France decodes Sarah Palin

This might be an exercise in what the French call "shooting at the ambulance", or kicking someone when they are down. But here's a look at the French reaction to Sarah Palin.

Like the Gallic adoration of Barack Obama, the French view of John McCain's vice-presidential choice has been simplified by the cultural filter. The personnage of Palin and the initial enthusiasm she generated were puzzling for a country that disdains displays of faith and moral certainty. Her convention joke about hockey moms being pitbulls with lipstick took a lot of explanation.

In le Monde, the elegant Dominique Dhombres explained that Palin was an elemental type from l'Amérique profonde. "She is a go-getter, almost an assault tank. A virago ? That's for you to decide... She believes in God, America, the family and firearms. She defines herself as 'une maman hockey'."

On France-Inter, the main state-run radio station, a commentator this morning described Palin as une sacrée bigote -- a really sanctimonious woman (literally 'a holy bigot', though the words are softer in French).

French feminists have had the biggest trouble with Palin. They have come round to the conclusion that she is a dangerous agent of anti-feminism. "The exhibition of this fundamentalist version of femininity and maternity in the American presidential election concerns all of us," wrote Julia Kristeva in Libération.  "Whether she represents the banality of evil or tragic caricature, can this strangling of women's emancipation... be reversed?"

Elle, the thinking Parisienne's fashion weekly, denounced Palin on Monday as "the incarnation of a new femininism, as dangerous as the 'Islamic feminism', which has recently been invented by the Muslim fundamentalists." Marie-Françoise Colombani, Elle's editorial columnist, concluded that Palin was proof that the "worst enemy of woman is often a woman."

Palin's self-undoing with her inept interviews has been greeted with relief and a little gloating. Headlines today called her "Sarah la gaffeuse" and McCain's Achilles Heel. Libération had fun filling a page with her confused answers to questions from Katie Couric and others. Her words about Vladimir Putin "raising his head" and flying over Alaska and her incoherent views on the Wall Street bail-out have been prompting widespread mirth.

Below, from today's le Nouvel Observateur, McCain says: "There's only one solution left." Palin replies: "Bomb Wall Street".

Comments

[Roger Goodacre]

Like Sartre and other virulent critics of American/Anglo-Saxon culture through the ages, I suspect that many of these holier-than-thou commentators have never visited the US.

[Joan Arles]

It's not just the intellectuals that are upset by Palin. She frightens the ordinary French with her mix of absolute certainty and stunning lack of knowledge. The French appreciate people who can talk a good line, even if they are uninformed or hold different views. Admittedly, France is seeing Palin in translation, which makes her seem worse. If this gets onto Drudge report again, I will no doubt be called a "self-hating" American. too bad

[Ch. Abel]

@ Roger Goodacre
Between critics who (supposedly) have never traveled out of their country, and a would-be vice-president who went out from her Alaska juste once in her life, which is worst?

[christopher muir]

Roger Goodacre - I have visited the USA many times and have even worked there. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine...well, I won't go on because my thoughts are probably predictable. I'll shut up until after the TV debate. I'm looking forward to hearing Ms Palin's solutions regarding the present chaotic state of US finances.

[Pierre Bernardi]

Charles, you seem to be slipping into the French intelligentsia. Not that many people care what Le Monde thinks.

[dot king]

Roger Goodacre - I wonder if Mrs Palin has ever heard of Sartre?
What a very strange comment to make to criticise feminists - or whatever it was you were meaning to do.

Anyway, I think they'd be better off electing Tina Fey :)

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/27/tina-fey-as-sarah-palin-k_n_129956.html

[MCG]

Sarah Palin's speech to the Republican Convention demonstrated that she is a superb platform speaker. She is also the most popular of the 50 governors in the United States. These facts should earn her some respect.

Yes, she has stumbled. But as a professional speaker, I believe that extemporaneous speaking should require a special license, like being a commercial pilot or making instrument landings. That Sarah Palin landed badly in early interviews is not a black mark against her. Yet.

Kristeva is misinformed about American feminism. Sarah Palin's nomination to be vice-president, like her success as governor, are triumphs of the American feminist movement. But of doctrinaire left-wing feminism? Probably not.

[Roberto Castellano]

The Americans have a completely different way of thinking than French or Italians. With us neither Obama nor McCain would have any chance, not to speak of Sarah Palin who has been an attraction when she came out but then she became a big deception.

[dot king]

and here's the "real thing" - spot the difference if you can

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/10/01/palin-cant-name-supreme-c_n_131042.html

[azloon]

"Sarah's as corny as Kansas in August,
just as normal as blueberry pie.

No more a smart little girl with no heart,
she has found her a wonderful part"

when Palin's mercifully short explosion onto the national political stage is over, i would modestly propose that she reprise the role mitzi gaynor made famous in the film version of 'south pacific,' one of the all-time great shows in american musical theater.

she's a born actress, with great timing, and perhaps a 'quick enough study' to learn her 'lines' before her debate appearance tonight.

and she's a gross offense to liberals everywhere, in france and her own country. so she must be doing something right.

btw, Joan, she requires translation here too.

[unkle]

Basically french thought almost the same about G.W.Bush, and I am not even wondering if they were right or wrong...

So it seems that in that way, Palin is also seen as a sort of continuation (even if it is probably not true). Since GW is highly impopular here, no dount Palin is too. Fact that she is a woman has probably no impact (at least I'd like to believe that).

[Simon L]

Or indeed what any of the French think.

tee hee

[leila Levine]

The French are not beyond criticism. But they do keep religion and politics apart for which they should be lauded.

[azloon]

PS

Re South Pacific (along with West Side Story, greatest american muscials ever)

some french connections:

James Michener's story, Tales of the South Pacific, on which musical is based, has Nellie Forbush, from Kansas, meeting a FRENCH plantation owner, played in the movie by Rossano Brazzi, and features a song, 'Dites-Moi Pourquoi' (which must be well-known in france as well -- not the lara fabian one i see when i google it). and, marseilles-born France Nguyen also starred in the film (as Liat).

this musical obviously was written before intermingling of our 'races' had had a 'falling out,' when there was true public affection between us. sooo long ago, i'm afraid.

here is link to "i'm in love with a wonderful guy":

http://loyd-theater.com/movie-collect-1/20th/south-pacific/south-pacific.html

another song from the muscial: 'dites moi, pourquoi' (la vie est belle [bellah]).

http://www.barbaraluna.com/

(barbara luna is a trekkie)

now can't you imagine sarah singing this?

don't tell me no (actually, this isn't Nellie's song -- as i recall, a group of children sing this song, perhaps Liat/Nguyen who portrayed a very young girl).

