TurquoiseB wrote:
We'll know tonight how the French feel about the
world and their place in it. Approximately 90% of
them are expected to vote today -- compare that to
the voting rates in the U.S.
However, at this point the polls are saying that
Sarko has the lion's share, and that's a sad thing,
in my opinion. Sarko is a mini-me version of George
W. Bush. He's smarter, and much more polished, but
his fake "compassionate conservatism" lacks compas-
sion, and he tends towards 1) violence towards those
who don't share his views (he has a history of this
in his time as a minister) and 2) an outspoken
distaste for immigrants, many of whom he plans to
"ship back where they came from" if he can.
Segolene Royal is, in contrast, a remarkably
balanced politician, one who manages to juggle
practical economic reforms with compassion and
social programs that benefit *all* of the people,
not just the rich ones.
We'll see who the French identify with more, tonight.
I think it would be a giant step backwards if Sarko
wins, but there you jolly well are, aren't you?
WEB EXCLUSIVE
By Christopher Dickey
Newsweek
Updated: 1:08 p.m. CT May 6, 2007
May 6, 2007 - Does France's new president speak American? Sure looks
that way. Conservative Nicolas Sarkozy has defeated his Socialist Party
rival, Ségolène Royal, by a margin of 53 percent to 47 percent. Royal,
the first woman ever to come this close to the French presidency,
conceded within minutes. So now the man set to govern the oldest (and
arguably the most temperamental) ally of the United States for the next
five years is someone whose message will be easy to translate: lower
taxes, harder work for more money, greater consumption as the key to
more employment and ever tougher measures against criminals and
terrorists.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18519993/site/newsweek/
