I Kinda Wanna See Le Pen Win. Is That Bad?

 

I’ve been interested in the French presidential election since at least January of this year. I think it’s because it has the potential for upset that our presidential election displayed. For even this casual observer of national French politics this election is unique and exciting, relative to recent elections.

I’m not a fan of Le Pen’s politics but it seems to me that her campaign is becoming a symbol for challenging the conventional wisdom. We’re supposed to believe that everyone is in love with a One Europe concept when people actually do have interests closer to home that are often in conflict with that vision. Le Pen shouldn’t be where she is if it’s true that she’s such an extremist. When you’re the second most popular candidate for President you are not, by definition, extreme.

I get a kick out of seeing insubordinate voters not complying with the agenda that certain people think they have a right to decide for us. We certainly saw that with our presidential election and I see a similar dynamic with the French election. That’s the parallel I see, more so than protectionism or immigration. I look forward to the prospect of seeing pundits on TV stammer their way through the aftermath of another upset election. It just makes me giggle.

It reminds us that the people do have the final say and they don’t like it when they’re told the correct result in advance. I think that’s a difference between left and right. We believe it’s the process that confers legitimacy to the result, not the other way around.

So, while I think there are better advocates than Le Pen, a part of me does want to see her win–for that reason alone. Is that wrong?

Published in Elections
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  1. Kozak Member
    Kozak
    @Kozak

    Jamie Lockett (View Comment):

    Percival (View Comment):
    He is a centrist, which is French for “nearly as Socialist as the Socialists.”

    To be fair, Le Pen is a socialist too.

    At least she is a French socialist.  Macron is a Eurosocialist.

    • #31
  2. Kozak Member
    Kozak
    @Kozak

    OccupantCDN (View Comment):
    I liked her line in the debate… Something like “After this election a woman will run France… If I win, I will run France, if he wins Angela Merkel will run France” …

    Plus the email dump, and the tax fraud documents being leaked, I think she might squeak by.

    And Macron went full Hillary:

    Le Pen voters “hateful cowards” and “true enemies of France”

    Once again the elites let the mask slip.

     

    • #32
  3. OccupantCDN Coolidge
    OccupantCDN
    @OccupantCDN

    Kozak (View Comment):

    OccupantCDN (View Comment):
    I liked her line in the debate… Something like “After this election a woman will run France… If I win, I will run France, if he wins Angela Merkel will run France” …

    Plus the email dump, and the tax fraud documents being leaked, I think she might squeak by.

    And Macron went full Hillary:

    Le Pen voters “hateful cowards” and “true enemies of France”

    Once again the elites let the mask slip.

    Yea, I was shocked to see that quote. Perhaps the democrat blame game has worked – and they really dont understand that Hillary lost the election.

    I would think that it should be plain – dont energize your opponent’s base – but hey what do I know? I’ve never run a billion dollar campaign into a brick wall…

    • #33
  4. Steve C. Member
    Steve C.
    @user_531302

    Brexit wins.

    Trump wins.

    Le Pen makes it into a run off. And opposed by a nobody leading a party of one.

    I see a market being unrecognized and underserved. What I don’t see is anyone rushing to meet that demand. Say what you will about old style politics dominated by bosses and smoke filled rooms. At least they’d have the common sense to create a product the voters want.

     

    Instead we get the institutionalists on the left and the right manufacturing reasons why the $20 bill on the ground doesn’t exist.

     

    The right says, “We’d rather be right than have the presidency.”

    The left says, “They don’t call us the coalition of the fringes for nuthin.”

     

     

    • #34
  5. Retail Lawyer Member
    Retail Lawyer
    @RetailLawyer

    It seems to me that the Eurocrats are adopting a very tough and destructive negotiating posture over Britain’s exit from the EU.  It also seems they have a very weak position and are too deluded to know it.  A Le Pen victory would turn them into the knight in the Monty Python skit claiming he’s only got a flesh wound.