But Cockeyed Optimist is definitely up Palin's alley.

[do-re-mi]

Deer Hunting with Jesus: Guns, Votes, Debt and Delusion in Redneck America by Joe Bageant is quite a good read to get where Palin comes from.

http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/video/clips/couric-palin-open/704042/ but that's more fun.

[Daniel Strohl]

PIERRE B.

"Not that many people care what Le Monde thinks"

LOL ! I am afraid you are right ... However, a few decades ago, people cared :).

LEILA LEVINE,

"The French are not beyond criticism"

Although I am French, this is also my opinion ...

Regarding politicians, male and female, we do have over here also some strange specimens - as regulars on the blog know, our friend CHARLES does not miss them occasionally, but always with humour .

This morning, on French Internet TV, they showed an extract of an interview of the (future ?) American democrat vice-president. He said regarding the 1929 crisis that President Wilson hold a big speech on TV at that time ... Not bad !

They mentioned also an interview of Mrs. Palin regarding her foreign policy abilities. She spoke about Alaska and Russia, but unfortunately, I didn't understand what she said - in translation (not because of my brains, but because of my ears :). But it was probably funny, if if judge basing on the smiles of the two journalists of BFM-TV ...

[Jacqueline Bucar]

Your commentators have got to be kidding. Other than with the far right religious base, Palin is a laughing stock here. With a straight face, over and over, she stated that she had foreign policy experience because Russia is near by and on some days she can even see Russia from Alaska! If that were inane enough to show she is a vacuous light weight, she went on to elaborate that Putin flies in Alaska's air space! That's it. Americans can sleep at night knowing she's in charge! We already had 8 years of stupidity in the White House, PLEASE, we can't afford any more morons in positions of leadership. I won't even go into the sessions in her church where she was exorcised of witches. Shall I go on?

[dot king]

American feminism. Sarah Palin's . . .

MCG

You have wisely placed a full stop between the two, cince in the same sentence, the two do not belong.

What on earth does Sarah Palin have to so with feminism of any nationality - unless you have a very different understanding of feminism than that which is generally understood.
The rights that women have campaigned for and acquired over decades would be under threat with this woman in anything approaching power.
Sarah Palin is so backward, she's as close as you get to a Flat-Earther - how does that song go on Azloon? "They call me a cock-eyed optimist, immature and incurably green" (not in the political sense of course):)

[rocket]

Now that's a subject I can sink my teeth into. Finally!

[azloon]

[an interview of Mrs. Palin regarding her foreign policy abilities] DS

Daniel, there's much crowing about Palin's supposed (and likely) deficiencies.

but i really wonder how relevant these are.

if eloquence, articulation of ideas, and smoothness were all they're cracked up to, the world wouldn't be in the morass it is.

maybe more people ought to be moose hunting with jesus. if fact, it may have been in times like these that jesus, regarded by many to be borderline psychotic, rose to such prominence.

[rocket]

Daniel

"American democrat vice-president. He said regarding the 1929 crisis that President Wilson hold a big speech on TV at that time ... Not bad !"

With all due respect

The quote.

"Part of what being a leader does is to instill confidence is to demonstrate what he or she knows what they are talking about and to communicating to people ... this is how we can fix this," Biden said. "When the stock market crashed, Franklin Roosevelt got on the television and didn't just talk about the princes of greed. He said, 'look, here's what happened.'"

Woodrow Wilson died in 1924.

[Laurie]

Excellent article. I'm an American who has been drowning in the ignorance of the Palin and Bush worshippers....HELP!!!!! Actually, doom is inevitable - the most ignorant of this country are the ones having the most babies (retarded or not).

[Dodo]

SF in his SuperFrenchie blog gave the following link :

http://www.le933.com/images/contenus/image/soleilPalin.jpg

Tina Fey is more perfect than the original.

[dot king]

"I won't even go into the sessions in her church where she was exorcised of witches. Shall I go on?"
JACQUELINE BUCAR

What? Oh, YES PLEASE!!
Pretty Please!
(Just post the http link - we'll do the rest)

This is inside information of just the sort this blog loves!

[dot king]

cince in the same sentence,
have to so ("so" should be "do")

ME on ME - or my keyboard

If my name were Sharon Stone and I said I needed pink fwuffy bunny wabbits, I'd be snowed under a heap of pink fwuffy bunny wabbits, but as I'm Dot King and I need a new keyboard - nothing happens - except typos from the increasing number of blank keys before me.

One day I'll do a blindfold test to see if I've achieved touch-typist status - until then "i'm stuck like a dope with a thing called hope and i can't get it out of my head"

(yes, Azloon, I know all the lyrics to "South Pacific" - and "West Side Story" and you can throw in "Calamity Jane" and a few others. Am I "Palin'" into insignificance? :)

[millier marc]

les americains ont le meilleur (obama) et le pire (palin).
une puritaine , hypocrite comme tous les conservateurs républicains.

un peu facho sur les bords!!!!!!.

[Daniel Strohl]

ROCKET,

My bad ! Thanks for the correction. After having typed ENTER of my previous post, I wondered if I hadn't done a mistake. In fact, the French journalist quoting Riden actually spoke of Roosevelt (and not Wilson).

[Mary Fernandez]

Rocket (and Daniel) -

You corrected Daniel on Wilson's date of death and then left out that FDR wasn't President in 1929 (Hoover was) and nobody had TV sets!

Roosevelt's VP for his first two terms, John Nance Garner, described the job of Vice President as being not “worth a bucket of warm piss.” Constitutionally, you have only two duties - (1) Waiting for the President to die, and (2) Casting the tying vote in the Senate. George Bush, Sr. spent the first term of the Reagan years attending funerals for Soviet leaders.

It's amusing to see the lather she has put liberals in. The only thing that disqualifies her as a 'feminist' is that she doesn't believe in abortion as a form of birth control. Otherwise, I'd say she's come a long way, baby.

BTW, before anyone makes the 'John McCain is old and she could become President' argument, let me point out that his mother is 96 and campaigning with him every day.

