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FRENCH ELECTION UPDATE :: Sarkozy First, Bayrou Gaining
Angus Reid.com ^ | March 7, 2007 | staff

Posted on 03/07/2007 3:19:27 PM PST by Cincinna

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Sarko keeps his steady strong lead as Royal sinks further further, and Bayrou rises.


The Socialists are polling at their lowest ever since 1969, and J-M le Pen remains in the 10-12% range, outdistanced by Francois Bayrou.


A strong win by Sarko on April 22 could mean the end of French decline, both economic and social.

1 posted on 03/07/2007 3:19:29 PM PST by Cincinna
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To: Cincinna
Let's hope the French voters come to their senses.

Most of them know they're screwed by their political system... they just don't know why.

2 posted on 03/07/2007 3:24:34 PM PST by nctexan (Top 10 Presidential Reqs. for 2008 - see my homepage)
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To: Cincinna

Who is Bayrou? Where does his politics lie?


3 posted on 03/07/2007 3:25:34 PM PST by MassachusettsGOP (May the West and Republicans Always Win...)
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To: MassachusettsGOP
This is a quote from Wikipedia about him (oc ourse, since it's from Wikipedia, you have to decide yourself its accuracy..)

As French Presidential candidate he has described the EU as “the most beautiful construction of all humanity” (WSJ, 23 February 2007).

4 posted on 03/07/2007 3:28:04 PM PST by paudio (WoT is more important than War on Gay Marriage!)
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To: nctexan

I hope they do come to thier senses, let us not forget the help we recieved in our own struggle in the 1700's They are under a system we will soon have if we dont WAKE UP! viva la France! kick those SOB'S out and come back to the fold. We made beautiful music together way back when!


5 posted on 03/07/2007 3:37:39 PM PST by ronnie raygun (ID RATHER BE HUNTING WITH DICK THAN DRIVING WITH TED)
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To: ronnie raygun
"They are under a system we will soon have if we dont WAKE UP!"

I recently lived and worked in Paris for four years... I went over and have always been a staunch conservative and patriot.

After being inundated with the French MSM, CNN International, BBC, etc. I felt my world view being pushed left.

After returning home... my mind cleared!

It does give me some sympathy for Joe France.

6 posted on 03/07/2007 3:43:47 PM PST by nctexan (Top 10 Presidential Reqs. for 2008 - see my homepage)
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To: Cincinna

Awesome.

Do we have any French freepers? ... or did they all get run off during the Chirac era?


7 posted on 03/07/2007 3:43:51 PM PST by WOSG (The 4-fold path to save America - Think right, act right, speak right, vote right!)
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To: MassachusettsGOP

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fran%C3%A7ois_Bayrou


8 posted on 03/07/2007 4:02:54 PM PST by fieldmarshaldj (Cheney X -- Destroying the Liberal Democrat Traitors By Any Means Necessary -- Ya Dig ? Sho 'Nuff.)
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To: WOSG
Do we have any French freepers?

Yeah I think so. If you click on the flag on your homepage, then click "Other Locations" you can see the number of FReepers from every country.
9 posted on 03/07/2007 4:21:34 PM PST by G8 Diplomat (Life is full of change....it's called calculus)
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To: G8 Diplomat; WOSG; Vicomte13
Well there's vicomte13, he's French/American, but mostly frog, I think :-) (une petite plaisanterie !)
10 posted on 03/07/2007 4:30:47 PM PST by starbase (Understanding Written Propaganda (click "starbase" to learn 22 manipulating tricks!!))
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To: nctexan
After being inundated with the French MSM, CNN International, BBC, etc. I felt my world view being pushed left.

But at least they have Melissa Theuriau!

11 posted on 03/07/2007 4:33:06 PM PST by dfwgator (The University of Florida - Championship U)
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To: paudio

Ah, he's one of those.


12 posted on 03/07/2007 4:36:17 PM PST by Lexinom (Duncan Hunter - the electable answer for the WOT and border security. www.gohunter08.com)
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To: Cincinna
>> The Socialists are polling at their lowest ever since 1969 <<

The official "Socialist Party" of France is polling at their lowest level since 1969. The "socialists" on the other hand, are probably pulling about 95% of the French vote.

13 posted on 03/07/2007 4:37:52 PM PST by BillyBoy (Don't blame Illinois for Pelosi -- we elected ROSKAM)
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To: Cincinna

Interesting. FN support appears to be way down, although Le Pen's support is undoubtedly understated b/c people are embarrassed to tell pollsters they support him. People predicted until recently that he might actually do better than last time. I wonder if some of his support is going to Bayrou.