    That would be very fun to watch.  Even Claire would enjoy it.

    • #35
  6. Chuck Enfield Inactive
    Chuck Enfield
    @ChuckEnfield

    Jamie Lockett (View Comment):
    If she doesn’t win does that mean that the people didn’t have the final say?

    This comment misses the point.  He said it reminds us that the people have the final say.  When one candidate is the clear choice of the establishment, intelligentsia, and press, a victory by the other candidate clearly demonstrates that the voters get what they want – that the fix isn’t in.  Of course, the fix has never been in, but that’s not always obvious to everyone.

    • #36
  7. jonb60173 Member
    jonb60173
    @jonb60173

    I’d love to see her win too.  The fallacy of the EU is becoming apparent, the first chink being Brexit now reverberating through Europe.  One central authority deciding for all just has never worked.  The worst thing that could happen to the cocktail party intellectual is winning.   Then it just becomes all too apparent what sounded great at cocktail party was due to the booze.

    • #37
  8. RightAngles Member
    RightAngles
    @RightAngles

    Chuckles (View Comment): … The people ALWAYS have the final say. Their final say in France will be interesting.

    Unless the reports of torn and destroyed LePen ballots turn out to be true, of course. First Brexit, then Trump. A LePen win on their heels would be a great impetus to the domino effect they started against overly centralized Big Brother government and globalism. As to the predictions of a Macron win, I think it’s unwise to underestimate the importance of French culture to the French people. Macron seems very tone-deaf on this issue.

    • #38
  9. Mike LaRoche Inactive
    Mike LaRoche
    @MikeLaRoche

    RightAngles (View Comment):

    Chuckles (View Comment): … The people ALWAYS have the final say. Their final say in France will be interesting.

    Unless the reports of torn and destroyed LePen ballots turn out to be true, of course. First Brexit, then Trump. A LePen win on their heels would be a great impetus to the domino effect they started against overly centralized Big Brother government and globalism. As to the predictions of a Macron win, I think it’s unwise to underestimate the importance of French culture to the French people. Macron seems very tone-deaf on this issue.

    The globalists would go into a full panic with a LePen win. It would be glorious.

    • #39
  10. Brian Clendinen Inactive
    Brian Clendinen
    @BrianClendinen

    No I am with you and this is why.  In the long run the EU is the biggest treat to Representative goverment and a peaceful Europa along with Islam (not necessarily Muslims). So in the short term Le Peen on economy and giving Russia a pass would be disastrous. However if what results is a halting of Islam immigration and getting the French out of the EU then in the long Run Europa would be better off than not by a huge margin and most likely France with a Le Peen presidency. So playing the long game as long as Le Peen does not turn France into an authoritarian regime more like Turkey is now days I think it would  be painful but be great for freedom.

    • #40
  11. Stad Coolidge
    Stad
    @Stad

    Bereket Kelile: So, while I think there are better advocates than Le Pen, a part of me does want to see her win–for that reason alone. Is that wrong?

    I want to see Le Pen win.  Someone needs to straighten out the refugee mess, and to promote a Brexit-like withdrawal from the European Union.  Frankly, I’d like to see the whole European Union dissolved.  Each country has its own unique culture, but forcing these different peoples together will eventually eliminate said unique cultures.  I knew there would be trouble right away when I learned there would be an unaccountable bureaucracy with dictatorial powers overseeing everyone.  Our country still has unique regional variations, because our elected officials are accountable to the voters.

    • #41
  12. Chuckles Coolidge
    Chuckles
    @Chuckles

    RightAngles (View Comment):
    Unless the reports of torn and destroyed LePen ballots turn out to be true, of course.

    If such affects the election, the question becomes what will the French people do about it?  But I see turnout should be a bit over 28%. Thus whomever comes out on top has like 15% of the electorate behind them and the rest don’t care, so – probably nothing.

    • #42
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