J - 3

[chani]

First off, a very happy birthday to scarlett2u! I may cook a chocolate cake later...I wish I could share it with you.

Also this morning I cooked a chicken curry.

I should be marking but I can't. I'm too stressed to do anything work-wise so I'm going to the hairdresser. I need a haircut anyway !

I leave you with 3 other candidates so you can ponder the poster while I'm getting my hair done.

Marie-George Buffet is one of the 4 women we have as candidates for the election.

She has been ruling the PCF (French Communist Party) in France for  a few years. Nowadays the PCF is no longer considered far-left but part of the "regular" left (we have three Trotskyist parties at the far-left). Buffet has been Minister of Youth Affairs and The Sports in 1997-2002. Here is the first page of her letter:

Arlette Laguillier has been the "face" of LO (Lutte Ouvrière) for several decades. LO is another Trotskyist movment (can you tell how complex French politics is!). She is running for President for the 6th and final time. She's our national Rocky! She was already candidate in 1974 and has always been there since then.

For some reason, many French people have a soft spot for Arlette while disliking LO.

He's probably the best known overseas. Le Pen is the founder of Front National and made France shake in 2002 when he got to the secopnd round, but he has been on the politcal field for a long time. He's the oldest candidate of this election (79 years old!).

I had to scan twice because he used the A3 size for his poster (the first and the last page of his letter), he is the only one who did this...

Comments

[sister-luck.livejournal.com]

Hey, I love these posts - they're really interesting. I wanted to comment earlier, but I've been out of commission thanks to very messed up shoulder muscles that caused a migraine.

So, Le Pen is the first of the candidates to show us his teeth - all the other candidates 'smiled' with their mouths closed, which I found slightly odd. I'd have to do some research to see whether German candidates show their teeth more often.

Marie-George comes across as serious about politics - lots of text, but also as a nice person. It's interesting that there isn't only one picture of her (with a red background no less), but also four smaller ones showing her in dialogue with ordinary people. They're fairly small, but the first one seems to be showing workers in blue overalls. It seems unusual for me that dignité is her buzzword, probably because you expect politicians to talk about prosperity more often. From what I can gather from the text, she also wants to be the one to unify the left against the right - mentioning the other candidates by name even. Of course, she doesn't mention that other woman candidate who gets so much press in the rest of Europe.

Arlette's flyer is very old-fashioned, but I guess she wants to come off as no frills - her fight doesn't need a pretty picture. I can get why people like her, but the presentation alone makes it clear that she is definitely not part of the political mainstream.

As to the last one - the less said, the better. True populist style. Strangely enough - the cut between the pages is exactly where a wedding band would show. What is his marital status? Also, on a totally shallow note: I hate the glasses and I hate the not quite matching (?) tie and handkerchief in his breastpocket. The background actually scares me - is that the silent masses who agree with him?

[frenchani.livejournal.com]

Thanks for playing!

You have a point about the teeth. It's quite modern actually. In the old-school politics they didn't show their teeth. It was improper then. That changed in the 70's. Mitterrand even had his teeth filed off because he had big fangs and looked a bit too much like a vampire!

So in a way the old Le Pen is more daring than the others. BTW only four candidates out of 12 show their teeth in the flyers.


I agree about Buffet, the amount of text is significant. She doesn't want to play the show-side of politics and still thinks that ideas are the most important. Dignité being her buzzword fits in a communist speech.

Also the beginning of the message looks like a true letter with "Françaises, Français". The red background makes sense of course. Did you notice the Internet address at the bottom: mariegeorge2007.org ? The first name only! She's a comrade so she must be close to the people. It's typically communist!

Also the message is quite feminist and you're right by pointing out her mentioning the other candidates by name even. Of course, she doesn't mention that other woman candidate who gets so much press in the rest of Europe.

The three candidates she mentions are right-wing. I think there are two reaosns for which she doesn't mention Royal. Ignoring that other candidate is a way to appear as the only candidate representing the true left but at the same time it's also a way to save a recommendation in favour of Royal for after the second round.

