[Puzzleman]

Sadly, Steyn is probably right.

[wgflyer]

France is addicted to socialism, the social equivalent of heroin. Cold turkey isn’t likely. And anything else will likely leave the addiction solidly in place, as the country will find withdrawal too painful to bear.

Having said that, one wishes Sarkozy bon chance.

[Vaquero]

Mother...is that you???? Where's my check?

[HankReardon]

Yhe new French President stated that dealing with man made climate change with be one of his top priorities.

[jmaroneps37]

Being skeptical of whatever happens in france is always a good bet. Nevertheless, no one can deny that in this election the candidate with the most potential to be helpful to us won. Time will tell how helpful he is, but we can immediately say we are better off with him than with the communist he beat.

[goldstategop]

Agreed. The Fifth Republic is on its deathbed and I would be very surprised if the newly elected President Nicholas Sarkozy turns out to be France's Ronald Reagan. I don't think the French are yet quite at the point that they have to make changes. There will probably be some tinkering around the margins but nothing like the sort of radical reform needed to wrest France away from its continued descent into oblivion.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[Savage Beast]

"To the outside observer, the French give the impression they can live with the stench of death..."

Live with it? They're addicted to it! Contemporary France--in fact Western Europe--is the embodiment of the death wish.

If you think that's schadenfreude, you're dead wrong! It's an exclamation of horror--choked with tears!

[eureka!]

marking

[Barney Gumble]

"... you might as well throw away terms like "left" and "right." The previous presidential election was meant to be a contest between the supposedly conservative Jacques Chirac and his supposedly socialist Prime Minister, Lionel Jospin. In practice, this boiled down to a candidate who's left of right of left of center, and a candidate who's right of left of right of left of center. "

Steyn is funny. There will be a short honeymoon. The French say they want reform but not want reform to affect them. So nothing will change.

It'll be very similar to California and Ahnold. Nothing has changed out there, despite the cries for change in the 2003 recall election.