14 posted on 03/07/2007 4:39:55 PM PST by untenured
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To: paudio
Here's another lovely quote from the Frenchy front runner:

"Security is the responsibility of the State, I am against militias, I am against the private ownership of firearms, and I'm trying to make you think about that. If you are assaulted by an armed burglar, he ll use his weapon more effectively than you anyway so you re risking your life. If the criminal is not armed and you are and you shoot, your life will be ruined, because killing someone over a theft is not in line with the republican values that are mine. The private ownership of firearms is dangerous. I understand your exasperation for having been burglarized two times, I understand the fear that your wife and daughter may have but the answer is in the efficiency of the police and the efficiency of the judiciary process, the answer is not in having guns at home. "
-- "Conservative" Nicholas Sarkozy
SOURCE: http://www.theurbangrindblog.com/?cat=42

Probably the same American conservatives who cheered on Vicente Fox's "conservative" victory in Mexico will be popping the champaign corks when France's version of "conservative" wins.

I could care less which socialist the frog elect. Bill Clinton is probably a hard core right-wing loon by French standards. That country is SO screwed up the only way someone remotely "conservative" would win is if the Muslims overthrew the government.

15 posted on 03/07/2007 4:48:57 PM PST by BillyBoy (Don't blame Illinois for Pelosi -- we elected ROSKAM)
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To: Cincinna

Bayrou appears to be stealing from Royal not Sarkozy. Goes to show that most "moderates" are simply Leftists who are somewhat more pro business than the Communists.


16 posted on 03/07/2007 4:55:46 PM PST by GOP_1900AD (Stomping on "PC," destroying the Left, and smoking out faux "conservatives" - Take Back The GOP!)
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To: BillyBoy

This is France we're talking about - the nation that helped America gain her independence, a historical friend, and home to many great historical figures. For France, Sarkozy is very likely an improvement even over the so-called conservative Chirac. No, I would not want Sarkozy as my president for the same reason I don't want Giuliani. But for France, I wish them the best and hope he is at least a baby step in the right direction.


17 posted on 03/07/2007 4:59:21 PM PST by Lexinom (Duncan Hunter - the electable answer for the WOT and border security. www.gohunter08.com)
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To: dfwgator
"But at least they have Melissa

Oui!!!

And Canal Plus gets "pretty racy" after 20:00.

18 posted on 03/07/2007 5:02:41 PM PST by nctexan (Top 10 Presidential Reqs. for 2008 - see my homepage)
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To: MassachusettsGOP

Bayrou has a very interesting personal story, and is very popular, well liked, and well respected in France. He is a devout Catholic, married at 20, and father of 6, grandfather of 11.

He is, along the French political continuum, considered Center, Center - Right.

Bayrou is not the worst thing that could happen to France. Royal is. She is an incompent Statist - Socialist, with little experience, who is not up to the task.

Sarko remains France's last,best hope.

We hope he wins, and wins big.


19 posted on 03/07/2007 7:30:50 PM PST by Cincinna (HILLARY & HER HINO "We are going to take things away from you for the Common Good")
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To: starbase

Ribbit!

It was Royal's to lose, and she lost it.
She lost it by being a flat-footed fool.
She kept putting her foot in it, again and again and again.
When les Guignols depict you as a slow-talking dimwit, you've been identified forever as that. Too bad for her. She could have taken the Socialists in a new direction.
But the French will not vote for someone they percieve as dumb.

So, it will be Sarkozy.
Notice Sarkozy's nice gesture to Le Pen. Why? Because Le Pen won't be in the runoffs, and Sarko can add 31 and 18.5 and see that it's not quite it. So, make some old fascists happy by at least giving Le Pen his moment on the ballot, and Sarkozy's over the top.

France is already headed in a good direction, and with fresh blood is not perceived as being a corrupt old fool, which Chirac is (perceived as, anyway), things will get neater.

The only two questions are whether Sarkozy will have a big enough Parliamentary majority to do as he wishes (he will), and whether he has the wits to restrain his natural elan so that he does not try to overthrow the whole labor protection regime using proclamation powers, and thereby bring the roof in on his electoral "honeymoon" by provoking a general strike during his first few months in office.

I think Sarkozy is not stupid and has learned through keenly watching Villepin and Chirac what the limits are in French flexibility. He'll harangue, I think, but he won't bite on the labor protections. Instead, I think he'll focus on further tightening the screws on immigration, further subsidizing the middle class birth rates (which are already booming), surprise everybody with generous affirmative action, crack down on crime even more than he has, and be more vocally cooperative with the US in the War On Terror (without, however, ever endorsing the Iraq adventure).

He will rely on the strengthening French economy and falling French unemployment to make him look good, and not mess with the trends. He'll propose modest tax cuts in some areas, but mainly focus on deregulation of business - except for labor law. He's smart enough to know that that really is the "Third Rail" of French politics. So, he'll have to make business more supple in other regimes, and perhaps diminish their tax burdens, because the French like their job security too much to let him weaken it.

It's an optimistic outlook.

Of course if he DOESN'T restrain his natural elan and he has a parliament that will give him proclamation powers, he will attack the labor law issue at once, by decree, and end up with a disastrous general strike two weeks after the election. I doubt it, but one never knows.


20 posted on 03/07/2007 7:54:48 PM PST by Vicomte13 (Le chien aboie; la caravane passe.)
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