The Race as seen from here

[olivier in france]

In yesterday's "les Echos" (the main economic french newspaper, something like the french "wall street journal"), there was an interesting editorial on the US presidential race. I made this translation, hoping it is understandable...

"Fire on the Elite"

 

The cheers of the republican convention for S Palin have surprised the europeans. How is it possible that the big party of the right and the center-right has been able to chose as possible VP such a far right person?

How an active pro guns and pro life activist can represent such a big part of the USA?

The answer is that foreign observers are not looking at the right thing.

It is true that the new partner of J Mc Cain is a typical product of the religious neo-con side of the GOP , a group influent among conservatives and that has played a big role in the Bush Administration with the dramatic consequences it has had for the US foreign policy.

But it is not for this that S Palin has been acclaimed. She has been because she has presented herself as an ordinary housewife whose political and social ascension in isolated Alaska has nothing to do with the DC and NYC establishment. Her 5 kids, one handicapped, the other minor and pregnant, have helped to convince that she has the daily life and struggles of any common american citizen. Her first speech at the convention has used and abused of the argument that Obama on the other side is a product of that establishment.

From Europe it is hard to believe that the son of a Kenyan immigrant, from a blue collar district of Chicago, can be a part of any aristocracy. But this is an other optical mistake. Obama with his Harvard diploma, his brilliant speeches and Hollywood stars at his feet looks as a perfect elitist to Alaskan or Iowan eyes.

Those anti-establishment attacks are nothing new. During the last election GW Bush has been reelected while heavily portraying his democrat competitor J Kerry as an East Coast Catholic Upper classman, or in a shorter way as an aristocrat.

That kind of argument is not even new in Europe. Berlusconi in Italy has succeded using even more vulgar and demagogical words and during last year presidential race in France the two main candidates have used the same plan. Sarkozy calling himself the candidate of the "early birds" (as opposed to the "lazy" technocrats that have the power) and S Royal using ad nauseam compationate words toward the blue collar "real France".

Everything goes as if the world and "real people" were the victims of the results of the work of an untouchable elite, those few privileged being so the root of all their economical and social struggles.

In the Middle Ages, when things were going bad, they burned witches. Today it's fire on the Elite. It is not sure this is a great cultural progress.

[erynthered]

You !@#$ers are nuts.

 

 

If anyone needed proof of France's love for Barack Obama, le Figaro offered it today with an opinion poll. This finds that 80 percent of the French want the Democrat candidate to win the US presidency while only eight percent favour John McCain.

 

The poll was carried out by TNS Sofres on September 2 and 3, before McCain benefited from the Sarah Palin bounce but it gives an idea of the overwhelming wish in France to see a President Obama take office. Eighty-six percent have a good opinion of him compared with only 35 percent for McCain. The strong support cuts across social class and the political spectrum. The most senior French politicians at the Democratic convention came from President Sarkozy's rightwing UMP party, not the leftwing opposition.

 

The BBC found pro-Obama feeling to be strong worldwide in a poll this week, but the passion seems to run higher in France than anywhere. There are reasons for this.

 

France has an idealised and schizophrenic view of the United States that dates back to 1776 when King Louis XVI helped the colonial insurgents fight Britain's peace-keeping force. France feels that it has a founding share in the nation which bestowed jazz, GIs, cocktails, JFK and Clint Eastwood on Europe. It dislikes what it sees as the more primary, messianic and intolerant America that is represented by Republicans and personified by George W Bush.

 

 

Given the demonisation of Bush, it is surprising that the Figaro poll found that as many as 18 percent of the French hold a favourable opinion of him.

 

French misunderstanding of the USA has been glaring in the coverage of Sarah Palin. TV reporters have been at a loss to explain hockey moms and the excitement over a woman whose pitch is patriotism, religion and family values. France prefers American frontier heroes of the fictional kind, courtesy of John Ford or Sergio Leone. Few have noticed that Palin invented a French name for the company which she registered earlier in her career -- Rouge Cou. "It's a classy way of saying redneck," she told The Anchorage Daily. "It's a French word, rouge is red, cou is neck. It's for marketing and consulting, in case I wanted to go that route" (No doubt she has been told that it should be Cou Rouge).

