Sarkozy Wins French Presidency -- Vive la France!

CNN on the 2007 French Election I suppose it might have been too absurd even for the French, to have followed up Jacques Chirac with Sigolene Royal as the first female President of France. There will be no such first for the French as a result of this election. (The Americans may attempt that feat next year with Madame Hillaire d'Clinton.) For now, by 53% to 47%, the French voters in a large 85% turnout, have chosen instead, the conservative Nicolas Sarkozy, to succeed to the Presidency. His immediate message was that of Justice and opportunity for all. Sarkozy also vowed better relations with America, whilst calling on a "great country like the US" to lead in problems like Global Warming. Has France turned to the Right? I just heard the Left is already organizing L'Barricades.

Anna de Brux (Hillblogger3) has some awesome nice pictures of Nicolas Sarkozy and Sigolene Royal (though I'm afraid she's none too happy with the result).

AMANDO DORONILA controverts the notion that the 2007 Midterm elections in the Philippines represent a kind of referendum on the President, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. He thinks the Great Debate is actually a Big Yawn, with no real issues of great importance being debated by the candidates. He also reviews the old arithmetic involving the House of Representatives, but I think he underestimates the power that the opposition will have in the Senate, after a decisive sweep by GO in the May midterms.

MANUEL L. QUEZON III produces a list of his preferred candidates for twelve Senators during next week's election, many of whom won't be in the winning circle. Deservedly so, in some cases.

ARTEMIO V. PANGANIBAN former Supreme Court Chief Justice turned paper pundit, reviews the dastardly (dastardly!) history of the Comelec as seen from the High Bench over the years. It's a wonder that no one has ever gone to jail or been punished really, for any of it! Perhaps the title would've been more explicatory as Another Slap on the Wrist of Comelec.

It seems that Senator Serge Osmena III recently commissioned an unusual survey with the Social Weather Stations to gauge how influential certain famous people are, when it comes to making endorsing political candidates. SWS asked if respondents "would vote" or "would not vote" for a candidate if that candidate had the endorsement of certain famous people.

If Candidates is Endorsed By:	Would Vote for Candidate	Would Not Vote for Candidate
GMA	18%	31%
Fidel Ramos	17%	32%
Joseph Estrada	36%	18%
Cory Aquino	36%	18%
Susan Roces	36%	17%
Kris Aquino	27%	22%

During the last few weeks, I've heard Joseph "Erap" Estrada's old stentorian slur on radio ads endorsing former Sen. John Osmena, whose Genuine Opposition senatorial candidacy seemed to be flagging in the latest SWS survey of the 2007 Senatorial Horse Race. We shall see if Erap's endorsement can actually boost John Osmena back into the Magic 12 for one last hurrah in the Senate. Along with Cory Aquino and Susan Roces, Erap's endorsements can apparently be turned into votes for a candidate. But there is fierce competition for the remaining seats on this particular flight, including some that the Administration's command votes could decide the ultimate fate of, along with the mysterious or miraculous workings of Machinery and the unpredictable vicissitudes of Election Day.

Well, I hope Serge feels better after the news that he'd had a mild stroke a few days ago. At least he has a lot of nice data to ponder over from the Social Weather Stations.

Social Weather Stations Answers the Complaint that it puts words in the Mouth of Public Opinion The pollster's Legal Dept. earned its retainer with this piece replying to the charge brought by an interested citizen that "leading questions" asked in its public opinion surveys actually taint the results and are used as propaganda against the Administration. SWS demonstrates its appreciation for the fine distinctions among ethical, legal and moral in the practice of public opinion polling, which both Philippine jurisprudence and Philippine Commentary hold to be a genre of Journalism, an exercise in the freedom of speech and expression.