Both of Obama's parents are dead. His father was a raging alcoholic and died at 46 in a car crash. His mother died of ovarian and uterine cancer at 52. (Barack is 47 y.o. and a smoker.)

Joe Biden is only 7 years younger than McCain and has had 2 brain aneurysms.

That would leave us with Nancy Pelosi.

[Rocket]

Hi Mary

I didn't feel it was necessay to indicate the President in 1929 only to correct the error that Daniel had made as per Wilson.

"That would leave us with Nancy Pelosi."

God help us then!
*****************************
Daniel

sorry but LOL

It's Biden not Riden. (smile)

I've got your number today

[Rocket]

Mary

"Both of Obama's parents are dead. His father was a raging alcoholic and died at 46 in a car crash. His mother died of ovarian and uterine cancer at 52. (Barack is 47 y.o. and a smoker.)"

Died in a car crash. After having both legs amputated from another car crash while drunk.

I just finished Obama Nation by Jerome Corsi.

A word to our French friends. This book is definitely not an endorsement of Obama.

[Romain]

I've watched Palin's interviews with astonishment. Interviewers were quite moderate and respectful, Palin's responses were a display of outright ignorance, cheer stupidity, and misguided beliefs, I could'nt believe it.
And that would be a VP, possibly president of USA ? That is where most Europeans would always have a hard time understanding the american way of thinking.

[azloon]

[obama's 'father was a raging alcoholic'] MFernandez

tell me what you know about 'raging' alcoholics and what this means for their offspring.

the tone of your comment seems to suggest that something important is known about the effects of this on a child of this person.

in my experience, it doesn't.

i am sure you have your reasons for not liking him, but you might find something a little more telling that this fact.

the perfect couple: the belle and the maverick! if anyone thought w was boring, here's a chance to really change america (as to the rest of the world, lord protect us all)

[Blendi Progri]

Haven't watched the good ol mama a lot, but everytime I do, I got a feeling that she may turn to the left and scream at someone:
'bring mama mah kitar...
and then sing and sing somemore.
Dolly Parton style, or not, what matters is that moma is musical. Harmonius too. And moma plays it by the ear, is likeable and folks ah tring too hard to find something to 'ate her.
We can call present president Dumb as Bush (and feel proud at our own cleverness)but is hard to call a woman dumb and feel good about it.

I say MOMA FOR PRESIDENT of US of A *.
Let moma do the gawd damn running of de blessed country and judge her on her records ( yep folks, her CD's too), not her lips, shoulders or hips!

'give moma a chance' lol, she can't be as Bad as Bush.
Can she?!
-----------

Hockey mom - 'une maman hockey'

If I didnt know what the above words meant and someone describes to me that they about Mamas, I will know who to go to when I need my head stroked...and from which mama to run away.
------
* In case anyone gets the rung ideah that ah dont know that Sarah P is running for V.P. welllll... wellll, actually, factically & practically;
One Jimmy Mc Cain is in power, Sarah is as good as president, he is old, he feels cold and he is tired,so one day americans wake up and hear:
People of Amer...this is S.P your President speaking, and I have decided to re-decorate ( lets say..hhmmm) Colorado. It will be hrad and tough and a little rough, but moma will do it, now throw your guns in da table and start painting.
Oh.. so I dont foget, I got another feeling about S.palin, she gives out the vibes of a mini-dictator- but here I may be wrong (am not, usually, but have to be modest sometimes, lol) as history presents USA with a tough choice to make.

Obama or Sarah!

A mom or a lawyer!

And we know who children want to play with...

...a pretty babysitter.

:)

[Dominique]

CB writes : "the French view of John McCain's vice-presidential choice has been simplified by the cultural filter"

The issue of the "filter" is that it all depends on what side of it you are. Many comments on this blog, and the paper are very often "simplified by the anglo-saxon cultural filter"

May I suggest that not seing that Sarah Palin is a narrow minded dangerous woman is being on the wrong side of the filter?

You just need to listen to her views about "the goods guys versus the bad guys" in the middle east to know that the later she'll be president the better!

the world can not afford Palin as president. Cultural filter? maybe. but i least, i passed the filter...

[Francois D]

Excellent article: very good summary about Sarah Palin"s perception here.

We welcomed her the first day, seeing a new dynamic and aesthetically pleasing person arriving on the world village place.
We were intrigued the second day, when she spoke about Alaska and Russia.
We were concerned, the third, when she started to talk about christian fundamentalists religious views .

We are now worried when she speaks about war (interview about Georgia union with NATO and war risks with Russia).

We shall be alarmed if the Republican ticket wins and if she has access, one day, to the atomic button, given Pigmalion's age.

That, not for the fun:

http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=MAWM7E_WMfo&feature=related

And that for the fun:

http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=6MJCvHMtwE4

PS: Very funny that you discover the expression "not shooting at the ambulance". I though that this was an intenational expression. Perhaps, you will contribute to that.
It is often used in politics, sometimes with compassion, more often by contempt...

[Daniel Strohl]

MARY, ROCKET

Of course, after my error, I googled to see who was actually president in 1929.

Regarding the first TV transmission, I had in mind Berlin 1936. Since one error per day is enough for me :), I googled this also. A Swiss article said it was in 1935. So my memory was not too bad, at least in this occurrence :)

[Fernandez]

"tell me what you know about 'raging' alcoholics and what this means for their offspring."

Little sensitive there, Azloon.

My comment was only to the fact that both his parents died young. Barack was probably more affected by his father's absence than his alcoholism. (Although to strictly answer your question, they did discover an alcoholism gene, didn't they? So, I guess he should avoid taking up the bottle 'just in case'.) Healthwise, I'd be more concerned about the cancer history than his smoking.

Back to the point: The "McCain is old, we might get Palin" hysteria is ridiculous. It's just as likely Obama would kick the bucket.

[Alicie]

hi

I'm English born and been living in France 38 years. Nice to read a few tidbits about what the French see on their TV.

The French love TV debates and informational programmes with useful guests discussing the news. I rarely see this when I visit my home country.

I am delighted that this strange women is beginnning to be gunned down by the media, as imagine a French woman who would have been a vice president (doesn't exist but maybe a prime minister), who went out hunting wild pig, was against contraception, and blantedly religious.. ABSOLUTELY IMPOSSIBLE.

