Battle Royal

I haven't really paid that much attention to the presidential election in France which takes place this weekend, but I did see an interesting segment from their final debate. The underdog Socialist challenger, Segolene Royal, did her best to play the role that every man fears...the pissed off ex-wife. With her eyes flashing and the vitriol coming loud and quick, she came off as...well, it rhymes with witch. Her opponent, Conservative Nicholas Sarkozy maintained his cool and calmly suggested that Royal had lost hers. It was a pretty masterful performance, and based on the post-debate polls, Royal's act didn't help her with the voting Frenchies while Sarkozy's demeanor helped put the lie to the claim that he's going to create death and destruction in France should he be elected.

Who is making such a claim? Royal herself:

Socialist opponent Segolene Royal said on Friday that France risks violence and brutality if her opponent right-winger Nicolas Sarkozy wins Sunday's presidential election.

On the last day of official campaigning, opinion polls showed Sarkozy enjoyed a commanding lead over Royal, who accused the former interior minister of lying and polarizing France.

"Choosing Nicolas Sarkozy would be a dangerous choice," Royal told RTL radio.

"It is my responsibility today to alert people to the risk of (his) candidature with regards to the violence and brutality that would be unleashed in the country (if he won)," she said.

Pressed on whether there would be actual violence, Royal said: "I think so, I think so," referring specifically to France's volatile suburbs hit by widespread rioting in 2005.

Statements like that definitely come from a desperate challenger.

I'll guarantee you that the Clinton camp watched that debate very carefully. My own theory is that men can snarl and bark at each other and that is expected, but when a woman shows anger at a male opponent who refuses to bark back with the same intensity, the viewers turn off and don't want any part of that. If the man gets too aggressive with a woman candidate, as Hillary's Senate opponent did in a 2000 debate, the woman gets the sympathy.

Hillary gets shrill when she gets wound up, and that won't look very pretty if her opponent stays calm. Which looks more presidential - the hothead harpy or the calm leader?

We should all hope that Sarkozy wins as he will be the best friend America has had in that disfunctional country in a long, long time. French society has a lot of built in social ills, thanks to Socialist policies from the past such as the 35 hour work week and many other government handouts which have contributed to the highest unemplyment rate in Europe (and contributed to the riots from 2005), and Sarkozy will not have an easy time moving them into a more productive nation. But at least he won't be seeking out every opportunity to undermine the U.S.