Great presidents can anoint successors. Middling presidents can’t

Lula (Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva) of Brazil is the perfect example of a well-loved, well-appreciated former president. After term limits ended his presidency, Brazilian voters gave him a great gift: voting for his anointed presidential candidate, his former chief of staff Dilma Rouseff.

Dilma Rouseff broke new ground in Brazilian politics. She is the 36th and first woman president of Brazil. Political conservatives balked at her background – the “Joan of Arc” of the guerilla movement against the military dictatorship. Still, she won in a run-off election against her popular center-right rival for the presidency.