WELCOME TO KANSAS, FRANCE:

France's Reagan has learned the lessons of American spin: The favourite to win the French presidency is the chief executives' darling, but presents himself as an outsider battling the elites (Serge Halimi, May 2, 2007, The Guardian)

The second aspect of Sarkozy's campaign that seems to have been inspired by the tactics of the US right is his attempt to reach working-class voters. In both countries it is of course difficult for a candidate who has the support of employers, and who demands the reduction of corporate taxes, to present himself as the spokesman of the people against the elite. Yet we know both Ronald Reagan and George W Bush managed it. An appreciable part of the disadvantaged classes voted for them, and got a decrease in real salaries and a cut in tax on higher incomes for their troubles.

In the US, this feat was accomplished mainly through a call to patriotism, resentment over tax, the invocation of traditional moral values and the fight against legal leniency, presented as the principal driver of violence and crime. Sarkozy's palette cannot be transposed directly on this as, in France, a candidate's recourse to religion must still do battle with the country's secular, republican traditions and the increasing secularisation of its people. Sarkozy did try to reactivate this religious resource - but quickly moved on to the main issue, the redefinition of the social question. Taking his lead from the Americans, he then made sure to move the demarcation lines from rich v poor or capitalists v workers, to salaried v scroungers and wage earners v cheats.

The French can't really be so gullible as to vote on something as trivial as the wreckage the secular statists have made of their culture can they? When they could concentrate on voting to give themselves bigger welfare checks for less work? Perish the thought....

Posted by Orrin Judd at May 1, 2007 9:50 PM