I'm even more delighted that that means that France (or most of European countries) are (finally ?) light years ahead of America in terms of political intelligence, quality, competence, knowledge etc...

If Obama wins, he'll have a hell of job just educating the majority of americans in just basic modern thinking,.. getting schools to teach kids that other countries exist, their names, location on the map, what their system is, that the dollar isn't used worldwide, that dinosaurs don't exist, that killing is bad, that the church (churches) are, always have been and always will be, the opium of the people.. He's got a long way to go, to get to the level of France in religious, and social issues. (And, maybe political too LOL)

[HJP]

Palin is as American as George Bush and just like him appeals to the "Bubba" factor in America, that mass of opinionated yet uninformed, bullying yet cowardly, educated yet mindless, holy-minded yet highly bigoted part of the population with narrow interests and even narrower minds. And just as Bush, she appeals to this group exactly for the reason that she is no brighter than they are, cannot answer complex questions of domestic or international importance any more than they can and lives for put down sound bites instead of articulate, expansive and original response.

Palin is the poster child for the dumbing down of America, the everybody-gets-a-trophy and we're-all-safer-if-everybody-carries-a -gun mentality that has overtaken this this country.

There are so very many intelligent, knowledgeable and well-traveled people in this country that it is unreasonable to have a Sarah Palin as VP, the proverbial heartbeat away from the Presidency. We've already had a know-nothing in the White House this century, with predictable results, and that should be more than enough.

[Don]

If anyone needed proof that the French media is terribly biased against Sarah Palin, all one need to do is note that the gaffes of Joe Biden are completely ignored by them.

For example, Biden said that FDR as President went on television in 1929 to address the American people about the Great Depression. In fact, FDR only became President in 1933 and television did not exist then.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20081001/biden_palin_081001/20081001?hub=TopStories

But there are no cartoons in the French press about this BIG gaffe. Why not !!??

The crude caricatures of Sarah Palin in the French press make no mention of her taking on her own party with respect to corruption; no mention of her taking on the big oil companies to build a pipeline in Alaska etc.

It is perfectly alright to criticize Sarah Palin but these simplistic caricatures are in keeping with a very long history of such caricatures of Americans in general.
(Read L'obsession americaine by Revel to have this last point well documented or "The American Enemy: The History of French Anti-Americanism" by Philippe Roger - both French authors). It would be naive not to see these particular types of caricatures as being just another rationale for French American bashing. It would be the same as if they had caricatured a Jewish politician as a rich, greedy banker.

These type of caricatures have a history and one would be naive in the extreme to ignore this fact with respect to the French press and America bashing. They continue the cheap clichés that have characterized America in the French press for many decades. If you think I am wrong, argue with Revel and Roger. They document this point much better than I can in a short blog.

[rockinred]

@Don
Is that really the best you can do in defence of Mme Palin? That "there are no cartoons in the French press about this BIG gaffe" ie Biden making a silly anachronism - daft but not particularly substantive and not really relevant to much.

Palin on the other hand...no need for caricatures. You just have to watch her interviews; she speaks for herself more than adequately, revealing herself as frighteningly ignorant and a real 'sacrée bigote'. Her record too as a governor - such as it is - speaks for itself; cronyism, evasions, pork barrel politicking. For a Xtian, she's really rather deceitful, making claims that have been proven to be untrue - for example the business about the 'bridge to nowhere', or the nonsenensical and untrue claim that she auctioned the gubantorial jet on eBay, making a profit for the taxpayer, when in fact it was sold commercially at a massive loss, a cost borne by Alaskan taxpayers.

It's not America-bashing to be both amused and horrified at the prospect of this woman holding any significant office. If we in France - and across Europe as a whole - are aghast at the prospect of Palin as VP, it's because we love America and Americans and hate to see you making such fools of yourselves. And we worry that the self-proclaimed most powerful nation on earth should allow anyone as ignorant and reactionary as Palin anywhere near the levers of power.

[textibule]

Sorry Don, nice try, but...nah.

The "crude caricatures of Sarah Palin in the French press" are quite civil compared to the crude caricatures of Sarah Palin in the US press (Thank you Tina Fey!).

And if Sarah Palin ever made a gaffe specifically naming a year (1929) and a name out of the past (FDR), I think most people of most cultures would be dumbfounded that she actually knew a specific date or name. A show of such sudden intellectual depth would surely trump the Gaffe Factor of the statement.

[dot king]

"It's just as likely Obama would kick the bucket."
MARY
Yes, that's true, one can never predict that someone will live longer just because they're younger, in the same way that you can't predict 100% that someone whose parents are of a ripe old age will live as long as they do.
But (in the Obama case) that would leave Biden - isn't that a more optimistic possibility than Palin?

Mind you, she just needs to weekend in Alaska once in a while and we might just see her exit pursued by a (polar) bear. :)

[Rick]

Here are some random thoughts.
For somebody who has spent the past eight years wondering how on earth an oaf like Bush ever got elected, the appearance of Palin is a bitter disappointment.
That vast American electorate seems heedless of the opinion of the rest of the world.
It seems that character trumps intelligence every time for the US voter.
France and England seem to have reacted similarly to the appearance of the inexpressible Palin, are we more alike than we would care to care to admit?
If we inspect the contents of a French(wo)man’s general knowledge (‘Connaisances générales’) and then compared this with the British and American counterparts we would be confronted by three quite different animals. For this reason it’s not entirely fair to charge an American candidate with ignorance of the outside world. Especially as their ‘national’ knowledge should, notionally, be five times more extensive, if it is to reflect population size.
How many European voters have a more than superficial knowledge of the USA, or the country next door, come to that? One suspects that the French have a better knowledge than most of their erstwhile protégé.

[Pierrre]

The true but more superficial than generally exposed, french anti-amercanism does not have much to do with critics against Palin. Culdn't any of CB's medias quotes be signed by Palin's American detractors?
Globalisation has put an end to a political and historical paradox. In matters of foreign policies french leaders generally found it easier to deal with Republicaan administrations.
But G.W. Bush made things more simple, and finally should I say more "healthy".
French (and Europeans in general) do not have a problem with the US, but they (and a large part of the world) clearly do have a problem with the Republican side of America and its suicidal dogmatic views on religion, finance, foreign policy or ecology.

[dot king]

DON: I've just thoroughly read your link, but it seems be as destructive of Palin as your post seems to be supportive.

