Posted on 05/02/2012 4:57:32 PM PDT by Cincinna
Nicolas Sarkozy needed a miracle last night to head off a defeat that looks increasingly inevitable. A marathon, at times violent debate with Francois Hollande was his chance to knock the challenger off his increasingly confident stride. But despite some brutal exchanges, he failed to produce a killer blow.
Twenty million people were expected to tune in for a contest that lasted nearly three hours and was broadcast on all networks. It was a real debate, the presenters reduced to mute timekeepers as the candidates knocked spots off each other.
There was no quarter given. Mr Sarkozy called his opponent a liar and suggested he should have known about fellow socialist Dominique Strauss Kahn’s varied sex life; Mr Hollande described him as arrogant and tried to smear him back by raising a corruption scandal.
On Europe, taxes, immigration and above all what the character of a president should be, they argued over detail – often to impenetrable depth - and levelled charges of dishonesty and bad faith against each other. They even dredged up decades-old accusations of political double dealing.
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
I WILL UPDATE AFTER THE DEBATE IS REBROADCAST IN FULL ON AMERICAN TV
Stay informed about the French elections in detail.
Two socialists duking it out, setting the stage for November in this country.
Knockdown drag out debate- almost three hours. No notes, no TOTUS. Moderators were just timekeepers.
This is the way debates should be. I cannot imagine American candidates debating like this. Only Sarah might meet the test?
From what I’ve seen so far, Hollande is evasive, and Sarko clear.
Especially on immigration and taxes, on French national identity, and Islam.
In reading news reports , please keep in mind that most newspapers are very leftist in Europe, just like here.
I’m trying to watch and give you as objective a view as possible. Hollande is a socialist, Sarko is definitely not. I’m translating as fast as I can, and have to tell you, reading the transcripts and commentaries and watching the actual debate as the French voters actually watched it are very different.
STAY TUNED!
Please feel free to pose questions and comments.
À bientôt!
WRONG! What comes through the clearest is that Hollande is a Socialist,
and Sarko is definitely not. Sarko is the exact opposite. Nicolas Sarkozy is not, and has never been, and never been associated with Socialism or Marxism of any kind.
I didn't think he would be invated after the way he has treated Sarko! Lol
Sarah could do it, that is for sure, I would pay money to watch her put the smack-down on someone like Hollande. (but Ubama is her punching-bag most of the time anyway, even if she isn't running)
I just don't understand why Hollande is evening being considered, he is promising the END of the french way of life. The Lefties want their goodies, but once the Commie/Islamist Alliance takes hold, you think that the Green Eyed stupid 19 year old girl in Lyon is high on their list of people to please!?
I will keep up as much I can Cincinna.
It sounds like France wanted a tough guy, a gutpuncher, thinking he'd solve their problems, but as time went on they decided they wanted a fall guy, somebody to pin all those insoluble problems on. As in some marriages, it was the little things that drove them crazy, the way Sarko was, not any thing major he may have done or failed to do.
Maybe this whole DSK thing didn't help. Speculation that Sarkozy may have been involved could have dragged his campaign down and the country started looking for someone cleaner. I'm not folloing this closely, but it could be France is going to get its Jimmy Carter, the guy who doesn't have the baggage other politicians do, but doesn't have much in the way of other advantages. Sarko would have been better off trying his luck against Strauss-Kahn.
He may not be a socialist, but he certainly wasn’t governing as a nationalist when he was selling his sovereignty to the Germans.
Neh, probably had more to do with the bailouts of other sovereign nations. Bad enough Bush did that with US banks, but I couldn’t see myself voting for anyone that stole my money and put me in the hole to bail out Spain because the butch woman in Germany told me to.
Even the National Front is leftist by our standards.
Has Sarkozy done anything to reduce the size and scope of their government? Sold off state industries? deregulation? things like that?
This guy also wanted to use public funds to build MOSQUES and exempt Islam from the Separation of Church and State.
