Watching the flag waving from abroad
I’ve been asked several times by friends from home how well I’ve been able to follow the elections from France. The answer is probably as well as I would be able to from home. Every daily newspaper has multiple articles following each of the candidates, and although they focus less on the issues themselves, they certainly follow the tactics that each candidate is using to get ahead. Even l’Équipe, a daily sports newspaper, had an article last Friday on the role of sports in the campaigning, and which US athletes had declared their support for each of the candidates. The newspapers love polls and so pick one or two results to post each day, and they love showing pictures of women at Bush rallies in sequined American flag sweatshirts or guys with big ears topped by cowboy hats. The French media definitely portrays an image of America that s the one they wish to see.
The French see ‘Kee ree’, as they pronounce his name, as the person who is going to lead the US out of the darkness that is Bush. It also helps that Kerry has French relatives and spent some summers of his childhood visiting them here. It goes without saying that they hate Bush. Everyone asks me if I have bien voté, voted well, meaning voted for Kerry. But there is a general lack of understanding about the American system (as is understandable, I know very little about the French system and I live here!). My residence hall hosted a lecture/discussion by an American professor at Science Po on his new book Qui est John Kerry? (who is John Kerry) The professor took the first thirty minutes to describe the governmental and electoral system in the US and as a result, most of the entire question and answer session dealt with nuances of the systems. But it became very apparent that the French and francophone student believed that the president of the US had some sort of ultimate power, that the executive board dwarfed all other branches of government. Maybe that’s why they put so much attention into this election, given the particular implications due to the two candidates.
I’ll write more on the subject once the elections actually happen. I hope everyone votes!
The French see ‘Kee ree’, as they pronounce his name, as the person who is going to lead the US out of the darkness that is Bush. It also helps that Kerry has French relatives and spent some summers of his childhood visiting them here. It goes without saying that they hate Bush. Everyone asks me if I have bien voté, voted well, meaning voted for Kerry. But there is a general lack of understanding about the American system (as is understandable, I know very little about the French system and I live here!). My residence hall hosted a lecture/discussion by an American professor at Science Po on his new book Qui est John Kerry? (who is John Kerry) The professor took the first thirty minutes to describe the governmental and electoral system in the US and as a result, most of the entire question and answer session dealt with nuances of the systems. But it became very apparent that the French and francophone student believed that the president of the US had some sort of ultimate power, that the executive board dwarfed all other branches of government. Maybe that’s why they put so much attention into this election, given the particular implications due to the two candidates.
I’ll write more on the subject once the elections actually happen. I hope everyone votes!
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