All politicians say stupid things in these very public situations when everyone is looking for the smallest crack in their armour, but Palin does seem to come out as supreme champion in this.

[Alicie]

Don, you're right about anti americanism, clichés.. but what is scary is that this woman, more than anyone, manages to embody all the worst clichés ever used for americans.

Watching those youtube clips (and the commentaries) gives me goosepimples, but there are many others. This one describes what sort of psychopathic beliefs she has. It's mind blowing that so many people have that sort of behaviour in what is taken to be the world's most 'civilized' nation. Christian or Islamist Jihad, I don't see much difference.

http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=igFiyyFTF88&feature=related

[valerie]

It amazes me that people seem to think that Palin ''deserved'' to be treated with such vicious bias by the MSM. What did she do to deserve it, may I ask? By accepting to join McCain, that meant that her family were open game, too? Her teenage daughter? Her infant boy?

Btw, obama has hardly had a tough question thrown at him in all these months upon months of campaigning and playing at messiah. And it's a shame because he, too, needed to be tested.

Where were all of you when obama was being fawned over and painted with a loving brush without question? Why didn't he ''deserve'' to be tried and tested? Why hasn't his wife and family been also scrutinized? I'll tell you why. Because the MSM are mostly pro-obama. And the virulence directed toward Palin proves it.

That said, I think the debate proves that Palin is indeed capable of shining, even faced with a pro like biden. Give her credit. She is made of steel.

What I would like to know is why a woman who is of the Right, is pro-life and rather accomplished for her years is automatically someone to be feared, to be called a danger to her own kind (how ridiculous is THAT?), to be ridiculed? Her beliefs are not wrong. They are the beliefs of a woman of the Right. She is a fabulous example of all that is good about America. She has made something of herself. She comes from a loving family, has created her own loving family, raised kids, taken on challenges and been successful! So, she is pro-life? So, she believed in God? She is a woman who thinks for herself. because she refuses to have abortions, she would be shunned?

What backstabbers feminists are... They can't even treat a woman like Palin with respect. Screw the feminists.

I am so sick of all the Lefties out there believing that THEY are somehow the holders of the only political truth that exists. We NEED a two-sided coin in politics. Without at least 2 voices, how can you expect to debate anything?

Ans as for the french and their condescending anti-Americanism and anti-Rightism...if they are so da*n good at running a country, at running Europe...show us how it's done, why don't you. Otherwise, shut the h*ll up.

[rocket]

Rockinred

"If we in France - and across Europe as a whole - are aghast at the prospect of Palin as VP, it's because we love America and Americans and hate to see you making such fools of yourselves."

That's the official politically correct line in France

Oh! Thank you so much for wanting to save us from ourselves.

If it wasn't for following some French talking heads we'd be swimming in our own stench. Thank you for your advice. We will try to do better and be more like you.

"And we worry that the self-proclaimed most powerful nation on earth should allow anyone as ignorant and reactionary as Palin anywhere near the levers of power."

Remember J. Danforth Quail!

And I heard the same thing for Ronald Reagan from the French. An actor. Mon dieu!

If you would stop popping anti - depressants and worry more about yourselves than about the United States we would all be better off and you might get your own problems solved instead of knocking down and rebuilding all of your institutions every 5 years. Since I have been here I can't even count the number of times that the whole educational system has been revamped. Now it's the institution of the press and on and on.

Most Americans really don't care about what the French think and don't even devote one minute to thinking about the French in a month. It's not about to change.

Don

Anytime an American is pictured with a gun no less shooting it the majority of the French press goes into a depression. Now if you use words like dude, and "talk'in" instead of "talking" then you've got all you need for an explosive cocktail of ridicule from France.

Yet to speak with a Marseilles accent is totally acceptable in France. Unfortunately some people here are not able to put two and two together. Different regions different accents.

go figure!

[rocket]

ALICIE

"Christian or Islamist Jihad, I don't see much difference."

I do

http://www.faithfreedom.org/Articles/sina/suicide_bomber.jpg

http://www.jtf.org/israel/aaa.israel.plo.suicide.bomber.fingerprints.crop.jpg

[rocket]

ALICIE

As for your link. Here is one for you of Obama's preacher.

http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=hwQWuQVE6sw

[millier marc]

she is a extremist woman.
very dangerous for the world.!!!

[dot king]

Alicie:
Thank you for supplying that link. Now we know we clearly aren't doing justice to Sarah Palin in Europe, she's being portrayed as ignorant and foolish, but she's evidently just plain crazy (or should that be "palin crazy?).
I also clicked on to the link that was entitled "why you shouldn't vote for Sarah Palin" and had the impression that I was watching a particularly apocalyptic episode of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" - except that the "Masters Commission" (which I'd thought at the outset was some sort of diploma) isn't funny. Not at all.

Just one heartbeat away . . .

[joel]

After living in Europe for a number of years and also being from Texas, I would like to make one point: Most Americans detest France and the French "Surrender Culture". Americans have no respect for them what so ever. I know many french and like many of them. I find myself defending them in the US by pointing out that they are not all wusses. Bottom line, the more the french talk about Sarah Palin, the more Americans are going to be oppostionally defient and vote for McCain just to make a point.

[susan durst, france]

The U.S. has Sarah Palin, France has Ségolène Royal ... we all have our crosses to bear !

[Matt]

Palin is an embarrassment.

[dj]

well at least the French have good cheese

[RightWingRobot]

I don't think Sarah was "stumbling" during the Kouric interview. I think that they have her on a tight leash to stick to the McCain message. If she was "allowed" to express her true thoughts, the answers would have been smoother.

An example of this was her answer to the global warming question. She knows it's complete B.S. but she's not allowed to say it. She wasn't really answering the question, she was reciting the party line. She just needs to learn to be disingenuous.

[azloon]

Alice --

your notion of france as highly evolved vis a vis the u.s. is trite and oh so incredibly predictable. that you would point to Palin as evidence of this is typical french left caca.

have you forgot already the ditzy Sego Royal was a heartbeat away from the french presidency?

if i could hazard a guess, i think european fear of Palin and her ilk rests in the impotence europe feels in a world of frightening threats which the u.s. is capable of countering and but on which europe has basically 'wimped out.'

if europe had it's act together, and constituted a credible military deterrence, it might allow the u.s the luxury of concentrating on its 'better angels.'

meanwhile, our 'sarah palins,' rifles in hand, will be protecting you, as disgusted as you are with her personally.

