French Elections: Left Vs. Right
It looks like there will be a run-off for French President between pro-American candidate Nicolas Sarkozy and Socialist candidate Segolene Royal.
Centre-right candidate Nicolas Sarkozy will face Socialist Segolene Royal in the run-off of France’s presidential election on 6 May.
With all the votes counted in Sunday’s first round, Mr Sarkozy had 31%. Ms Royal, bidding to be France’s first woman leader, got nearly 26%.
Centrist Francois Bayrou had 18%, and far-right Jean-Marie Le Pen almost 11%.
Voting throughout the day reached record numbers, with turnout put at 85% - the highest for nearly 50 years.
I’m glad the French remember what democracy is these days.
SonicFrog has some thoughts, too.
Mr Sarkozy is hated by the left as a reformer who many fear would change the French way of life by making the nation work harder and longer….
Oh, my! We can’t have that!
PS. BTW, just so no one accuses me of cutting out something that might damage or somehow mute the snarkiness value of this post, the rest of the post read:
…and by cutting back on its generous welfare state
Hey, I’m all for the French getting a taste of reality in our state of World War. Sarkozy Rocks!
-Bruce (GayPatriot)
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Yeah, but Segolene Royal is gorgeous.
Rare for a liberal female.
Julie the Jarhead
(Who is on vacation, and has a lot of time on her hands.)
Comment by Julie the Jarhead — April 23, 2007 @ 7:36 am - April 23, 2007
[...] Original post by GayPatriot [...]
Pingback by Politics: 2008 HQ » Blog Archive » French Elections: Left Vs. Right — April 23, 2007 @ 8:54 am - April 23, 2007
What the MSM is conveniently not mentioning is that Sarkozy’s lead over Royal is HIGHER than what was originally predicted. It was supposed to be a 3-4% lead over the Socialist. It was actually 6%.
Also - that Sarkozy is “vilified” by the Arab and Muslim minorities in France, probably because he is telling them that they will NOT receive special treatment under the eyes of the law.
Add to this the fact that Le Pen will probably endorse Sarkozy over Royal - as will the other conservative candidates - and I just have two words for you:
VIVE SARKOZY!!
Au revoir,
Peter H.
Comment by Peter Hughes — April 23, 2007 @ 9:08 am - April 23, 2007
I read, demographically, this is the last election that France has if it has any hope of retaining its soverignity and not surrending to the Arabs.
Comment by Vince P — April 23, 2007 @ 9:12 am - April 23, 2007
Chirac was also once hailed as center-right and pro-American, so, take the rhetoric with a grain of salt.
I find it interesting to read over the items on Royal’s Socialist platform:
1. Increase in the minimum wage.
2. Tax punishment for corporations who pay their executives too much.
3. Increased spending on education and social programs.
4. Expanding in state regulatory power to combat “global warming.”
It is identical to the platform of the Democrat party in this country, yet the Democrats still deny being socialists.
Comment by V the K — April 23, 2007 @ 9:53 am - April 23, 2007
Well, V, ya know, it calls to mind Peter’s Principle of Politics #23:
“Liberals believe that socialism would work if only the right people were in charge.”
Also calls to mind Baroness Thatcher’s epigram: “Socialism only works until they run out of other people’s money.” Gotta love it.
Regards,
Peter H.
Comment by Peter Hughes — April 23, 2007 @ 10:12 am - April 23, 2007
#1 - “Segolene Royal is gorgeous. Rare for a liberal female.”
Julie, it’s rare for ANY French female over 50. I’d be surprised if she still had armpit hair. Most French women after a certain age start looking like Charles de Gaulle.
Regards,
Peter H.
Comment by Peter Hughes — April 23, 2007 @ 10:54 am - April 23, 2007
Being of French extraction (Canadian French-but French nontheless) I have been paying attention to the French election. If France is to survive as a country, it must go with Sarkozy. Julie the Jarhead: I don’t care how gorgeous you think that woman is; if she’s elected, France will go down le toilet tres rapide.
Comment by Jimbo — April 23, 2007 @ 11:14 am - April 23, 2007
Mais Jimbo, c’est vrai. Pour La Libération, Nicolas Sarkozy a rétréci l’espace politique du FN.
(Sorry, couldn’t resist - even though I’m a proud American, I love French Canada and world politics. J’aime Quebec. C’est la vie.)
