In the London Times, George Walden writes of the “vegetating catastrophe” that is France and hopes for a Nicolas Sarkozy victory.Unemployment rate of 8 percent or higher since 1984. Budget deficits for 27 years running. Economic basket case of the world.

Heart of Eurabia and festering anti-Semitism.

Welcome to France.

Socialist failure Jacques Chirac is now on his way out as France heads to the polls this weekend.

http://michellemalkin.com/archives/007354.htm

Michelle has a lot more details,

More updates at Pave France, you gotta love a website with a name like that.

1/3 yet to decide, could go anywhere.


In France, there is a particular strain of melancholy. … The British tell themselves,’We are no longer a great power, so we will live as a middle one.’ But the French don’t say that. They say: ‘We are intrinsically a great power, so why isn’t it working in reality?’ For a while we try to shut our eyes, but that doesn’t work for long. When reality truly dawns, then the first phase is extreme sadness, and that is the phase we are in now.Chantal Delsol,
professor of philosophy at the Université de Marne-la-Vallée
April 21, 2007 (NZH)

http://www.pavefrance.com/blog/archives/001761.html#001761


Indeed. With the undecided vote greater than any one candidate’s canvassed vote, the 1er tour could turn and twist and surprise everyone. But we doubt it.

Our guess is that the undecided are undecided among the top three candidates, with perhaps M. Le Pen making good his claim to surprise. But we doubt M. Le Pen has the juju.

We also doubt anyone is undecided about a vote for Philippe de Villiers, Frédéric Nihous, Olivier Besancenot, Arlette Laguiller, Marie-George Buffet, Gérard Schivardi, José Bové, and Dominique Voynet.* These candidates negligible numbers and microscopic movements in the polls week-to-week suggests anyone voting them decided long ago.

What for instance could be the dynamic so powerful as to jump the “Little Red Postman” 27 points from 3.5% to take over the lead, yet so subtle that it has gone wholly undetected by campaigners, pundits and voters — and mystics — alike?

The interesting question is, two days out, why is a third of the French vote still undecided — unclear or guarded — about its vote? Four possibilities present themselves: 1) The political spread between candidates is negligible; 2) The choices are odious; 3) This undecided third does not intend to decide, that is, to show at the polls; 4) This undecided has decided but is too afraid or too ashamed to admit to its vote. One and two are weak.

Our guess is that if the undecided vote, they will not much disturb the standings of the decided vote.

http://www.pavefrance.com/blog/archives/001760.html#001760