[nobody from nowhere]

Americans have not been served well by it's politicians. Randomly selected Americans would do a better job than our current batch of crooks. Palin is one such random person. She looks real. She does not look like she has been corrupted yet. I doubt any French politician could even get one electoral college vote.

[Patrick]

It always makes me smile when I see the French bigots in action. France is burning and within my lifetime Notre Dame Cathedral will become a mosque and the latest fashion out of Paris will be the burka. But they focus on a woman with morals as their greatest problem. It just further cements my image of France as being irrelevant and an aging whore who dreams of her glorious past. C'est la vie!

[Daniel Strohl]

SUSAN DURST,

"we all have our crosses to bear !"

LOL ! But unfortunately true :)

DJ,

"well at least the French have good cheese"

Yes, also true ! Even the "chabichou", a goat cheese made in Poitou-Charente where Mme Royal is reigning, is also not bad !

More seriously : there are also good cheeses in other countries - Italy for example.

ROCKET,

"Most Americans really don't care about what the French think"

Because some (or many ?) of them don't even know where France (or Europe) is located :)

[chloe]

Thats what we Americans love about the french. After twice saving them from German domination and standing between them and communisium, they "try to figure us out" Don't worry your Islamic bomb will one day off and we won't be there. Figure that out!

[Hohenfels]

As a French, I think this article is right: the French intelligentsia is arrogant and contemptuous to those who are not atheists, socialists, Sartre-adoring and good-thinking. Ms Palin cannot avoid such criticism which was quite expectable in France. The French media have supported Obama since the beginning just because he is black (they do not say it very clearly but there is no other argument).
I beg Americans and Brits not to be tolerant with these Saint-Germain-des-Prés intellectuals who are not worth very much now...

[Dodo]

ROCKET "Most Americans really don't care about what the French think and don't even devote one minute to thinking about the French in a month. It's not about to change."

LOL !

True is that the American lack of interest toward France and the French in your press, Foxnews, etc.. this past 8 years was often very tiresome.

Mc Cain or Obama ? I don't care, but I am sure Americans will have the president they deserve.

[dog_boy]

Yawn... the French are wringing thier lilly white hands and whineing about our election. Now really folks, does anyone really give a flying F*ck what they think or say??

[BillyBob]

Palin is a tremendous leader in her state of Alaska and now as McCain's running mate. The "In Love With Obama media" will do anything to discredit this fine ooutstanding women. The Democrats are even trying to tag the finacial meltdown as somehow being the Republicans fault. How ridiculous!! If anyone outside of America would read the headlines you would believe that Bush is to blame for the financial decline on Wall Street. The facts that are not told in the Bush hating media are: PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON REVISED LOAN STANDARDS TO PROMOTE HOME OWNERSHIP TO LOW INCOME AMERICANS. The intent of this was honorable, but the result is people that really could not afford a home bought them anyway. When the new homeowner finally could not keep up with the payments they walked away leaving the banks holding bad mortgages. At the time, a few warned of the practice of lending money to unqualified borrowers but they were quickly deemed "Racist" or "Uncaring" to silence their voice. You now see the results of poor banking practices. I hope the rest of the world wakes up to this and denies the easy and inaccurate claim of, “its Bush's Fault!”.

[CB]

Thank you MCG. The feminist movement was to give women the right to CHOOSE what they wanted to do with their lives, among other things. The fact that Palin is choosing to have a career, and still hold tight to her family and values, makes her the super-feminist in my opinion. But I guess to some liberal feminists if you choose to do any "woman's work" you are considered a trader to your sex. And maybe she is not all knowing, Dot King. Was not Bill Clinton made fun of and called a dumb hick because he knew nothing of foreign affairs. He did just fine when he became President. Was one of the most popular U.S. Presidents around the world. And though I am far from a Clinton fan, I believe him to be one of the best players of the political game. Plus Palin is running for VP. That is not big boss, that is management. And I think she has proven to be a great manager. If you count both tickets experience, they are about equal. But one has less experience and is running for number one, while the other is running for number 2. Palin would have to fill the President shoes if something were to happen to McCain. That is a huge IF. Obama is going to start off wearing those shoes. Big difference. Obama had to choose Biden to increase his experience status. McCain chose Palin to increase his Maverick status. As for "blunders" during interviews. Where are they showing all of Biden's blunders? Asking a man to stand up and take a bow when the man can't because he is in a wheelchair. Do you see that taking up full pages of the paper and being played 30 times in a news segmant? No. The problem with people in these other countries is they only know what their own media reports to them. Those who do go to outside sources are going to believe what they want to about our country and the people in it no matter what. Do we have our problems. Of course. No person, or country is perfect. But never in my life would I dare trade those problems to live in any other place. But if you hate it so much, I'm sure one of those other countries would be glad to take you, and some of us would be happy to help you pack.

[Jeff]

It amazes me that there are those out there that still don't get it. Disagreement over policy should be done intelligently. When your only answer is your dumb or you’re stupid, your argument falls apart. This country has listened to the left for almost 30 years refer to the rights candidates as dumb or stupid. It all started with Ronald Reagan. These are the same type of attacks that were launched about him. History has shown that he was right.
Say what you will about Bush now, but I will wait for history to show what his administration has done. Not everything a president does is show immediate results. We are now feeling the results in the housing markets as a result of policies put in place by Clinton. Now, I am not putting the full blame on Clinton, but it was his policy of pushing loans to unqualified borrowers that caused this.
Please use intelligent arguments when having disagreements with a candidate instead of "you're stupid".
Also, women rights are about the progress of women in this society and should be celebrated when one is able to run for high office, regardless if you have the same belief system or not.

[Augustine]

Ah, how I love the consternation of the cognoscenti. Go Sarah!

