France 2012: the official thread

[minionofmidas]

Not much of one in regard to Crisis politics.

[minionofmidas]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Empire

Actually this deserves a facepalm but because I'm in good mood today I'll just say to you that we are talking about the state of Italy which was founded in 1861.

...as a result of some smashing military victories.

Against Austrians and other Italians, admittedly, so I guess it doesn't count, but still.

Anyhow, lol Chirac. Oh well, he is from the Chiraquerie after all.

[minionofmidas]

The economist is a right-wing news agency. Might as well ask Glenn Beck about it.

Not... exactly.

[minionofmidas]

Yeah, I wish the allegations against DSK hadn't surfaced until he was the nominee, so he could epicly self destruct and not even make the second ballot.

Mélenchon President? I'll take it!

[minionofmidas]

It's not as if it really matters, does it?

[minionofmidas]

my dad for Marion.

Seriously? ouch'n.

[minionofmidas]

70% of municipalities will close polling stations at 18:00 tomorrow with a few cities (for ex Toulon, Béziers, Sète, Rennes, Orléans) carrying on until 19:00. Polls will close at 20:00 in Ile de France (except Seine-Marne), Nice, Marseille, Strasbourg, Reims, Montpellier, Toulouse parts of Haute-Garonne, Lyon, Villeurbanne, Grenoble, Saint-Etienne, Bordeaux, Angers and Nantes).

That is seriously bizarre.

And is also why (as claimed over in another thread) results and exit polls start leaking before 8.

[minionofmidas]

I love how the Communist Revolutionary League renamed itself the New Anticapitalist Party.

Panderers.

[minionofmidas]

I love how the Communist Revolutionary League renamed itself the New Anticapitalist Party.

Panderers.

It was long ago. A way to try to unite the "left of the left"... with the success you know...
Mélenchon will be able to do it, in the polls, but not among the parties.

Three years is not a long time in politics. Not nearly as long as a week.

Besides, both that and the PG happened at a time when there were no major elections up in France and my attention had wavered elsewhere.

[minionofmidas]

I doubt such blatant pandering even appeals to Front voters.

[minionofmidas]

Can someone explain why the debate is just three days before the election?

Because it's not the US and French voters (or most voters anywhere) don't like election campaigns that last 2 years.

...uh...ok. I didn't mean "Why don't they have debates a year in advance?" I'm curious as to why it isn't a week or two before the election so undecided voters don't have to wait so long.

It has to be after the first round, elseways they'd have to give Jacques Cheminade equal opportunity to blabber on about UFOs.

[minionofmidas]

A last minute shift toward closeness, in a race between two long established candidates that ought to be easily pollable, but not quite towards "up for grabs now!" territory.

1/6 says the pollsters are right. 1/5 says they're being way to cautious and will have egg on their face when Sarkozy comes within a point or wins tomorrow. 19/30 says they're just making it up and Hollande will win by 54.5-45.5 just like they predicted last week.