Today there are eight workmen at my apartment. As we stood around the coffee machine this morning (they all drink their coffee black with one sugar), they congratulated me on the "defeat of Bush." In France, unlike the U.S., this is not a controversial statement. Remember when he won the second time, and one of the Paris newspaper headlines read: Bush elected; the French disappointed ?
"The Democrats won, does this mean that the U.S. will soon leave Iraq?"
"It wasn't wrong to go into Iraq," argued an African-Frenchman. "But they shouldn't have gone in alone."
"Extremists of all kinds are bad," said a North-African Frenchman with very blue eyes. "We criticize Islamic extremists, but the Christian extremists are bad too. Bush is a Christian extremist."
"And the méchant, le Ministre de Défense [Rumsfeld], they thanked him [fired him] right away!"
"Is it going to be Hillary for president in two years?" one of them asked me. "Do you think you will have a woman president?"
I explained for the énième time why I don't think she can win. She has the Democratic nomination probably sewn up, but too many voters in the middle hate her-- actually loathe her, and will never vote for her. The workmen had not heard of Barack Obama.
"It looks as if we will have a woman president by then too," one of them said. They didn't look unhappy with the idea.
"Did you watch the last debate Tuesday night?" I asked, curious. "I heard Ségolène [Royal] was pas terrible." [which, confusingly, means "bad."] But none of them had. I got the feeling they were actually much more interested in American than in French politics.
*Cartoon courtesy of Placide
A little strange to watch politics in the USA from across the Atlantic. Somehow the vision from this perspective is so much clearer, though.
I'm out and about looking for stories about the election from the expatriate view. I'll put links to what I find on my blog.
Meilleurs vœux!
Posted by: blueVicar | 09 November 2006 at 17:35
Bush is a Christian?
Posted by: gr8face | 09 November 2006 at 20:19
Yes, it is amazing to me that so many hate Hilary while I think she is great even though she vasilates on some of the issues that are important to me. She worked so hard to straighten up the health care mess in the U.S. but the greatest monopolies on earth shot her down, big time. I have been reading alot about Obama. He might be able to win because the poor and the middle class appreciate him.
Posted by: Johnny Parsons | 09 November 2006 at 22:44
From this ex-ex-pat, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this post. It reminds me of the months leading up to the 2004 elections when I lived in Paris. I'm a bit surprised at how much the French attitude towards American politics has stayed with me.
I also don't think Hilary has a chance.
Posted by: Richard | 10 November 2006 at 01:16
It's terribly embarassing to think about the politics mess here...thanks for putting up with us...I wish it would all go away..it's like a bad dream
Posted by: cityfarmer | 10 November 2006 at 01:43
could you tell us more abour Obama? I've never heard of him too
From Sedulia: Mimi, try here:
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barack_Obama"
and here: http://danzigercartoons.com/index.php?paged=10
Posted by: mimi | 10 November 2006 at 15:50
What I find interesting as an American expat in Paris, is that the French of all walks of life just assume what my political beliefs are. I am not a Bush hater, nor do I think that the Democrats taking power is going to solve all the world's problems. But the French never ask me how I feel about the elections, they just say things like "Isn't it is terrible that Bush was re-elected? I'm so sorry." or "Aren't you relieved that the Democrats won? Now France and the US can be friends again!"
I guess they never met anything other than an outspokenly left-wing American before!
Posted by: liza | 11 November 2006 at 19:03