[Ros]

PIERRE BERNARDI: "Not that many people care what Le Monde thinks."-
Sorry, I do -----

[EM]

One of the reasons Americans don't feel warm and fuzzy about the French is their bland/blind belief that they are all intellectuals and all Americans are boobs. Actually, while decrying American ignorance, the French are amazingly ignorant about America. It's a country with 50 (not Obama's 57) states that are extremely varied. The average Frenchman can't name five or find more than three on a map but is absolutely sure he knows all about us and could offer some wonderful suggestions on how we should live. American students are, thanks to liberal schools, badly educated but Europeans are just as badly schooled. How about those Brit kids, polled a few months ago, who didn't know who Churchill was? Palin is a remarkable woman of great accomplishment but, for the arrogant French Left, because she is conservative and is religious she has to be a some kind of cavewoman and her verbal mistakes proof she's an idiot. Talk about bigotry. Her gaffs are trivial and the product of antagonistic interviewers determined to destroy her. Gibson and Couric deliberately ran "gotcha" questions by her that they would never try on Obama and edited her responses to maximize her discomfort. Gibson, for example, asked about the "Bush Doctrine" and pompously defined it when she asked him what he wanted to know in particular. Turns out his definition was just one of four definitions commonly used and not the one described by the writer who originated the term. And, no one in the Bush administration has ever pronounced an "official" version anyway. But, it made Palin look awkward so no one on the Left bothers to address this unfair treatment. Instead, we get more criticism of the church she left when the preacher got a little extreme (Obama stuck with his racist preacher and mentor for 20 years before negative publicity forced him to renounce the bigot). And how, according to women journalists who often have their kids raised by nannies while they work, Palin's a bad mom because she works. These women never asked Biden who was raising his kids. They'd rather claim Palin's against sex education and a book burner or thinks Jesus rode a dinosaur. Google "lies about Palin" and you'll be amazed at the crap that has gone unquestioned and been eagerly passed on by the Left. And, finally, the VP debate demonstrated very effectively that, when unedited, she looks great and can debate Biden, the 30 year politician, and win. He was forced to lie at least a dozen times about important issues and showed himself to be a typical politician, lauding the man he called unfit for office just a few months ago.

[jfshaughnessy]

Alice:

So you cannot tell the difference between Muslim patriarchic society and a sometimes exuberant Christian Culture? Hmmmm. Let me help you.

How do you like your clitoris?

Your chances of having the same as an adult female are only 70% in the former society. But then you live in France, a nation that acts stillborn and is static in a time of Muslim ascension within your borders. You can always seek safety in the land of your birth....But wait!

England is even further gone....better come to the USA.

[Jerome]

Untidy collection of remarks.
When it comes to politicians, cultural difference shows.
Ultimately though, there are common points: French elections were far more about people (Sarkozy and his wife, Segolene Royal and her husband) then about politics. So much for the French teaching a lesson about personality being part of the deal.
But clearly the separation of state and religion is a very strong position in France (it was hard-won...) and the constant links between religion and state are strange to us (God bless America..) so is the gun culture (to a cliche point: a woman hunting ? oh mon Dieu!)
Another point that is so difficult for us to understand is lobbying : how does a 700€B bailout does not got through, then, sprinkled with aid for race tracks, arrow shaft for Children toys, and many more perks to satisfy lobbying, does it become acceptable ?
Make no mistake, I am convinced the French way is no better, but it is another element of French misunderstanding.
Now, I am sure the French don't care much what the Morrocan (for example) think of them, so I fail to see why the Americans should care about what we think.
In my own opinion, the president does represent the people. You have Bush. But you had Clinton, Bush Snr, Reagan, Carter, ...etc. We had Chirac (crook), Miterrand (Crook), and now Sarkozy with napoleon syndrom. Definitely not better...
The Russian have Putin, the Italian Berlusconi...

[Mary Gordon]

She stifles feminism? "STIFLES" it? LOL

She's on track to moving in right down the street from the White House! Maybe eventually, TO the White House!

Heads up, "ladies," she's not cleaning bathrooms there!

These women are so jealous of the well-rounded life of Sarah Palin that they can't see straight!

[V]

And how about her answer at the question about her Achille's heel ? :)

[Mark M.]

"That vast American electorate seems heedless of the opinion of the rest of the world."

Catching on are you? Until 'Old' Europe mans up and actually starts carrying it's weight in the defense of the west there is NO reason to listen to any of you.

You're example is how to gibber on like old washerwomen while the tide keeps rising. We don't need lessons in advanced socialist ineptness: we have our own mess to clean up by listening to brainwashed academics that extend a mystifying reverence for a place that our ancestors had the good sense to flee.

But by all means, keep watching our crappy Hasselhoff reruns, buying our Coke, our McD's, our CD's, our software and shut up. You might as well explain to the ocean why you prefer the sky.

[Anthony Rohl]

As a 3rd generation Californian, I find the snobbery of the French typical of their opinion of their vanunted superior intellect, even though they have devolved into a 3rd rate power. Sarah Palin pulled out joe Biden's hairplugs, braided them into a noose and strangled the aging liberal.

[gator]

Like the light-in-the-loafer US media, the french get off on greaseballs.

[Ron]

Our only regret is the French aren't speaking German, and that we wasted wonderful American lives to save the ungrateful unwashed French.

And an oft-repeated Message to French women: Shave your pits, so you don't look like apes.

[A F Eministe]

Don't know about all you guys out there. But the power thing etc. does make me want to know - would YOU sh@g her? I would!

Yummy Mummy.

[Gary Geoffrion]

Yes, Sarah Palin did deliver a speech at the Republican National Convention and demonstrated that she can be a superb platform speaker. She did not, however, write a single word of that speech. The substance of it had been written weeks before she had been selected as McCain's running mate and it was merely tweaked to include factors endemic to her.

[Grant in Nashville]

Does anyone really give a sh*t what the french people think. I'm sure the U.S. will have to bail them out again soon. As far as I'm concerned, they are ingrates and should just shut the hell up!

[Mark]

It looks like the heros of WWII have returned.

Hey Ron, shouldn't you be in Iraq fighting the jehadis? The army is short of heros like you!

[Larry Bradshaw]

What our French friends have forgotten is that Ms. Palin has the same freedom-loving American Spirit which liberated them from German occupation 60 years ago.

Poke fun if you want, but one day soon they may need the gun-toting, God-believing Americans to rescue them again.

[Ron]

Alice wrote: "England is even further gone....better come to the USA."

No! We don't want the French here in the U.S., anymore than any other country wants them. We already have enough of their putrid, arrogant snobs here in the U.S.

[Sandi in California]

What most of these comments, in addition to the article, demonstrate to me is how much France, and in large part Britain, just don't get Americans.