What a contrast with Arlette's poster, innit? It's all about her !

As for coming off as no frills, it's typical of LO. LO is a weird organization, often compared to a sect, and there have been rumours about women not being allowed to wear make-up...


Concerning Le Pen, who declared today that Sarkozy shouldn't be president because (dixit) only one of his grandparents was French, actually the fold between the pages (that comes out as a cut here)is below his wedding band. He has been married twice and still is with his second wife I believe.

I agree the fuzzy background is scary (silent masses and flags!). Once upon a time he used to sell nazis singing.

[sister-luck.livejournal.com]

Yes, that's kind of why I thought she didn't mention Royal, because she's a woman and because she is actually the competition. BTW, I don't get Royal at all - what I've read about her in the German press is rather conflicting and I'd like to hear your analysis.
I did see the website and wanted to mention that, but I forgot.

Ooops, so Le Pen's wedding band is a bit high up - to me it looked like loose skin.

[frenchani.livejournal.com]

I'll post on Nihous, Royal and Sarkozy tomorrow. Let's say that I am not a fan of Ségolène at all. I saw her as a female Mitterrand with a similar strategy, all the flaws he had (for a supposed socialist), but without the skills he showed during his long career.

Le Pen definitely has loose skin but in this case it was a wedding ring!

[frenchani.livejournal.com]

Also sorry to hear about the migraine caused by your shoulder muscles. I know those. I hope you're doing better now.

[sister-luck.livejournal.com]

Awww, thanks - I'm still a bit achey, but I can move my head now. I think it's a typical teachers' thing - though this time it wasn't brought on by marking but by sleeping in a strange position.

Is it bac season for you? Here, the Abitur is well under way, and I'll be sent some papers to mark soon.

[frenchani.livejournal.com]

Not yet. The bac starts in June. We have still about 5 weeks of work ahead and then alea jacta est!

[lijability.livejournal.com]

So far I haven't seen anyone I would vote for....

So your hair is as short as the two women candidates above? Neat!!

Le Pen's poster is enough to turn anyone off. It's less about France and more about him. He's got great teeth. Hate his glasses.... should be thin wire rims. He's got that hand outstretched and also showing off his plain gold wedding band of supposed stability. It doesn't look like that suit-coat fits him.... it's riding up on him.

[frenchani.livejournal.com]

Yeah but I really don't look likte them!

Le Pen's poster is enough to turn anyone off.

If only! It's such a disgustig person. Speaking of his glasses he's one-eyed you know. I don't remember which eyes is fake though. As for the rims (why does that word make me smile...?)they may be thick because of his bad sight. You wouldn't like my own spectacles...but being VERY short-sighted the glass is too thick for thin rims.

Pictures aren't good on Le Pen but he has always been a great speaker (perhaps not so much now, I think he's really getting old). He's probably one of the few politicians who speak an excellent French. Mitterrand used to say that only Le Pen and him used correct French!

[lijability.livejournal.com]

You wouldn't like my own spectacles...but being VERY short-sighted the glass is too thick for thin rims.

I'm that way too! My left eye is so bad that I've been called next to blind in it. Still there are some thin-rimmed glasses that will handle those thicker lenses. The idea is to decrease the size of the lense. Glasses like that of Le Pen with the big wide lenses have to get really thick at the edges for people like us. So I reduced the size of the lense and the frame that managed that was, I think, made in Europe (maybe Japan) called Tura model M7+. I like 'em!

Merci!

[scarlett2u.livejournal.com]

Merci beaucoup, Chani! Je voudrai du gateau chocolat, s'il vous plait.

*how's my French there?*

Hugs & thanks,

Scarlett

Re: Merci!

[frenchani.livejournal.com]

Well you should have said "du gateau AU chocolat" and "voudraiS" if it's "I would like" (voudrai without a final s is a future) but aside from that it was good.


*hugs*