Here’s l’update for those of you who are bedazzled by the French presidential election. The two candidates had their only debate on Wednesday night. We have written many, many words about it below, but if you prefer, you can listen to a hip-hop remix of François Hollande’s statements and a daft-punk remix of Sarkozy.
Le Petit Prince Sarkozy, who’s a bit sensitive about his diminutive height, regularly belittled his opponent François Hollande during Wednesday night’s one and only debate before the final round of voting this Sunday. Sarkozy, confident of his well-known command of the teevee medium, demanded that Hollande participate in three debates (because of his other nickname, l’Americain). But Hollande refused, because he’s tall.
Sarkozy bent over backwards in recent media interviews to try and convince extreme-right, third-place winner Marine Le Pen to throw her 18% of voters his way, but to no avail. Le Pen announced on May 1 that both candidates are exactly the same (i.e. blah- and Muslin- lovers), so she will vote “blank” on Sunday. She told her followers to vote with their conscience and asked them to hold off until the June legislative elections when they can be “soldiers” who must “fight” for “our France.” (Sound familiar?) Centrist François Bayrou, who won 10% of the early vote, said he’d never vote for Sarkozy, so “the only one left” is Hollande. (Sound familiar?) Without cross-over votes from centrists and the extreme right, Sarkozy will soon be pawning his Rolex and moving into Carla’s chateau to pout.
The grueling mano-a-mano debate started at 9pm and lasted almost three hours. Hollande never budged from his rigid schoolmarm position, while Sarkozy flailed about – righteously indignant, arms waving, red-faced – and regularly called Hollande a liar. British member of the twiterati, Alex Harrowell, described Sarkozy thusly: Sarko amazingly queeny. Everything is “blessant”, “calomnieuse”. If he had pearls he’d be clutching them.
Several of Sarko’s insults also contained the word ‘little’ — “You little slanderer!” — and when criticizing Hollande’s plans to deal with the EU crisis, Sarkozy demanded, ‘You think it will suffice to show up in your little suit?’ We don’t know, guy who was called the “emperor with no clothes” by American diplomats in Wikileaked cables. Maybe Hollande could borrow yours?
The candidates threw out an astonishing number of financial statistics in the overly long economic part of the debate, all of which were only kind of true. But the boredom with numbers was occasionally brightened by accusations and counter-attacks regarding who sleazily associated with whom. Sarkozy accused Hollande of having breakfast with Mitterand (Mitterand used to have secret, illegal fund-raising breakfasts), so Hollande threw L’Oréal heiress Liliane Bettancourt (and her envelope full of campaign cash) right back at ‘im. Sarkozy accused Hollande of being from the party of Dominique Strauss-Kahn and Hollande’s riposte was, “Well you were the one who pushed him as head of the International Monetary Fund.” Oh, le snap!
The debate moved to the sensitive topic of immigration, where Sarkozy tried again to woo the extreme-right with statements about too many blah people in France like, “Do you know where these people are coming from? From North Africa. From sub-Saharan Africa.” He conveniently forgot the fact that these areas used to be part of France. Ahem. Then he said something that nobody has been able to figure out: he wants “French Islam, not Islam in France.” Satirical Twitterater ElyseeFranglais interpreted Sarkozy’s Islam position as, “We want a French Islam. More stylish mosques, Dior Hijabs and more Imams in berets selling onions on bicycles.”
All in all, it looks like Sarko’s chances are dim for Sunday’s election (latest Harris poll: Hollande with a positively Obamian 53% and Sarkozy 47%). We’ll be following #RadioLondres for the funny side of the vote and report back on Monday, if we are not still drunk. So, ready yourselves, because it looks like socialism will reign once again across the land of cheap bread, wine, regulated telecoms and universal healthcare. Expect a quick descent down a slippery-snail slope towards Marxist Godlessness, man-on-dog marriages and Sharia law. Or, just the same old France we know and try to love.




{ 124 comments }
How's that austerity thing working out for you?
Investor Un: "Great! Our governments are implementing sweeping austerity policies to give us the confidence we need to invest and rebuild our economy!"