In September 2004, Sarkozy oversaw the reduction of the government ownership stake in France Télécom from 50.4 percent to 41 percent.[39]
Sarkozy backed a partial nationalisation of the large engineering company Alstom decided by his predecessor when the company was exposed to bankruptcy in 2003.[40]
In June 2004, Sarkozy reached an agreement with the major retail chains in France to concertedly lower prices on household goods by an average of two percent; the success of this measure is disputed, with studies suggesting that the decrease was close to one percent in September.[41]
Taxes: Sarkozy avoided taking a position on the ISF (solidarity tax on wealth). This is considered an ideological symbol by many on the left and right. Some in the business world and on the liberal right, such as Alain Madelin, wanted it abolished. For Sarkozy, that would have risked being categorised by the left as a gift to the richest classes of society at a time of economic difficulties.
He also supported affirmative action and crap.
....
He is NOT a conservative by US standards by any stretch.
well all I could find on line were briefs and snippets of this debate adn I had hoped to see it....
Am trusting you Cincinna to let us know how you would wrap it up. I’m in Sarkosy’s court....hope he wins this...but looks like some of the French want “a change”. You’d think they’d have learned from the US how that works! Not!!
The National Front = National Socialism is definitely socialist and leftist.
Sarkozy is not.
France is not the US. Sarko is the closest thing to an Anglo-Saxon rightwing politician you are going to see.
That is the reason Sarkozy is so hated by the left in France.
Sarkozy who proposed government funded Mosques and Madrassas, exempting Islam from the Separation of Church and State... who partially nationalized at least one corporation.... is a conservative? Not even close by US standards.
I WILL UPDATE AGAIN TOMORROW WHEN THE NEW POLLS COME OUT
After watching the entire debate, and trying to maintain some level of objectivity, these are my conclusions.
In the first half hour, maybe even hour, Hollande seemed competent. His months of debate coaching and prep helped him.
After the first hour, I think things fell apart, and Hollande was in over his head, and resorted to platitudes, attacks, and avoidance.
Sarkozy is definitely the smarter of the two, the most experienced, and a natural debater.
The weakest areas for Hollande were on immigration, refusing to deal with the issue straight on, seemingly looking to the FN voters, and on the issue of nuclear energy on which he was totally incoherent.
Sarkozy was very strong on not giving the right to vote to immigrants, and the danger that the huge influx of Muslims who refuse to integrate into French society and the rise of radical Islam present. This has changed the nature of French society.
Even though Sarkozy was extremely strong, I don't think the debate, which lasted three hours, will change much.
I hope I'm wrong. A socialist in power in France would be a catastrophe for France, which is the fifth largest economy in the world.
Thanks very much for the update and assessment. I’m sure glad Sarkosy came in strong...but my gosh three hours of debating! Wow.....does any of the public stay with it that long?
I would have liked to see Newt and Obama in that kind of debate...round one Obama would be on the floor. Course it’s not going to happen but it was great imagining it.
Am hopeful the French people will stay with Sarkosy....his alternative will indeed be disastorus for France...and actually all of Europe IMO. I don’t think many Americans understand the signifigance of France now in the International Affairs going on.
I’ll try and find a link to a video of the debate and post it.
This was the longest debate in modern French history.
Yes, almost three uninterrupted hours of debate was something!
I, too, was hoping for a Newt/Obama face-off, but the American system is completely different. That would have been a three way debate- Newt/Obama/TOTUS.
In this Hollande did use some notes, but Sarko didn’t appear to.
French people do sit glued to the TV. 20 million people watched this debate.
You might check
http://www.France24.com/
They have a version in Englush as well as French.
Here is a very good description and summary of the French Presidential debate. Fairly accurate, and not particularly partisan.
Sarkozy and Hollande trade barbs in heated TV debate
Click here to read the article:
http://www.france24.com/en/node/5320244
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