Both Hipolito Mejia and Eduardo Estrella appealed to the dead leaders of their parties, Jose Francisco Pena Gomez (PRD) and Joaquin Balaguer (PRSC) in their attempts to attract the dead men?s followers to their respective causes. Hipolito Mejia evoked the memory of both Pena Gomez and Balaguer during his presidential campaign. But, as political analyst for the Listin Diario Orlando Gil reports, ?The Reformistas have to learn a lesson; that Joaquin Balaguer is not the political asset of years back? He also highlights: ?Likewise, the PRD has a lesson to learn; that Jose Francisco Pena Gomez does not win battles by himself, and the excessive use of his name in the campaign resulted only in the losing of a war in which he had no commitments.? Gil explains how Pena Gomez had divided the PRD party, instead of unifying it. This is the second time Pena Gomez has failed to attract votes to a politician?s cause. While his widow Peggy Cabral extensively drew on his words and reference in her campaign, Pena Gomez did not lead her to the city government of Santo Domingo to which she aspired in the 2002 municipal election.
The PLD did not resort to using its own caudillo, the late PLD founder, Juan Bosch, and instead chose to stand on the strengths of his term in government. Instead, PLD candidate Leonel Fernandez appealed to the national symbols of the flag and the nation?s founding fathers. He did, however, visit Bosch?s tomb as one of the first actions after his election.