has intensified the pace of dinners with potential supporters and donors, interviews in which she criticizes Nunes and Boulos, conversations with party leaders and meetings with the team.

Last weekend, she gained evidence when she released a video on her social networks in which she reported having been injured after an attempted robbery in the central region of São Paulo. Tabata said that violence took over the capital of São Paulo. “I’ve never felt so unsafe in my city.”

Since declaring herself a pre-candidate in an interview with Sheet in September, the parliamentarian has been working to dispel impressions such as that she would be doomed to be Boulos’ vice-president or that her candidacy will not be valid and could be overturned at any time by the PSB leadership.

Allies report that Tabata sought to surround himself with guarantees before putting his name out there. First, he secured the blessing of the two main leaders of the PSB in the state, vice-president Geraldo Alckmin and minister Márcio França, who will stand on the platform opposite that of Lula (PT), Boulos’ electoral leader.

Alckmin and França had already endorsed the agreement that in 2022 made the deputy municipal president of the PSB. In addition to reducing the risks to her candidacy, her arrival as director gave her the power to decide priorities, such as offering training courses for councilor candidates, especially women.

In mid-August, Tabata scheduled a meeting in the capital of São Paulo with a group to help her raise her candidacy. They were direct assistants, volunteers from his previous campaigns and professionals in areas such as opinion polls, digital communication and fundraising.

She also opened the search for a marketer, later closing with Pablo Nobel, the Argentine responsible for the successful campaign of Tarcísio de Freitas (Republicans) for governor.

Initially, the deputy thought that this phase would occur later, but the anticipation of clashes between Boulos and Nunes, with the indirect participation of Lula and former president Jair Bolsonaro (PL), and the pressure to take part in the succession debate in capital forced her to move.

It was necessary, when defining Tabata’s surroundings, to turn the key to reconcile the activities of parliamentary life — seen as crucial to counteract the inexperienced image — with the pre-campaign.

Adaptations of form and content came, with their social media profiles reflecting more city issues. The mandate’s agendas, such as education and women’s rights, began to be interspersed with local issues, such as the works of the current administration and the Enel blackout.

The deputy was also advised to increase her presence in the press as a pre-candidate and use every opportunity to showcase herself to the population. According to Datafolha, 50% of São Paulo residents say they don’t know Tabata. Of the 50% who identify it, only 13% say they know it well.

The dinner routine — which sacrifices the deputy’s evenings, used to waking up at 6 am to exercise — also plays the role of bringing her closer to opinion leaders. She has used closed meetings to test the discourse on thorny topics such as public security and cracolândia.

At the end of November, the pre-candidate was received at the home of filmmaker Bruno Barreto, in Higienópolis (central region), for one of these presentation rounds.

He spoke about his career and aspirations to an audience of around 20 people. They were cultural producers, businesspeople and others interested in politics, who that night heard Tabata make the pun about third way, signaling her discomfort in being associated with the expression.

“I didn’t know her personally, but I always admired her”, says Barreto to Sheet. “Politicians generally monologue, but she has the ability to listen and gives a speech that is not theoretical-utopian, but practical, from someone who grew up on the outskirts, knew and experienced the problems”, continues the host.

On these occasions, the deputy usually asks for donations to the party, a way of financing the pre-candidacy until the electoral fund arrives, and collects suggestions for mobilization and the government plan.

Barreto claims that he has already decided his vote. “My perception and that of everyone [no jantar] is that she is, by far, the best. Have experience [no Executivo]? No. But it will form a picture [de colaboradores]. She has experience in politics, she is already in her second term in Congress.”

Tabata attracted members of the administrations Bruno Covas (PSDB), Fernando Haddad (PT) and Gilberto Kassab (who moved between DEM and PSD when he was mayor) to the group that will formulate his proposals. It also has the support of Alckmin’s assistants during the period in which he was governor.

Faced with reservations about her inexperience, she even suggests a comparison between her parliamentary performance, which began in 2019, and that of Boulos, who took office this year. The pessebist cites the difficulty of dialogue as his opponent’s defect — an image he has been trying to deconstruct.

With a hybrid position, which combines left and right views, Tabata says she is open to talking to everyone. She deals with mandate demands and pre-campaign issues with a diverse list, which includes minister Fernando Haddad (Finance), Tarcísio, Kassab and the president of União Brasil, Luciano Bivar.

The deputy also speaks with PSDB leaders to discuss an alliance. She works to force the party to leave Nunes’ coalition and offers the vice-presidential vacancy. The position could also be offered to presenter José Luiz Datena, who is considering joining the PSB at her invitation.

Today, using her social networks (followed by more than 2.4 million profiles), the Chamber rostrum and interviews as her platform, Tabata has lost her shame in declaring herself a pre-candidate and is taking advantage of the chances to set messages and try to differentiate herself from the rivals, especially Boulos and Nunes.

“We really need change, something new, different. The population is looking and saying: ‘Okay, that’s it. When are we going to break with this same old thing?'”, she said to the Flow News podcast, repeating the speech against polarization that has been his keynote until now.

“Who decides, in the end, is the people. I will present the best team, because I have the courage to dialogue with the left and right, and bring together the best ideas with this team”, he told the website Politics 360. “The dispute is not between Lula and Bolsonaro. The dispute is between Boulos, Nunes and Tabata Amaral.”

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Pre-candidates for Mayor of São Paulo in 2024

• Guilherme Boulos (PSOL)
• Ricardo Nunes (MDB)
• Tabata Amaral (PSB)
• Kim Kataguiri (União Brasil)
• Marina Helena (New)
• Ricardo Salles (PL)