France 2012: Official Results Thread

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Guys, I've often said that Corsican nationalists can tend to vote for the FN in presidential elections. I've been proven correct again.

I'm interested in why. Is it just that the movement has racist elements/tendencies?

Consider that in Italy the Alleanza Nazionale and Lega Nord were in the same coalition once. They basically decided that they had common ground in that both hated immigrants. Might be similar here.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Imagine how well Melenchon would be doing right now against a disappointing PS incumbent in the same vein as Zapatero or Socrates who implemented a series of neo-liberal reforms in the midst of a crippling recession...

Hollande's presidency is going to be a disaster to say the least.

I suppose he's sort of a French John Kerry, even if this is obvious most people voting for him (as I certainly would in the second round) will be just concerned with getting Sarkozy out.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Interestingly both Chirac and Hollande were from outside of Corrèze, but made their political bases there. Chirac is from Paris, Hollande from Rouen.

Ah. I remember Chirac was also Mayor of Paris for some time. I'm always amazed by how much of what would here be seen as blatant carpetbagging goes on in Europe.

Yep, he was mayor of Paris and deputy from Corrèze at the same time, as I recall.

That's legal in France? I know European countries tend to be more tolerant of carpetbagging but never thought to that level.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Are there any seats where 50% of the voters are willing to vote for FN in a two-way election?

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

What sort of place is Corrèze? It seems really rural, possibly mountainous? Is it considered part of the Massif Central?

Lived there several years while a child. It's definitely part of Massif Central yes, very green, lot of forests, middle mountains, quite rural, slightly conservative, but still rather open minded, something along the rest of Limousin, might be the most rightist département of this région.

So Hollande's from a sort of low-key rural leftist background, culturally? That sounds nice, actually. Too bad he's going to be inheriting and presiding over an absolute sh**tstorm.

lol, no, at all, it's a cute Parisian upper middle class baby.

...Oh joy.

The sheer domination of primate cities is another thing that interests me about Europe. Paris, London, Madrid...New York has nowhere near that much influence within the United States.

New York has that much influence within its state, doesn't it?

Good point! Perhaps it would within a hypothetical 'Northeast' country of roughly a large Western European country's population.

U.S. States really can't be compared to European countries, as the former were the creation of the colonial/Washington administration often before the areas in question were even populated by Euro-Americans (or at least in large numbers). So the dynamics are different, but the dominance of Primate cities is hardly unusual in a global context, The US and Germany (a European city) are the outliers in this.

I think the boundaries of New York state, at least, are reasonably organic. Certainly a state like Wyoming has no meaningful identity, though.

You think NYC and Buffalo belong together?

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Oh so we do have a Le Pen department, Gard.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Why do olds like Sarkozy so much? Is that normal for UMP candidates?

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

I can see what people mean now by saying it's overtly simplistic to describe Paris as right wing with Le Pen's performance there.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

So Jews vote right wing in France?

We may also have to envision what sort of person a French expatriate in Cuba might be.

Most likely living in some resort area and not much different from an American expat in Mexico. Though of course it is only 24% so I guess people seeking international solidarity can explain that.

Le Pen's numbers in South Sudan is what I find most odd since I'd believe most French living in Africa are from immigrant families who have moved back.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

How did Le Pen do in Israel?

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Hmm Sarkozy did a lot better than I expected. Not that coming close matters.