French elections today
The French elections are now today, a most important moment for Europe. I think Nidra Poller (via Michelle Malkin) has the best analysis:
Update: Over at No-Pasaran, where they're keeping track, they report that voter turnout is very high. And, they point to some exit polls that show that Le Pen, hopefully, isn't getting exactly the turnout he was hoping for.
Update 2: and now, the French TV stations showed the official results for voting caucus closing time, and it looks like it's going to be Sarko vs. Sego in the second round. As for Bayrou, he got about 16-17 percent, whereas Le Pen got a paltry 11.5 percent. How about that.
I guess it's a shame though that Phillipe de Villiers didn't get much of a chance to get ahead, as he only got close to 3 percent of the vote. As a third party candidate, I did want him to succeed as well, but the MSM wouldn't give him enough of a chance to speak and discuss his platform.
Others on the elections include Eye on the World, Hillblogger 3, Venezuela News & Views, Fullosseous Flap's Dental Blog, Joseph Lavoie.
The candidates will effectively weigh in, as repeatedly predicted, in this order: Nicolas Sarkozy (UMP), Ségolène Royal (Socialist), François Bayrou (UDF), Jean-Marie Le Pen (Front National). The “small candidates” –Philippe de Villiers and Frédéric Nihous on the Right, Olivier Besancenot, José Bové, Marie-George Buffet, Arlette Laguiller, Gérard Schivardi Dominique Voynet on the Far Left will all be confined to the bull pen with low scores, 1 – 2 %, except for Besancenot who will probably reap 5%.I certainly hope so. There are many issues he's brought up that only he's really spoken about, and the others either haven't or they just tend to peter out. That's why we must hope he'll make it.
There will be no big surprises for Le Pen or Bayrou. Sarkozy’s lead over Royal should be in the upper rather than lower range …perhaps 5 points...
...Nicolas Sarkozy has the stature, he has the political heft, he behaves like a professional, he has thought out his program in length and depth, he is surrounded by a plethora of experienced effective politicians, some of whom are truly excellent. He has shown his mettle by wresting Chirac’s formidable party machine away from the Big Boss and harnessing its energies for his own radically different program.
Contrary to what many foreign journalists have written, Sarkozy is perhaps the only candidate who is running on a platform instead of a personality cult. His commitment to results is sincere and if he fails to produce, which is quite possible, he will still deserve credit for his courage and straight talk. He is the candidate who has most clearly defined France’s problems and most convincingly pointed to the right path out of the sand trap where this country has been stuck for three-decades. Of all the twelve candidates, many of whom are irresponsible charlatans, Sarkozy is the only one who has been smeared, spattered, and verbally slashed.
That’s why I think Sarkozy will win...
Update: Over at No-Pasaran, where they're keeping track, they report that voter turnout is very high. And, they point to some exit polls that show that Le Pen, hopefully, isn't getting exactly the turnout he was hoping for.
Update 2: and now, the French TV stations showed the official results for voting caucus closing time, and it looks like it's going to be Sarko vs. Sego in the second round. As for Bayrou, he got about 16-17 percent, whereas Le Pen got a paltry 11.5 percent. How about that.
I guess it's a shame though that Phillipe de Villiers didn't get much of a chance to get ahead, as he only got close to 3 percent of the vote. As a third party candidate, I did want him to succeed as well, but the MSM wouldn't give him enough of a chance to speak and discuss his platform.
Others on the elections include Eye on the World, Hillblogger 3, Venezuela News & Views, Fullosseous Flap's Dental Blog, Joseph Lavoie.
