Monday, May 7, 2007

Royal's loss, Hillary Clinton's gain?

Those on the far left, upset by the recent loss of their political candidate of choice, chose to take to the streets of France and riot in protest of a win for the right wing. This presidential election was more than just a fight between two views, it is a glimpse into the direction that France hopes to take. The candidates, one male, one female; the former a conservative, the latter a socialist were two very different candidates with very different ideals. While the conservative seemed to have a coherent plan, the socialist seemed to focus more on her feminism and attempted to focus on women voters. In the end, France spoke and elected Sarkozy as their new president over Royal. Sarkozy won by a slim margin, but appealed more to the older voters and those with stable employment, while the unemployed and impoverished voted for Royal.

Some questions:

-Why should this election matter to us in the U.S.A.?
-Does this give Hillary Clinton a little insight as what not to do in gearing up for the '08 election?
-Why the polarity in France? Why the polarity in recent US elections? Are they related?
-Is the anglo-saxon world shifting back to conservative values or is this a minor setback for the liberals?
-What does the rioting say about the democratic process?
-Is rioting ever appropriate?

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