[mojito]

The best analysis of the French election that I've read.

Europe is headed for big trouble. Again.

[Argus]

A La Guillotine!

[Navy Patriot]

How many Frenchmen does it take to defend France?

[WestwardHo]

The best analysis of the French election that I’ve read.

Thank you.
I am trying to understand why this is a victory for La Penn.
Diluting the vote for Sarkozy? Or validating the mood of the country?

[Vince Ferrer]

There are hints the new president will use an audit of the public finances he has planned for his first weeks in office to argue that the situation is far worse than expected. By the summer, they say, socialist policies will be dumped and he will be forced to implement the very austerity measures Mr Sarkozy warned were necessary.

And that will be where trouble begins.

The old Bill Clinton bait and switch middle class tax cut ploy. In the end, every election everywhere in the developed world is a choice between debt depression caused by austerity, or a hyperinflationary collapse. Any voter who thinks there is an easy way out is not paying attention.

[Lancey Howard]

To hear one of France’s wealthy elites whisper that letting the Left win would avoid trouble and reduce tensions is to hear the aristocrats talk of placating the mob.

= "Let them eat cake."

[what's up]

He wants it to be “reoriented” away from austerity and in favour of growth and job creation

Gag populism from Hollande. Austerity measures are what cause growth and job creation, not moving away from them.

I predict that within weeks Hollande will move back toward austerity, doing the same dance that Obama has done over the Bush tax-cuts...always promising to trash them but never doing so.

[Cementjungle]

I believe this is the very same rationale for the Obama presidency. I think that we have heard so much about “the man keeping blacks down” that the power-brokers (both parties) in Washington decided to give us a black president to try and eliminate that argument. I also believe that we’re stuck with him for another term for the same reason.

Romney, like McCain, will pretend to want to win, but the deal is to allow Obama another term to complete the original mission and keep people placated.