Posted on 06/28/2011 4:40:00 PM PDT by Cincinna
Pierre Moscovici, a Socialist legislator, is “in mourning,” he said in an interview, and so are the Socialists. With the shocking fall of Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the party leader who was arrested in New York on charges of sexual assault against a hotel housekeeper, the party is trying to pick up the pieces — and to pick a presidential candidate from an uninspiring set of choices.
Mr. Moscovici was one of the closest allies of Mr. Strauss-Kahn, his former teacher, known as D.S.K. He was deeply involved in preparing the campaign that was expected to sweep Mr. Strauss-Kahn and the Socialists into the presidency next year for the first time since 1995.
The Strauss-Kahnians, as his supporters are known, are unsure where to go after the loss of their champion. Mr. Moscovici, 53, a former minister for European affairs, is thinking about throwing his own hat into the ring, because he is not overwhelmed by the other candidates and to make sure the ideas of the center-left are heard.
“It’s a shock, a human shock,” he said of Mr. Strauss-Kahn’s arrest. “For us it’s a new deal, and a more complicated one. There’s no clear favorite, and there probably won’t be.”
Even the support group called Génération-D.S.K. has changed its name to the faceless and numerically challenged “Génération4G,” which stands for Génération Gagner, Gouverner à Gauche, or “generation to win and govern on the left.”
To pick a candidate, the Socialists have scheduled a two-round primary for October. The only serious candidates so far, with the entry deadline coming soon, are François Hollande, 56, a legislator and former party leader, and his former partner, Ségolène Royal, 57, with whom he has four children and who lost the 2007 election to Nicolas Sarkozy.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
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The Socialists had better wake up and stop crying in their cafe au lait for an accused rapist.
There are 20+ candidates running in the first round, none of whom has real leadership qualities. The Socialts have old retreads: Segolene Royale, who made a dismal showing in her debate with Sarko, Hollande, her former “companion” and father of her four illigimitimate children, Martine Aubrey, daughter of EU founder Jacques Delors..one long snooze.
Sarko may be down in the polls for now, but he is one of the few politicians who knows when to keep quiet-like when your opposition is in disarray, without a leader. He and his pregnant wife, Carla, have been off the radar for a while.
I wouldn’t count him out. You can’t beat somethin’ with nothin’!
Marine Le Pen is poised to be a real challenger.
I don’t think MLP has much of a chance. Her lack of experience & gravitas will not take her to l’Elysee.
In a one on one debate with Sarko, or Hollande or Aubrey, she would get her head handed to her.
There are other anti-capitalist, populist candidates that will split up that vote. MLP is gaining support among the French far Left, and the communique . Go figure! But fascism & totalitarianism never bothered them before.
Can you explain why Sarkozy is down in the polls? Other than he’s dealing with the French;)
From my perspective, he’s the best thing to happen to France in a long time. At this point in history, with a lack of leadership in our own country, Americans should be delighted that France has Sarkozy, Germany has Merckel, England has Cameron and Italy has Berlusconi. They may not be ‘world leaders’ in the sense that some former US presidents were, but they are holding the line for now.
Thanks Cincinna.
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