'Obamania Sweeps France'

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Le Monde, France

'Obamania Sweeps France'

"My French students are fascinated by the phenomenon. They keep saying: 'How great to have politicians of such quality!,' they're jealous."

-- Jeannette Demeestere, Professor of Political Science

"Frankly, it is not the kind of information to publicize; since having the backing of French opinion is more of a handicap than an asset for an American candidate!"

-- Anna Marie Mattson, Democrats Abroad

"This election concerns the entire planet … it's important to us … we are attentive to the emergence of this candidate bearing hope and who is open to the world."

-- Samuel Solvit, President of the French Committee to Support Barack Obama

By Annick Cojean

Translated By Sandrine Ageorges

April 26, 2008

France - Le Monde - Original Article (France)

Barack Obama: If Europeans could vote, he'd win by a landslide.

BBC NEWSNIGHT: Is Barack Obama's past about to catch up with him? A look at his career and life in Chicago politics, Apr. 25, 00:24:26

American Democrats living in France prefer Barack Obama to Hillary Clinton. But the French aren't far behind. The French Committee to Support Obama has some very distinguished recruits.

In a posh building on the Boulevard St. Germain, about 40 Parisian Americans, wine glass in hand, listen attentively to the voice of a male speaker emerging from a speaker phone on a coffee table in the living room.

The voice is from Chicago. To be more precise, it's the headquarters of Democratic candidate Barack Obama. The voice is of Michael Robertson, Senator Obama's Legislative Coordinator, who cleverly dissects the results of the April 23 Pennsylvania primary, won just hours earlier by Hillary Clinton. Even if it was predictable, her triumphant speech caused consternation among these Parisian supporters of the Illinois Senator WATCH .

"Do you have any questions?" asks a questioner at the end of Robertson's presentation. The group opens up. Of course they have questions! It was in the fact the very purpose of this little meeting to support Barack Obama (the are 289 members registered in Paris, against 64 for Hillary Clinton). Constance Borde WATCH , the hostess for the evening, is Vice President of Democrats Abroad , begins, "We all know that Hillary can't catch up. But I fear her galling attacks will weaken Obama for the struggle he will have to mount against the Republican candidate. Do you think irreparable damage has been done … That voters will turn to McCain?"

All faces turn toward the loudspeaker. That's the question. And Constance Borde's frankness seems to have suddenly released an anxiety and even an anger that has permeated their minds.

"It's terrible!," says one white-haired woman. "Hillary has carried on a vicious, negative, Republican-style campaign." A man says: "For eight years, we have had to deal with an American president who's as dumb as a stone. I'm afraid Hillary will look a lot like him! The country's in flames she hears nothing, listens to nothing and hangs on beyond all reason!"

Some smile, most shake their heads. "It's incredible that we're still talking about her! She has lost!" says one bitter woman. "It's not only her ambition or her ego that impel her" adds a man next to her, "It's the large groups and lobbies which control Washington. They think only about their contracts and tremble about seeing a new man."

She's betting on the superdelegates," explains Constance Borde: "It is they she intends to seduce and persuade. She was the Party's candidate, the one that controlled the machine, and she wants to show them that she's in the best position to win in the larger states that generally lean Republican." A voice rises: "But at which price? She's playing the Bush card and the politics of fear. It's because of her that we have the shameful racial bias that has been introduced into the country! It makes me crazy!"

In any case, all are delighted that their candidate has resisted the temptation to resort to personal attacks and continues to behave like a gentleman. "Hillary's making us lose sight of the essential, while Obama embodies our highest ideals” says a professor, “but when are we going to take the issue of McCain seriously? He is a dangerous type, close to certain Washington fascists who are only happy when engaged in war or a conflict. And now he looks like a moderate …”

A young man, born in France but a fresh arrival from Los Angeles, admits to being ignorant of who Democrats abroad are voting for. "Obama!," Responds the unprompted group. Of the 22,000 American Democrats around the world, 65.6 percent have declared for Obama, against 32.7 for Senator Clinton. Only two countries out of 70 (Israel and the Dominican Republic) have withstood the Obama wave. In France, the number has reached 71.8 percent. "And what about the French?" asks the American. This time the group erupts into laughter. There's no doubt there: the French vote for Obama.

