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!