 

French readiness to take a dark, even irrational, view of America was on display again this week when Jean-Marie Bigard, a popular comic and actor, proclaimed his belief in the conspiracy version of September 11 2001.

 

"It is absolutely sure and certain now that the two planes that crashed on the (Pennsylvania) forest and the Pentagon never existed. There was never a plane... It is a vast lie", he said on Europe 1, a popular national radio station. After a dressing down by his managers, Bigard apologised today but he did not retract the view, which is shared by many in France as we have seen here before (The New York Times had a good piece yesterday on the consensus in the Middle East that 9/11 was a US conspiracy).

 

You can dismiss Bigard's ideas as provocation by a loud-mouthed celebrity except that some people take him seriously. President Sarkozy is a friend and even invited him along on a recent trip to the Vatican and presented him to Pope Benedict XVI.

 

To take the argument full circle, Sarkozy is a good example of the French Americophile. He loves the ideal United States to the point of excess, as he showed in his rapturous speech to Congress last autumn. He admires the power, the can-do outlook and the style (His Hungarian-born father has even said that he would have preferred his boy to be president of the USA.)

 

But Sarko has trouble understanding the real America. He has never learnt its language. Carla Bruni, his supermodel wife, a one-time New York City resident, has been briefing him. She offered a telling glimpse the other day in a Europe 1 interview. She said that Sarko did not listen much to "Anglo-Saxon" music. He prefers French pop and rock artists because he understands the words, she said. One of his favourites is Johnny Hallyday, the evergreen rock idol. Known once as the "French Elvis", Hallyday has of course spent nearly 50 years perfecting his act as France's idea of an American.

 

Johnny even customized one of his great hits in Sarkozy's honour. Its title, Quelque chose de Tennessee became Quelque chose de Sarkozy.

 

 

http://timescorrespondents.typepad.com/cha...k-obama-th.html

[olivier in france]

You !@#$ers are nuts.

 

 

 

 

http://timescorrespondents.typepad.com/cha...k-obama-th.html

 

 

Where did you find that?

It looks so "Faux News"!!!

What's incredible is that it's the first time i ever hear about that Bigard story (the guy is the most vulgar, stupid guy you can find on Earth... well a real "cou rouge"!!)

that "rouge cou" stuff is really funny!

[olivier in france]

Hey Eryn! I have corrected your link as it looks like the original writer of it had not checked a couple of things...

 

 

If anyone needed proof of France's love for Barack Obama, le Figaro offered it today with an opinion poll. This finds that 80 percent of the French want the Democrat candidate to win the US presidency while only eight percent favour John McCain.

 

The poll was carried out by TNS Sofres on September 2 and 3, before McCain benefited from the Sarah Palin bounce (and that will have without any doubt no effect on what the frenchmen may think) but it gives an idea of the overwhelming wish in France to see a President Obama take office. Eighty-six percent have a good opinion of him compared with only 35 percent for McCain. The strong support cuts across social class and the political spectrum. The most senior French politicians at the Democratic convention came from President Sarkozy's rightwing UMP party, not the leftwing opposition.

 

The BBC found pro-Obama feeling to be strong worldwide in a poll this week, but the passion seems to run higher in France than anywhere. There are reasons for this.

 

France has an idealised and schizophrenic view of the United States that dates back to 1776 when King Louis XVI helped the colonial insurgents fight Britain's peace-keeping force. France feels that it has a founding share in the nation which bestowed jazz, Hemingway, JFK and Clint Eastwood on Europe. It dislikes what it sees as the more primary, messianic and intolerant America that is represented by Republicans and personified by George W Bush.

 

Given the demonisation of Bush, it is surprising that the Figaro poll found that as many as 18 percent of the French hold a favourable opinion of him.

 

French misunderstanding of the USA has been glaring in the coverage of Sarah Palin. TV reporters have been at a loss to explain hockey moms (well they should try to explain hockey first...) and the excitement over a woman whose pitch is patriotism, religion (well France basically invented the concept of the secular state) and family values. France prefers American frontier heroes of the fictional kind, courtesy of John Ford or Sergio Leone. Few have noticed that Palin invented a (ridiculous) French name for the company which she registered earlier in her career -- Rouge Cou. "It's a classy way of saying redneck," she told The Anchorage Daily. "It's a French word, rouge is red, cou is neck. It's for marketing and consulting, in case I wanted to go that route" (No doubt she has been told that it should be Cou Rouge).