[Editor's Note: While the organization Democrats Abroad has 22,000 members in 164 countries, many more Democrats than that actually live overseas. Most estimates are that between one and three million Democrats live overseas, while according to the Washington Post: "The [total] number of Americans living overseas is commonly estimated at about 6 million - twice the population of Chicago and greater than that of 33 U.S. states. ]."

"Look at my tee-shirt!" Smiles Constance Borde, revealing a chest emblazoned with the likeness of the young senator. "I purchased it on a French pro-Obama Web site."

Jeannette Demeestere, Professor of Political Science, adds: "My French students are fascinated by the phenomenon. They keep saying: 'How great to have politicians of such mettle! … they are jealous."

According to Zachary Miller, who coordinates the French campaign of the biracial candidate, the polls show that the French heart clearly lean toward his "protégé." Not a week goes by without someone or another asking him to come and speak or inversely, to offer their help. The other day, an American woman wearing a pin with Obama's picture on it was greeted happily by a Black bus driver who transported her for free. Another was offered fruits for free at a market in Pigalle. "Pleasant!" adds Anna Marie Mattson, also a leader of Democrats Abroad. "But frankly, it's not the kind of information to publicize; since having the backing of French opinion is more of a handicap than an asset for an American candidate!"

Samuel Solvit, the 22-year-old president of the French Committee to Support Barack Obama, makes every effort to "publicize" the issue. He wants to expand the movement he launched from the outset with the involvement of some famous names: Pierre Bergé, Sonia Rykiel, Bernard-Henri Lévy, Jack Lang, Bertrand Delanoë and … Axel Poniatowski, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the National Assembly.

French heavyweights line up for Obama: From left to right: Industrialist Pierre

Bergé; Fashion designer Sonia Rykiel; Philosopher Bernard-Henri Lévy; Socialist

MP Jack Lang; Mayor of Paris Bertrand Delanoë; Chairman of French Assembly's

Foreign Affairs Committee, Axel Poniatowski.

Posted by WORLDMEETS.US

Encyclopedic about the background, speeches and program of the senator from Illinois, the marketing student dreams of creating a "dynamic" around candidate Obama. First of all he says: "to stimulate a debate about America, globalization, a much-needed renewal of the political class, and in the interest of the young …" And then to announce inside the United States that, "this election concerns the entire planet … that it's important to us and that we are attentive to the emergence of this candidate bearing hope and who is open to the world."

Created in late January, his site, www.pour-obama.fr is being constantly improved, and follows the daily news of the American election, along with testimonials and links to numerous Web sites, blogs and support networks (a dozen from Facebook alone, amounting to 2,000 people).

Political scientist Olivier Duhamel, among those that are part of the French Committee, is obviously not one to be "duped" by the influence of such an initiative, but hopes to foster some reflection on the political, economic and institutional backwardness of France in terms of embracing greater diversity. "The simple observation of Obama's emergence should move minds" he says, "especially at a moment when ideologies have become so blurred and when the hatred of immigrants acts like a demagogic venom."

And then, the professor adds, "how to eschew the pleasure that one gets when witnessing a turning point in history?"

Axel Poniatowski, for his part, is convinced that Obama will herald a far more multilateral world, promote a rapprochement between France and America, and with more "openness and balance" deal with the issue of the Middle East. "This is a magnificent opportunity" he says. Enthusiastic, but without illusion. In the campaign for the American presidency, the sympathy of the rest of the world counts, unfortunately, for peanuts!

CLICK HERE FOR FRENCH VERSION

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