Posted on 01/30/2007 5:48:59 PM PST by Cincinna
Good news for France, and for the US.
Bad news for Hillary and the Dims who think Hillary and her HINO should be the model for the world.
Vive l'Americain.
I'm truthfully surprised. Royale is as slick and likeable as they come. Even though Sarkozy made more sense, I couldn't see them passing her up.
My credits to the French if this trend continues...
Morbus Gallicus. [See Fracastoro]
Boy, Royal really imploded!
The combination of her womanish nervousness about the military, putting her foot it in again and again and again (esp. regarding Corsica), and the revelation that she's rich have all made her look weak and ineffective.
I had much higher expectations of her than has panned out.
Sarko, meanwhile, is doing quite well. And it looks as though Chirac can't play spoiler as he might have, because Villepin wants to live, and so he's sidling up to Sarko.
I no longer think it will be decided in the DOM. Royal is too weak. She needn't have been. The female vote won't save her if she's perceived as being weak and dumb by women.
It's not over. Sarko could still put a "J'Aime George Bush" bumper sticker on his car or something similarly inane, but he's a known quantity so he won't.
I'd say it's Sarko's election to lose now.
I definitely wouldn't have said that before the Corsica business, but people took a hard look and saw her squirm over the military.
Contrast Mme. Clinton's: "What in my background would make me able to deal with evil, bad men?"
Here's hoping he is able to deliver ze bacon soon.. Good news indeed.
Obviously, from your post, you know nothing about French politics or French elections.
Stick around and read up on it; you might actually learn something.
You guy Sarko is from the UMP party, JUST LIKE Jac Chirac. Maybe you might want to read up on the fact that Sarkozy firmly rejects the American war in Iraq as a mistake. He supports Chirac's opposition to the war. France is a nation overrun with atheists and socialists, so anyone who strays from either believe has zero chance of being elected in France. The fact Sarko is their idea of "right wing" won't change that, anymore when "right-wing" Chirac was elected.
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Can't believe people are getting excited that France's idea of a "right wing" politican is winning. So what? France's CURRENT president is from their "right-wing" party. The same party that nominated Jac Chirac nominated this guy. The only reason they DIDN'T nominate Chirac again is he didn't announce his candidacy because knows he'd lose a third term. Here's the new guy:
"I am not a conservative. I do not want an immobile France. I want innovation, creativity, the struggle against injustices."
Oh yeah, this guy is our buddy.
Sarko vs. Royale is simply left-wing vs. far-left wing. Another "victory" like when gay-marrage luvin' Gavin Newsom became Mayor of San Francisco instead of the Green Party guy.
But is his lead a fraud-proof lead?
This is a very good sign. Hopefully a sign of things to come.
Time for the French to temporarily put away the white flags.
France will elected either a socialist or a nutcase, or both, from our standards.
There are no rational, culutrally conservative people in France. This is FRANCE we're talking about. Even if they managed to elect Le Pen, he's do the right thing on immigration but still support bitter anti-semetic, isolationism, anti-Bush, and socialist economic policies. A french "conservative" is like a "moderate" islamic leader.
I missed the news about Royal vis-a-vis Corsica. Qu-est ce qui s'est passé?
I'm still not buying french cheese, or whatever it is they used to make.
Not hardly.
Yes, all major French parties are statist. Statism is France. It is why the Celtic piece does not break off from the German piece, and why the Viking piece doesn't rebel against the Cathar piece. It's why the Basque piece isn't blowing things up, and why the black and polynesian pieces do not fly away. France is a nationality built from a state. And the state has served France well.
No French politician is going to dismantle the state, attack the state, or indeed make any of the anti-government remarks that American politicians make.
That is not France.
Sarkozy is interested in proper incentives for business, and he is very hard on internal security and immigration.
Royal wants greater integration of Beurs (as does Sarkozy).
Most distinctively, Sarkozy wants markedly better relations with America. The rest of French politicians do not see a need to change the status quo. And Sarko wants to start phasing back job protections - which isn't going to happen under any circumstances but he is permitted to dream.
Sarkozy thought the American war in Iraq was ill-founded and unwise. Certainly it has been badly handled and badly fought by the Americans, so the French fears: that the US would make a hash of it and leave the region in chaos when political will collapsed at home, does not seem to be panning out wrong. Sarkozy praises Chirac for opposing the war in Iraq from the outset. French troops are IN Afghanistan, fighting, so the French position isn't doggedly anti-American nor against fighting. It was, and is, against adventurism in Iraq (and Iran. And Syria.) That's how the French see it. All of them. All parties.
Not going to change.
Sarkozy will not be the "buddy" of the US. He will be the President of the French Republic. His first and final duty is to the well being and safety of the people of France, NOT the well-being and safety of the people of the United States. He doesn't represent America, and he will not be leading America. His view is that better relationships with America make sense in many areas, and are worth doing.
He's never going to support the war in Iraq and he's not going to let France get sucked into it. And if and when the American position implodes there, France will certainly be in there trying to gain back the influence it had under Saddam.
If you want a lapdog, you are not going to see a French candidate who suits your desires. If you want a friend, Sarkozy is your best bet, probably followed by Le Pen. But Le Pen has no chance.
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