 

French readiness to take a dark, even irrational, view of America was on display again this week when Jean-Marie Bigard, a un-popular un-comic and non-actor, proclaimed his belief in the conspiracy version of September 11 2001.

 

"It is absolutely sure and certain now that the two planes that crashed on the (Pennsylvania) forest and the Pentagon never existed. There was never a plane... It is a vast lie", he said on Europe 1, a popular national radio station. After a dressing down by his managers, Bigard apologised today but he did not retract the view, which is shared by two persons in France as we have seen on Faux News before .

 

You can dismiss Bigard's ideas as provocation by a loud-mouthed stupid ignorant celebrity except that his brother in law takes him seriously. President Sarkozy is a friend and even invited him along on a recent trip to the Vatican and presented him to Pope Benedict XVI. (political anlaysts still wondering if that was a huge joke or not...)

 

To take the argument full circle, Sarkozy is a good example of the French Americophile. He loves the ideal United States to the point of excess, as he showed in his rapturous speech to Congress last autumn. He admires the power, the can-do outlook and the style (His Hungarian-born father has even said that he would have preferred his boy to be president of the USA.)

 

But Sarko has trouble understanding the real America. He has never learnt its language (doing at least as the americans do with foreign languages) . Carla Bruni, his supermodel wife, a one-time New York City resident, has been briefing him. She offered a telling glimpse the other day in a Europe 1 interview. She said that Sarko did not listen much to "Anglo-Saxon" music. He prefers French pop and rock artists because he understands the words, she said. (while it has to be noted GW Bush knows perfectly all Edith Piaf songs) One of his favourites is Johnny Halliday, the evergreen rock idol. Known in 1961 as the "French Elvis", Halliday has of course spent nearly 50 years perfecting his act as France's idea of an old out of fashion rockabilly singer.

Johnny even customized one of his great hits in Sarkozy's honour. Its title, Quelque chose de Tennessee became Quelque chose de Sarkozy.

[YellowLinesandArmadillos]

In yesterday's "les Echos" (the main economic french newspaper, something like the french "wall street journal"), there was an interesting editorial on the US presidential race. I made this translation, hoping it is understandable...

"Fire on the Elite"

 

The cheers of the republican convention for S Palin have surprised the europeans. How is it possible that the big party of the right and the center-right has been able to chose as possible VP such a far right person?

How an active pro guns and pro life activist can represent such a big part of the USA?

The answer is that foreign observers are not looking at the right thing.

It is true that the new partner of J Mc Cain is a typical product of the religious neo-con side of the GOP , a group influent among conservatives and that has played a big role in the Bush Administration with the dramatic consequences it has had for the US foreign policy.

But it is not for this that S Palin has been acclaimed. She has been because she has presented herself as an ordinary housewife whose political and social ascension in isolated Alaska has nothing to do with the DC and NYC establishment. Her 5 kids, one handicapped, the other minor and pregnant, have helped to convince that she has the daily life and struggles of any common american citizen. Her first speech at the convention has used and abused of the argument that Obama on the other side is a product of that establishment.

From Europe it is hard to believe that the son of a Kenyan immigrant, from a blue collar district of Chicago, can be a part of any aristocracy. But this is an other optical mistake. Obama with his Harvard diploma, his brilliant speeches and Hollywood stars at his feet looks as a perfect elitist to Alaskan or Iowan eyes.

Those anti-establishment attacks are nothing new. During the last election GW Bush has been reelected while heavily portraying his democrat competitor J Kerry as an East Coast Catholic Upper classman, or in a shorter way as an aristocrat.

That kind of argument is not even new in Europe. Berlusconi in Italy has succeded using even more vulgar and demagogical words and during last year presidential race in France the two main candidates have used the same plan. Sarkozy calling himself the candidate of the "early birds" (as opposed to the "lazy" technocrats that have the power) and S Royal using ad nauseam compationate words toward the blue collar "real France".

