>Did France elect Mitterrand in 1981 when the rest of the world was
>moving right? Is France a lagging indicator?
>
>Doug
Yes. Sarkozy won by accumulating overwhelming majorities among voters *over the age of 60* with exceptional strength in the over-70 bracket (women formed *before* les francaises had the right to vote). Ségolene won by a very large margin among those aged 18-24 and among *younger* women. The decisive feature of the elections clearly was misogynist ideology as internalized over generations by the old fogies of both sexes. Although France has one of the longest life expectancies in the world (merci, vin rouge) a 6% margin for the right cannot stand against demographic inevitabilities over the next quiquennium. Tiens bon--la jeunesse vaincra.
Shane Mage
"Thunderbolt steers all things...It consents and does not consent to be called Zeus."
Herakleitos of Ephesos