First, while people will talk about politics, it's evidently quite rude to flat out ask someone who they voted for. This explains how some pretty obnoxious people get some pretty surprising election returns here. If none of your neighbors, friends or co-workers will find out, you don't hestitate to vote for the right-wing, anti-immigrant jerkwad's daughter. If she floats your political boat, that is.
Second, it's a two-phase process. Today they whittle the field down to two, then in a few weeks, there will be a final run-off.
Third, defacing advertisements has been raised by the French to an art form. I admit that I love seeing mustaches, wrinkle lines and other sophomoric appendages added to the inane commercial ads in the Metro. But somehow the political ad defacements seem a little mean. I'd hate to be driving through Paris and see Harry Potter glasses and a Hitler mustache drawn on my face. But I don't plan to run anytime soon, so I suppose I needn't worry.
Earlier this week, we found a small packet on our welcome mat. It was a campaign "brochure" of sorts supporting Sarkozy. It was
(she pauses for effect)
a 34-page type-written document! Not a single picture. No glossy insert. No catchy slogans printed in bright yellow starbursts. Just 34-pages of text about why Sarkozy is the right man for France.
It looked like a college term paper. It was printed with three colors of ink--black, red and blue. That's it. The blue was on the front and back covers--made to look like handwritten notes from Nic to me. The red was for borders. Nice, flag-waving French touch, I thought.
I flipped through it and wondered how many French people would be reading their copies. I can't imagine any American politician trying a similar tactic. What would you think if Obama's re-election team sent you a term paper?
I'd think I was back in France.
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