Why Spain's opposition leader has an imaginary friend
The conservative challenger, , looked happy and relaxed, clutching a microphone, dressed in a brown jacket and open-necked blue shirt, surrounded by pretty teenage girls.
He told the crowd a secret: when he made his speeches and his policy, he had in his head an imaginary friend, a little girl, Victoria Esperanza: Victory Hope.
Like a crooner, he holds the mic out to his female chorus who echo 鈥淰ictoria, Victoria, Victoria鈥. Cheesy, I suppose, but I thought pretty effective. The crowd, of course, loved it.
I wasn鈥檛 there but , the town built by Spain鈥檚 eighteenth century royal family as a summer retreat. 
The old livery stables now house a poly and a cultural centre and I went there to see a small socialist rally. , and they are determined not to lose it.
Turn-out
Most reckon they will win if they can motivate the voters to go to the polls on Sunday, but a low turn-out could see victory for the conservative People鈥檚 Party.
This small town rally began with a film of three famous singers belting out a tune in support of Zapatero: the hook-line - 鈥渄on鈥檛 let joy be overtaken by disaster鈥.
At the end, they make the sign for Zapatero: a crooked finger over the eye, mimicking the man鈥檚 right-angled eyebrows. There鈥檚 no doubt, as I reported here earlier and will in my piece on the Ten O鈥機lock News tonight, that the economy is the background to the election, and the main concern of many people.
Two Spains
But here, among the activists, nearly all the people I talk to suggest that what they are campaigning for is the continuation of a socially liberal project: , the fight against domestic violence (something mentioned a lot by both Zapatero and his supporters) and the legalization of abortion. 
They say a conservative victory would turn the clocks back.
One of the main speakers, the town鈥檚 mayor, says that the conservatives have changed: when Spain was coming out of the dictatorship, all parties wanted to work together, but now the PP are negative.
He says they see democracy as a tax they have to pay, but believe power rightfully belongs to them.
Subtly, and not so subtly, the socialists are trying to brush the opposition with . It is an obvious electoral ploy, designed to motivate not just the left but those who like the liberal, relaxed, new Spain.
It鈥檚 not just socialist supporters but objective analysists who tell me that Rajoy has moved to the right; allied himself more closely with the conservatives in the Catholic church, and cut out more moderate conservatives .
There is a feeling here that the sharp conflict between that led to the civil war and survived throughout the dictatorship is re-emerging.
Of course, one can overstate this. And in one sense it is entirely natural that, in the effort to become a democratic country, differences had to be rather unnaturally submerged. Now the normal tensions between two visions of society are out in the open again.
'Man of moderation'
But Spain鈥檚 equivalent of the , tells me that this is simply not true. He says to associate them with the dictatorship 鈥渋s so untrue its simply vile. We probably have more sons, grandsons and granddaughters of democrats that the other side鈥.
But what about the suggestion that Rajoy has taken the party to the right?
鈥淚 have worked with him for many years and he is a man of great moderation,鈥 he says.
鈥淲e are probably more to the centre than the British Conservatives. The campaign is nasty, not because of the people involved, but because the issues are grave.鈥
He says the main issue is the economy. When I speak to him (by 鈥榩hone), he鈥檚 campaigning in his .
He says a 65-year-old woman has just told him that the macroeconomics may be all right but she can鈥檛 buy bread with macro economics.
Mr de Aristegui says his private calculations show they will win at least 162 seats: enough for 鈥淰ictoria鈥, although this may be more 鈥淓speranza鈥 than hard maths. However, he says there is a hidden conservative vote.
We will see on Sunday. Saturday is a day for reflection, not campaigning, and there is a news blackout we have to respect on this site until eight o'clock British time, but more after the polls close.
I鈥檓 Mark Mardell, the 91热爆's North America editor. These are my reflections on American politics, some thoughts on being a Brit living in the USA, and who knows what else? My 
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I live in spain, and what I have seen in the last weeks of this campaign is terrible, zapatero for some reason or an other is convinced of spains well being....there are old people that live on 300euros amonth, inflashion is sky high and so is uninployment.
The last year of this goverment has been more radical than the last, persistent tv programs of the civil war, takeing away histoyric statues ect. I have never been right winged but then again nor have I been a communist, this is what the people fought for, in this kind of war there are no winners, each side in this case were radical and it does not matter who won the out come would of been just as disasterous as the other. Spain has come a long way since then and I hope that the people choose wisely.
I'm keen on 91热爆 news web site, because I'm quite sure that is the better and more professional news web site of the world. Nevertheless, there is something that let me quite speechless. When 91热爆 reporters' refers to ETA members or to ETA as an organization they never call them terrorists or terrorist group. They only refer to them as the basque separatist group or the members of the basque separatist group. My comment is not a critic, I only want to know why they do not refer to them as terrorist.
Thank you. It is the first time I read that we (Spaniards) have not been scared by Madrid bombing and changing our minds because we were kind of cowards.
Only very few foreigners could understand that we changed our minds because we were angry with Rajoy because all his team lied deliberately.
I live in France and I was following what they said (PP) and following what major newspapers were saying. They were lying at my people while outside Spain everybody was aware of who did it!
Many foreign politicians criticised Zapatero for withdrawing troups from IRAK. Calling us cowards, again. Is is that in Britain, France, US ... they are not used to have their politicians keeping their promises? That's what he did. He campaigned with this moto! Will anybody remember as well that Aznar sent troops against the opinion of the majority of Spaniards (millions demonstrated against his decision).
Thank you again for being cautious and laid back.
If you have a neutral look at Spain you will see that the ones heading PP are the most conservative in their ranks. They team up with a Victims of terrorism association (AVT) which is part of their movement , the Church (Rouco) willing to rewind and annull many of the liberties we acquired through the years. They have been extremely negative in their opposition style. I challenge anybody to give me evidence of any other democratic country that has experienced such thing.
I am a supporter of moderates who suffered from the pain of extremists who created caos now and again in Spain. Our civil war iniated and nurtured by extremists while the majority of Spaniards was caught in between. I will always admire Suarez for his moderation and will to take us back into the real world. He
was betraid by many who are now
in the PP.
Im not a socialist party supporter, but your opinion seems quite biased to me. True, psoe is lying about economical situation and this can lead to a surprise, but the oposition has no answer for this, the candidate they have, Pizarro, is a bluff. Unexperienced and unskilled. About the statues, i think is about time to remove FASCIST statues an monuments from the streets. Incredible the description of old spanish partys, right winded vs comunists. What about fascists vs democrats? Sure we can find something in the middle.
This comment is absolutely exaggerated. I don't know in which Spain you live, but not in the same as me. Please, tell me wich ones are those persistent tv programs about spanish civil war.
The unemployment rate is the lowest ever in Spain and the development of Autonomous Government is always done under Spanish Constitution procedures and have been approved by autonomic and central state parliaments.
Anyone but the socialists who have never apologized for the massacres of anarchists in Catalunya and colluding with Stalin. Look at the numbers, so called"progressives' have killed more people than conservatives.Nice,eh?
I live in spain and fear the PP winning again as they are so full of hate for anybody who isnt in the "viva espana" brigade...the Basques and catalans especially.
Economically im better off than under the PP, and moraly the country is less extreme than under the PP.
Although thankfully not another Aznar, Rajoy is still an anti Catalan and anti Basque aplologist for the Falange who will create tensiones within the already frayed social fabric of the nation. We have already seen this with his nsasty demonstrations against equal rights and against the estatut.
I fear for todays result and will continue to register my children with British passports so that i may seleep at night in case history repeats itself (and with the PP at the helm that very well may happen)=