> That makes sense - it follows the old Nixon in China rule. Since
> women generally vote to the left of men, having a woman as a standard-
> bearer for a right-wing agenda makes her a more palatable candidate
> (esp when she's as palatable as Segolene).
I think women only voted to the left of men, though, in two French Presidential elections: in 1988 and 1995, and then only marginally, and that gap has been closing since then, at least when it comes to the moderate parties. (Up to 1981, women were far more likely than men to vote for Gaullist candidates.)
The big gender gap in French politics at the moment concerns the vote for the far right: men are *far* more likely than women to vote for Le Pen.
Chris