Investor Deux: "Great! You go first!"
As shitty as it is for us over here.
WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) — The U.S. economy created just 115,000 jobs in April as hiring slacked off for a second straight month, according to the government’s latest employment figures.
The unemployment rate edged lower to 8.1% from 8.2%, but it fell because more people stopped looking for work. Some 342,000 people dropped out of the labor force to mark the second decline in a row, the Labor Department said Friday.
Maybe somebody should do something, as Atrios and Paul Krugman are want to say.
~
Meh. Positive job numbers are still better than negative job numbers. US despite slow growth still fares better than nearly every European nation that has relied heavily on austerity measures.
Let them eat cake?
Best of times, worst of times?
If I wanted to read this much about frogs, I'd pick up a copy of Scientific American or something.
Do Wonketeers get paid by the word?
We get paid to read?
We can read?
We get paid?
Your check is in the email.
He sounds like he needs a George W shoulder massage.
But how does this effect Marie Antoinette?
Sarkozy stands head and shoulders above her. Of course, he does have a slight advantage.
Carla?
Meh, just a bunch of cheese-eating surrender monkeys to me.
It's like they say [spit] When life gives you lemons, make lemon flavored meth. My advice to M. BeerCoozie, or whatever that Frenchy's name is, is to set up a meth lab as part of a stimulus program.
That's a lot of words for the article to be just about France.
In the end, Sarkozy is going to make sauce out of this Hollande dude.
L'etat, c'est twat
Le twat, c'est moi.
– Sarkoléon
Bien joue!
*coup de golf poli*
Martini?
OK, OK – I promise I'll dig out my "learn French" program … just give me a chance to catch up!
Needz moar berets.
Everything needs more berets. Coincidentally, I was watching Little Women the other day and I thought that while this is a fine piece of work, what it needed to be perfect was more berets.
mime libel
I read that whole thing in a Pepe Le Pew accent.
Including the "Mmmmm-mmmm-mmmm" kissy sounds?
I imagine the debate sounded like a Pepe vs. Inspector Clouseau PPV event.
Lucky you. I got Jerry Lewis.
Oh Merkel!
Oh Merkel!
Oh Merkel!
Nice Merkel!
laughing now!
she will vote “blank” on Sunday
She's going to vote for Romney?
No, she's going to cast her vote in verse form.
Existentially
I think they mistranslated. She is going to vote "blanc".
While Hollande has kept his economic plans largely under wraps, there remains a hope (evinced in a recent blog postings by emminent economist Paul Krugman) that Hollande will reverse course on the disastrous economic austerity policies that have depressed European growth, and instead adopt a more Keynesian approach emphasizing counter-cyclical… counter… cou… what the FUCK am I doing writing this boring shit on Wonkette?
Go suck an egg, Sarkozy, it's time to quit politics and spend more time with your impossibly hot wife.
It's true. Hollande is anti-austerity and his timing is good because most of Europe is like, WTF? Why did we think this was a good idea again?
Because more people need to loudly and frequently say that the frickin austerity measures have been a disaster.
This "austerity," is this the new word for "lower taxes on the rich and cut programs for the poor?"
Yeah, I think she's out the door once Sarko is just some whiny dwarf with no power.
Then what, she'll shack up with Kucinich?
I am picturing that menage a trois. Now I am substituting Barack for Dennis. Now I am going to go back to bed.
Perhaps Mick Jagger is available again.
But austerity is what Germany wants! However will France and Germany resolve this if one wants austerity and the other wants stimulus? Eh – I'm sure they will handle it like the mature nation-states they are.
Quick question. If the Commie Marxist Kenyan Socialist wins in France but loses here, how hard is it to emigrate there?
Just show up at the border with a gun and you're in!
I'm pretty sure that to gain French citizenship you just need to do a tour of duty in the Foreign Legion.
Easy enough.
Try French Guyana. It's closer and doesn't have nearly as many actual French people.
Given how hard it was for me just to get a frickin' bank account there, I'm thinking that it is not so easy.