They either have never realized or have forgotten that Americans are vastly different from Europeans, and like it that way! Most Americans don't want to be like Europeans. To be considered similar to a European is actually a slur in many circles. There are those Americans who are extremely left-leaning and salivate profusely at the thought of following Europe into further degrees of socialism, but these are not the majority.

One of the sentiments voiced several times has been the separation of church and state in France being such a positive thing that the French would be horrified at someone displaying piety in public. To one who knows America's history, this is outright funny, as in LOL. Our Founding Fathers were so religious that they had tests of faith for those who served in government worked into their state constitutions, they opened conventions with prayer, openly in public speeches and writings declared America to be a Christian nation, and actually used the Bible as the basis for many of our early laws and policies, such as how we are to treat aliens and strangers in our land and the fact that the President should be 'one of us' and born in America.

I think the article and the responses are more of a statement on Europe and their lack of understanding of America, its history, its people, its mindset, more than they are of Sarah Palin. The individuals are irrelevant; it's the worldviews that are significant, and they are worlds apart.

[Alicie]

Azloon

sorry but I voted Sarko:-) Don't agree with you about 'european fear of Palin ... etc' but as for a EU defense, yes I agree. However it's won't be on the agenda for a while with all this financial mess to deal with.

Just remember, the deal is simple, you can't have good pensions, health, all sorts of benefits AND money to spare. I really do prefer living in France today than US, where I might be on the street with my meagre furniture.

I just wish that the God that blesses America so many millions of times, would get his act together.

[Sigmond]

70 Million watched Sarah Palin debate a Senator with 35 years experience and saw her come away a winner. Those 70 million viewers didn't show up to see Joe Biden. French women and American liberal women can only hope to be as attractive and pleasant as Sarah Palin..

[scott]

Quite honestly, what the French think of Americans ranks somewhere between worrying what the Algerians think of us.

The French are just another country we will have to save a couple times each century when they turn tail and run from their invaders or collaborate with them.

Perhaps the next time we'll call the Brits and make them sweat it out for a decade before we help.

I should rephrase that, elitist New Yorkers and San Franciscans (plus John Kerry) probably care but most Americans just laugh at them anyway.

Here's a deal France, you don't talk about our politics and we'll not discuss your "youth" problem and continue to not buy your wine selecting Aussie vineyards instead. Deal?

[scott]

Mr. Strohl,

We Americans can find France on a map, it's that place to the south and west that was notated as "Germany" on late 1930's and early 1940's maps.

I guess some noted it as "Vichy France" as well.

Easy enough.

[Southern Belle]

What the French think? Here is a story: In 1997, note date, I flew Air France from Paris to Miami. My companion, a middle aged woman had in her posession a cheap,wooden, souvenir letter opener. Air France, in a routine exercise, confiscated it, secured it in a manila envelope, and told her she could retrieve it on arrival in Miami. No flap, no ACLU, no outcry. Contrast this with 9-ll. At least the French do THINK. Oh yeah, Palin...an excruciating embarassment to thinking people anywhere.

[eklektika in denver]

Grant and all you U.S. flagwavers: like Sarah Palin, your rants do nothing but reinforce ugly sterotypes of Americans. Fully half of the citizens of the U.S. are truly embarrassed to be represented by George W. Bush and are deeply ashamed of the Iraq war. Soft-spoken, polite, rational Americans do exist... only to be overshouted by blustering know-it-alls. Bonus advice to Americans who rant on international blogs: SPELL-CHECK!

[mo]

my dictionary under france shows a white flag of surrender and everyone learning arabic don't worry alice you will be able to tell the difference under sharia law you will be stoned to death how many cars will be burned tonight by "youths"
how may places your police won't go we really don't care what the french think because they think like idiots and snobs soon you will be paying your dhimitude tax and eating your merde sandwiches and burkas
'

[Romain]

Anybody can explain what a "six pack Joe" is ? Six packs of what ? Beer, mule pack load, gun clips ?
Even the mean elistist mainstream media from East Coast could'nt figure what a "Six pack Joe" was.
Maybe somebody from Nashville could enlighten us.

[Jo]

Memo to the ignorant:

Most politicians don't write their own speeches. Get a clue.

And memo to the French: most Americans don't give a rats ass what you think. Try to learn to deal with that. Actually I think you rather know that, and that's where you get your bitterness from.

Palin is doing fine. Her debate performance was superb. And if she had been in charge, we'd not be in this financial mess. She would have never let something like this happen on her watch.

[Rick]

It’s with no more than mild smugness that I can announce that dependability isn’t ‘Le Monde’s strong suit. On 20 August – two days after that ambush in Afghanistan – I subjected the paper’s editorial to a penetrating analysis of my own devising. The ‘rag’ – one hesitates to call it a newspaper – failed to come up to scratch in the logic, consistency, and intellectual honesty departments. R. I. P. ‘Le Monde’.

God knows ‘The Times’ (no saint among newspapers!) would have curled up and expired to have printed such second-rate stuff. ‘Blogueages’ can check for themselves: 20 August 2008, editorial on Afghanistan.

[susan durst, france]

Charles : it seems your blog is again becoming infested with xenophobic loud-mouthed Americans whose only argument seems to be that they "couldn't give a f*** what the French think" ! Yet they are posting their comments in a British newspaper, on a blog aimed at giving a French slant to current affairs. Surely the French (and Europeans in general) are still entitled to express their views in their national media ?! Without an army of rednecks invading your blog and dragging out every tired anti-French cliché under the sun ?

[Thanks, Susan. Everyone is entitled to an express an opinion here unless it's truly offensive. Once again, this is a blog. It's not the newspaper and the nationality of the Times is not a factor. The more abusive American views are quite revealing of their authors. I think we have a think enough skin to put up with them. I have filtered out the nastiest ones. And I'm in the UK this weekend without much access to computers, so posting will be a bit sporadic. CB]

[Rick]

PATRICK, people who ‘know their own minds’ generally discover, after a while, that they don’t know very much.

This whole matter of strength of character, certainty, doubt, ‘bad faith’, weakness of character, normal human weakness, lack of saintliness, lust for martyrdom (one can go on forever!) is hedged with difficulties.

But then my personal guru, one J-PS, was not above getting lover to pimp her sixth-formers for him. ‘That’s life!’ as the blessed Saint-Esther said, ‘Get used to it; and we don’t have a ‘replacements’ department’.