Posted on 01/27/2017 8:53:50 AM PST by ek_hornbeck
Francois Fillon has said he would drop out of the race for the French presidency if he were criminally investigated.
Mr Fillon is at the centre of a media storm over allegations that for years his wife was paid for parliamentary work she did not do.
The conservative candidate told French TV there was nothing improper or illegal about his wife's employment.
(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.com ...
The downside is that because all socialist and liberal parties in France will form a coalition during the run-off against Le Pen, there is a very good chance that a Republican candidate rather than Le Pen will be the next French President. Fillon, while not as solid on immigration as Le Pen, is far better than most other members of his party, and he was running as an economic Thatcherite. If he drops out, the Republicans may get a more mediocre candidate along the lines of Sarkozy who will win by default in the run-off thanks to a coalition with leftists against Le Pen.
A choice between Fillon and LePen is an election with two very good possible outcomes. A choice between LePen vs. a more mealy-mouthed traditional French Republican has more of the same as the likely outcome.
You may be underestimating the strength of Le Pen vs a mealy-mouthed opponent, just as Brexit and Trump were underestimated.
Fillon is the establishment anti-LePen is my impression and he’s therefore not to be trusted to do what he’s now saying he’ll do. That’s not to say that LePen herself is necessarily all that desirable, but Fillon is intended as a foil.
Why not drop out now, since he’s basically admitting to criminal activity.
>>Fillon is the establishment anti-LePen is my impression and he’s therefore not to be trusted to do what he’s now saying he’ll do. That’s not to say that LePen herself is necessarily all that desirable, but Fillon is intended as a foil.
I doubt the media would be trying so hard to destroy him, were that the case....
It’s France. Our logic doesn’t necessarily apply, lol.
Threat or promise?
That was my impression as well. If Fillon were just fake opposition to the Socialist-Globalist establishment (i.e. a French version of our GOP establishment), neither the media nor members of his party would be so eager to see his candidacy sink.
Obviously, Fillon isn't as reviled by the Eurocrats and Socialists as Le Pen because he's not as principled on the immigration issue, but there's still plenty of hatred towards a man who says that it's time that France had a Thatcherite revolution (although I would say that France and the rest of Europe are in far greater need of an Enoch Powellite revolution right now).
From what I have read, the French are saying that Fillon is a dhimmi nearly as much as Jupé and Le Pen is the only one ruining who is not.
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