You just have to be an artist of some sort and prove that you are partnering with a French person/company to create something majikal for the French people. Then you stand in 4325 lines until you get all your stamps and insults finished. Eezy Peezy.
*STAMP*
Ah fart in your jeneral direccion!
Next?
Exactly like that. But before they fart, they must always say, "NON!" before they eventually say "OUI."
Your whining Americain ways 'ave persuaded me of the justness of your limp and mediocre cause, you fasceest peeg.
I think I have figured out French linguistics: they have so many sounds that make them purse their lips uncomfortably because this helps prevent them from hocking "r's" on people from the back of their throats. (Why can't they just trill their "r's" like decent Spanish people and Francophone Africans?!)
Yep. When I studied Spanish I had to say ferrrrocarrrril to learn how to do the r's in the front of my mouth and then when I studied French I had to say rrrrrrrrendez-vous avec moi to learn how to do the r's at the back of my mouth. Now I do them both for tips at parties.
Ha ha. He's short.
Is France like that planet on "Invader Zim" where they just pick the tallest person to be leader?
Irk? As in Irky Irkson?
The Almight Tallest!
Nicolas Tip-toe-zy?
Je suis amusée!
Translated into American, this is Kucinich vs Romney with both of them trying to court the 20% of voters still loyal to Pat Buchanan. How can you not find this fascinating?
Except that in this match-up, the Kucinich analogue is the one with the height advantage.
This is, afterall, the nation where Dominique Strauss-Kahn was within a hare's breath ("un souffle d'un lièvre") of being president.
Yep. He would have won easily, if he wasn't for all that "aggravated pimping." (What the French guvmint just charged him with)
"Pimping" always amuses me, because when I was an innocent grade-schooler in inner-city Cleveland in the '60s, "pimping" only meant walking real cool with an exaggerated hitch in your step. We had no idea!
Le hawt!!!
French Islam
The Tour de France has to stop six times each day to pray to Mecca.
unless they're rolling in the direction of mecca, of course.
Sarkozy should just follow le route de briques jaunes; maybe the Wizard can help him.
FREEDOM FRIES!
Now you've got me craving a "Royale with Cheese" to go with those fries ~
Didn't Sarko the Short waffle on at length about how socialists want to destroy the Republic?
Sounded tediously familiar.
Sarkozy is a like a shorter, Frenchier version of Mitt Romney.
MORMON MISSION MAGIC UNDIES LIBELZ!!!!
But also too, Sarkozy is a better driver – doesn't kill his friends or terrorize the shit out of the family dog.
Sacrebleu!
Gesundheit!
If the consolation prize is a hot wife, then I prefer to lose too.
Given that he's such a repulsive little troll, my guess is that she's turned on by the power and will ditch him after he loses.
Needz moar Popeye Doyle.
And a car chase.
Everything needs more Popeye Doyle and car chases. Coincidentally, I was watching Little Women the other day and I thought that while this was a fine piece of work, what it needed to be perfect was a car chase.
Complain all you want about the two party system at least it tends to make candidates run toward the middle in the general election. By contrast Sarkozy is doing everything he can to appease a bunch of people with a political philosophy that would make Hitler proud.
mmmmmm…. Hollande sauce. The Wonkette posts are making me hungry today.
Remember when Sarko got elected and he was slobbering all over Dubya and was the darling of the right? "Europe is finally going our way" they exclaimed. And now that austerity is killing their economy and he's just a shrill loser, those same righties are like, "Sarkozy — that short socialist?"
In France
We're playin' in a test
It's payin' the rent
If you pooch a civilian,
It's a major event
In France
Way down in France
Way on down
Way on down
In France
The girls is all salty
The boys is all sweet
The food ain't too shabby,
An' they piss in the street
In France
Way down in France
They got diseases
Like you never seen
Got a mystery blow-job
Turn your penis green
In France
They got some coffee,
Eatin' right through the cup,
An' when they go ka-ka
They make you stand up
In France
If you're not careful,
It'll stick to your cheeks
You'll smell like a native
For a couple of weeks
In France
We cannot wait
Till we go back
It gets so exciting
When the poodles 'react'
In France
Never try to get yo' peter sucked
In France
No doubt there will be a re-enactment of the debate, complete with mimes beating themselves over the head with stale baguettes.
