A ROUND-UP OF THE FRENCH DEBATE: SEGO VS SARKO

GOOD NEWS - IT LOOKS LIKE SHE BLEW IT:

BLOOMBERG:

In the end, it was Segolene Royal who lost her cool.

The French Socialist presidential candidate raised her voice and accused her opponent Nicolas Sarkozy of ``immorality'' for presenting himself as a defender of handicapped children.

``You get angry very quickly, madame,'' responded Sarkozy...

CNN/REUTERS:

For Royal, the debate represented a last chance to overhaul the frontrunner Sarkozy, who has weathered constant opposition accusations that he is overly aggressive. ... Sarkozy is one of the most forceful speakers in French politics and polls show more people think he has the stature of a president. But advisers had urged him to play it safe in the debate and tone down his aggressive instincts.

An opinion poll published late on Wednesday put support for Sarkozy at 53.5 percent and Royal on 46.5 percent, with 86 percent of voters saying they would not change their minds ahead of the May 6 run off.

... "What have you done during the past five years? There is a problem of credibility here," Royal said, often interrupting Sarkozy during quickfire exchanges on a range of issues from the economy to security, from nuclear energy to pensions. ...

Trailing in the opinion polls, Royal came out fighting from the start of the marathon clash ... Regularly knocked onto the defensive by the combative attacks of Royal, Sarkozy at one point accused his rival of losing her temper during a row over schools for the disabled.

"At least [this has] served one purpose, which is to show that you get angry very quickly, you go off the rails very easily, Madame. A president is someone who has very serious responsibilities," Sarkozy said.

CNN HIGHLIGHTS:

SARKOZY: "Calm down, don't point at me with your finger like that." ...

ROYAL: "No, I won't calm down."

SARKOZY: "To be president you have to be calm."

ROYAL: "Not when there is injustice. There is anger that is perfectly healthy... I won't allow the immorality of political speeches to gain the upper hand."

SARKOZY: "I don't know why Madame Royal, who is usually calm, has lost her cool."

ROYAL: "I have not lost my cool, I'm angry. It's not the same, don't be contemptuous, Mr Sarkozy."

OH MY NEWS/SOUTH KOREA: Sarkozy Comes Out of Debate on Top
[Analysis] Rightest candidate holds upper hand after decisive performance

Although some analysts had felt before the debate that Sarkozy ran the risk of appearing too aggressive or combative, it was Royal, to the surprise of many, who launched a series of pointed attacks, at one point appearing to lose her cool as she angrily waved a finger at her opponent, whom she accused of the "summum of political immortality" for allegedly making light of the education of the handicapped. ...

Although Sarkozy appeared patronizing at moments as he tried to lecture Royal on fundamental subjects--provoking his opponent to plead at one point, "Don't be condescending"--he did appear to be gracious when asked by the moderator to reveal his personal opinion of his opponent, saying he respected her and believed her up to the task. Royal, pointedly, refused to answer the same question.

NBC/NEWSWEEK:

French television pundits tended to give it to Sarkozy on points in the immediate aftermath.

LE FIGARO:

According to our TNS-Sofres-Unilog poll for Le Figaro, RTL, and LCI, the UMP [Union for a Popular Movement] candidate would defeat his rival by 52 per cent to 48 per cent. Nicolas Sarkozy is gaining ground in the final stretch. Less than a week from the second round of the presidential election, the UMP candidate is up one point from our previous survey.

UPDATE: LATEST POLL:

53.5% Royal

46.5% Sarkozy

(of those who answered; 15% undecided)

Source: Ipsos

IMHO: SHE CAME OFF AS A WHINING LOSER.

MY PREDICITION: SARKO 55%.

UPDATE #2: NIDRA POLLER - WHO LIVES IN PARIS AND BLOGS AT PJM - HAS A FABULOUS DESCRIPTION OF THE DEBATE - RTWT!

UPDATE #3: THE NYTIMES:

Mr. Sarkozy, the former interior and finance minister, had to fight off the demon that has tormented him: his image as an authoritarian figure with a volatile temper. For Ms. Royal, the debate was her last chance to turn around polls that consistently put Mr. Sarkozy in the lead.

... Mr. Sarkozy was also stopped short in mid-sentence [BY SEGOLENE] over and over.

“Will you let me finish?” he asked at one point.

“No,” Ms. Royal said.

“Ah,” Mr. Sarkozy replied.

By midway, Ms. Royal’s perpetual smile disappeared from her face.

LET'S FACE IT: SHE'S AN UPTIGHT BITCH WITHOUT THE CREDS NECESSARY TO BE AN EFFECTIVE PREZ. I DON'T THINK MORE THAN THE VESTIGIAL, AND REACTIONARY LEFT WILL VOTE FOR HER. STILL.... THAT'S OVER 40%!