France under an American political system

[Colin]

Well the French do have probably the most powerful Presidency of  any other first world country besides the United States. Prime Ministers are usually just in the role of majority leader in the United States and while the President does have to compromise with the Legislative Assembly and Senate he is also the person who determines policy and is able to dictate policy and law on his own. So, really, the political set up of the Fifth Republic is possibly the closest to the United States of any other first world nation.

[Colin]

Find a 2002 map. Most probably the regions Le Pen and Chirac won would go Republican (although some Chirac regions would go Dem) and the Socialist regions to the Dems. Remember UMP is less conservative than the GOP and the PS is more leftist than the Dems.

Well that's not really the case. I'm sure if Al would take notice of this thread he would lambast you for saying something that simplistic. Also the 2002 map would have alot of regions won with 20% or 30% of the vote and the second round map is useless.

If we just transported the American Republican Party to France I could see Le Pen beating them if they came with the baggage of Republican policies and foreign hatred for the Republicans with them.