They got little hands
Little eyes
They walk around
Tellin' great big lies
They got little noses
And tiny little teeth
They wear platform shoes
On their nasty little feet
Well, I don't want no Short People
'Round me
Let them lick a monkey's butthole.
Why are Sarkozy's shoes circled in the picture? Are we supposed to be looking for elevator heels?
It's called "Tom Cruise Technology."
No and yes. He wears higher heels but in this pic he's standing on his tip-toes to not look short next to Carla. He's also been photographed standing on a little box. :-)
His mistress?
Vote for the one with the hottest mistress.
Her husband wants a job, right?
“Do you know where these people are coming from? From North Africa. From sub-Saharan Africa.”
Wait a minute. Isn't sub-Saharan Africa that part which is below the Sahara, ie not in the north? Wouldn't it have been more concise and clear if Sarko had said "Do you know where these people are coming from? Africa!"
I guess he figure the racism would be too obvious if he just said "from Africa"?
That's because Africa is a big country. Sarky can see it from his Elysee porch.
Obviously, he's trying to scare, double time. Not only are the North African Muslins comin', but so is the blacks! Quelle horreur!
Cool, the good guys win, and without a rapist at the top of the ticket.
French Islam: the Muslim Pope lives in Paris.
Avignon.
The Babylonian Captivity can be authentically Babylonian since Muslins have real towers at their houses of worship.
Why doesn't he just tease up his hair so he looks taller. All mammals do this. Hell, my Doxie has a ridgeback during our evening walk. She looks absolutely menacing for all of her 16 (I lie, 20) pounds.
Trouble with Sarko bending over backwards is then absolutely no one can see him, he's just a tripping hazard.
I watched that whole debate ("le snap" indeed) and kept thinking that an American audience could never keep up with such a thing, which, despite the sputtering insults, managed to maintain a level of articulation nearly impossible in America's "one, two, uh, oops" political discourse. Two minutes into watching this, Americans would have been all like, "Yeah, but what about abortion?"
You know who else L'Oreal gave bags of money too?
Warner Bros.? (To compensate Bugs Bunny and other wascally wabbits hurt during testing)
If France ceased to exist, what would it mean? No more opening up The New York Times to see on page two an ad for $1,600 Chanel shoes or perhaps a $3,600 clutch purse? The country's sole reason to exist seems to be to sell overpriced status items to those who think that carrying that stuff around or wearing it will make you look cool.
The French: fight with their feet, fuck with their face. Every day it becomes ever more obvious that Napoleon killed off the flower of French Manhood.
On other matters, has there been a French president who isn't totally butt ugly? They had a chance to elect a hotty back in 07, but they shot her down.
Are French elections decided on height? Interesting concept, saves electors some time.
Oy. I don't want the pinko one to win, the furriner (I mean really..'Hollande…? Let's see that birth certificate, LePal) because I'd hate to go back to ordering Freedom fries and dumping my good wine. Again.
Isn't "Sarkozy" some kind of immune system-related disease? I believe "Nicholizing Sarkozy" is its most virulent form.
North African and Sub-Saharan African culture is about the most interesting thing going on in France. In fact, young people, if you're learning French, just skip France entirely and go dance le ventilateur with the Wolof in Dakar.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nji3vIV8sMQ&fe…
So, "soldiers” who must “fight” for “our France.”
At least LePen offers something original.
You know who else was Red-Faced and Flailing?
Little bastard's living in Paris and nailing Carla Bruni……..my sympathy has limits
I don't speak french, but I understood every word of this article. Vote for me!!!
How eponymous.
From looking at Sarko it's obvious that the French do not have a sign that says "You must be at least this tall to be president of France."
James Madison, Father of the Constitution, Libel!!!
Don't worry: CDU Merkel & Franquista Rajoy will put the squeeze on Hollande.
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