Everything goes as if the world and "real people" were the victims of the results of the work of an untouchable elite, those few privileged being so the root of all their economical and social struggles.

In the Middle Ages, when things were going bad, they burned witches. Today it's fire on the Elite. It is not sure this is a great cultural progress.

Interesting article, I think it sums up the Palin factor and her effect on this campaign pretty well for right now. Things can change in a couple of months of campaigning but if I were to bet right now there is a slight edge to the McCain Camp.

[molson_golden2002]

Interesting article, I think it sums up the Palin factor and her effect on this campaign pretty well for right now. Things can change in a couple of months of campaigning but if I were to bet right now there is a slight edge to the McCain Camp.

The way I look at it--very biasedly I admit--but this Palin has such a horrible record that in the next two months the Dems should be able to get that obvious point across.

[KD in CA]

The way I look at it--very biasedly I admit--but this Palin has such a horrible record that in the next two months the Dems should be able to get that obvious point across.

 

And if they do, will they then attempt to run against McCain, or will they keep pretending that Palin is at the top of the GOP ticket?

 

[molson_golden2002]

And if they do, will they then attempt to run against McCain, or will they keep pretending that Palin is at the top of the GOP ticket?

 

Its kind of funny, and I'm not making this up, but McCain is going to campaign with Palin because she is drawing the fans, not him. So who is at the top of the ticket?

[Taro T]

Its kind of funny, and I'm not making this up, but McCain is going to campaign with Palin because she is drawing the fans, not him. So who is at the top of the ticket?

Last time I checked it was Obama vs McCain. But continue to make this Obama vs Palin and continue to wonder why the polling goes against where your guy "should be".

[KD in CA]

Its kind of funny, and I'm not making this up, but McCain is going to campaign with Palin because she is drawing the fans, not him. So who is at the top of the ticket?

 

Oh, I see. So it's the McCain people that are sending around the emails comparing Obama's wealth of experience against Palin's lack thereof. Gotcha.

[molson_golden2002]

Last time I checked it was Obama vs McCain. But continue to make this Obama vs Palin and continue to wonder why the polling goes against where your guy "should be".

I think McCain sees her obvious vote getting potential and is pushing her out front like with the fake outrage over the pig comments. If she is going to be the visable symbol of his campaign, she needs to be exposed for what she is.

[erynthered]

I think McCain sees her obvious vote getting potential and is pushing her out front like with the fake outrage over the pig comments. If she is going to be the visable symbol of his campaign, she needs to be exposed for what she is.

 

 

And what would that be?

[Berg]

And what would that be?

 

Damn, I'd love to see Sarah Palin "exposed"!

[DC Tom]

Its kind of funny, and I'm not making this up, but McCain is going to campaign with Palin because she is drawing the fans, not him. So who is at the top of the ticket?

 

That's actually a good point (and what is it with you recently, anyway? You're posting almost like a rational human being.)

 

And I think it would be a good strategy for McCain. The more they can make this Obama vs. Palin on character, and less Obama vs. McCain on the issues, the worse-off the Democrats are going to be.

[KD in CA]

And what would that be?

 

A threat to retards like molton.

[molson_golden2002]

And what would that be?

Yes! Exactly! You don't know, and many more Americans don't either. Read the posts on this board about her and fnd out

[molson_golden2002]

A threat to retards like molton.

Mudslinging? On 9-11? Oh could you?

[/dev/null]

Damn, I'd love to see Sarah Palin "exposed"!

 

I'm surprised Larry Flynt hasn't made Bristol a "when you're 18" offer like he did with Miley Cyrus

[erynthered]

Yes! Exactly! You don't know, and many more Americans don't either. Read the posts on this board about her and fnd out

 

 

NO. You made the statement, back it up with some facts right here.

[molson_golden2002]

That's actually a good point (and what is it with you recently, anyway? You're posting almost like a rational human being.)

 

And I think it would be a good strategy for McCain. The more they can make this Obama vs. Palin on character, and less Obama vs. McCain on the issues, the worse-off the Democrats are going to be.

Someone has labled this "the Palin Trap." She has to be addressed, but when she is she becomes a distraction

 

Can't really win. But Obama handled the pig thing really well, I thought.