no-confidence vote in the Mexican economy and a significant rebuke to President Felipe Calderon 's admirable but all-consuming war against the drug cartels . Calderon -- who is in the PAN -- is halfway through a six-year term , so he was n't on the ballot . The presidency is next on the ballot in 2012 , and observers think that the fact that the PRI aced its midterms sets the party up nicely to accomplish something that seemed unthinkable just a few years ago : retake the top job that it held for much of the 20th century -- 71 years , to be precise -- through corruption and intimidation . In 2000 , the PAN 's Vicente Fox broke that streak and reintroduced democracy in Mexico . Calderon squeaked out a narrow victory against a third-party candidate in 2006 . The Harvard-educated lawyer and economist immediately and bravely took the fight to drug lords across the country , unleashing the military in a conflict that has so far killed more than 10,000 Mexicans with no end in sight . And there are now serious issues -- as spelled out this week in The Washington Post -- involving allegations
Editor 's note : Ruben Navarrette Jr. is a member of the San Diego Union-Tribune editorial board , a nationally syndicated columnist and a regular contributor to CNN.com . Read his column here . Ruben Navarrette Jr . says President Felipe Calderon 's war on drugs remains a noble battle for the soul of Mexico . SAN DIEGO , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- It has nothing to do with Michael Jackson or Sarah Palin , but there 's a big story brewing south of the border to which Americans should pay close attention . Like a monster that refuses to die , Mexico 's once-disgraced Institutional Revolutionary Party , or PRI , made a convincing comeback in last weekend 's midterm elections . The PRI recaptured its majority in the 500-member Chamber of Deputies and won five of six governorships up for grabs . The rival National Action Party , or PAN , which had controlled the legislative branch since 2000 , suffered heavy losses . German Martinez , president of the PAN , resigned this week after taking responsibility for the electoral failures . Political observers on both sides of the border are calling the elections results a