Regardes,
Peter H.
Comment by Peter Hughes — April 23, 2007 @ 11:56 am - April 23, 2007
The interesting part of this election story to me is the voter turnout - we could definitely learn from that here in the US.
And by the way, I agree that she looks pretty good:
http://www.thenewsroom.com/details/232676/World
Comment by David — April 23, 2007 @ 3:17 pm - April 23, 2007
I’m quite stunned at the recent election results in France.That even a marginally conservative candidate could advance to a run off much less win one is amazing. I’ve been told for years that France and northern Europe had model Democracies we in America should try to emulate. What’s gone wrong? Less than one percent growth per year? Enclaves of non French refusing to assimilate? No invention, no productivity gains. Yuck.
Comment by Gene in Pennsylvania — April 23, 2007 @ 6:32 pm - April 23, 2007
#1 Julie, agreed that she is very easy-on-the-eyes. I have read that upon death, she wants to leave her beautiful self to the benefit of science. So, at some point, she too will be a ‘jarhead’ of sorts, though a rather lightweight one.
Comment by HardHobbit — April 24, 2007 @ 12:17 am - April 24, 2007
#11: Apparently you’ve forgotten the 2002 election, in which Jean-Marie Le Pen advanced to the second round.
Comment by vaara — April 24, 2007 @ 12:47 am - April 24, 2007
In the election, the conservative Sarkozy lead with 31% while the socialist Royal garnered 26%. Well, now the leftist are uniting in cause against the electronic voting machines used in the election. They are not right-out claiming the machines are responsible for Sarkozy’s lead, but there is an underlining inference that the new electronic voting machines are to blame for their losses. I’m not a fan of these new machines either; why not stick to the KISS rule (Keep It Simple Stupid) and use tried and true methods of voting, such as the hard to screw up fill-in-the-bubble type ballot we use here in Fresno County. But still,has anyone noticed there are never voting machine problems when leftists win?
Comment by sonicfrog — April 24, 2007 @ 12:18 pm - April 24, 2007
#14 You’re exactly right. Voting machines, people are too stupid to use touch screens…that they order fast food with…to vote, is the final excuse for liberals when they lose. Liberals prefer voting results predetermined like Castro, Breshnev, Stalin, Chavez.
Comment by Gene in Pennsylvania — April 24, 2007 @ 8:59 pm - April 24, 2007
#15 - Well put, Gene. When conservatives win, there is always the allegation of “fraud.” When liberals win, there’s no such allegation.
Regards,
Peter H.
Comment by Peter Hughes — April 25, 2007 @ 12:56 pm - April 25, 2007
The French also have a red-state/blue state thang.
Comment by V the K — April 25, 2007 @ 9:52 pm - April 25, 2007
I see the one patch of red in the north part of the tricolor was probably in the Greater Paris area. Typical. Sort of reminds me of DC that way.
Regards,
Peter H.
Comment by Peter Hughes — April 26, 2007 @ 12:41 pm - April 26, 2007
France has a chance to go from a nanny state to a daddy state. Whether that is better is anyone’s guess.
I look forward to the right-wing of France to start destroying rights just like the Republicans are doing now here in America.
Comment by Elais — April 28, 2007 @ 3:10 pm - April 28, 2007
#19 - Here we go again.
Elias, please name one right that has been “destroyed” by the GOP. Just one. What can you NOT do now that you could do in the Clinton era?
We’re waiting.
Regards,
Peter H.
Comment by Peter Hughes — April 28, 2007 @ 11:35 pm - April 28, 2007
World War? What do we make of people who make up their own language and conjure up their own imaginary wars? Too many comic books and sci-fi watching.
Comment by sean — April 29, 2007 @ 6:00 pm - April 29, 2007
Go ahead and deny the threat of global terrorism, sean; we expect no less of Democrats.
In fact, go ahead and support terrorist groups that are pushing for genocide and killing Americans — just like your leader Pelosi does.
Comment by North Dallas Thirty — April 29, 2007 @ 7:37 pm - April 29, 2007
It’s been three days. Guess Elias couldn’t find a single civil liberty that has been denied to him by the GOP.
Dare I say it? Okay, why not:
Checkmate.
Regards,
Peter H.
Comment by Peter Hughes — May 1, 2007 @ 10:32 am - May 1, 2007