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Frankly, I think again everyone has forgotten that Le Pen has gotten 30+% in a host of earlier first rounds....she and her solids celebrate the night away, then in the second round get the same 30+% and get crushed. I'm not saying this will happen this time around...BUT 1) these #s are exit polls ...

2) I am awaiting the actual counted votes and esp who has got their 50+1% in the first round and won't need a second. Finally, have a look at my last CNN column: https://www.cnn.com/2024/06/12/opinions/france-macron-snap-election-far-right-andelman/index.html

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Thanks for reposting your Jn 12 column. I was there, for most of the 1st Mitterrand campaign.

Your depiction of the ensuing years is nicely detailed. Alas, old François M was a wily pol who knew the postwar landscape. In 1981 Giscard d'Estaing was called 'elitist and technocratic' which he was. God help France, it's a scramble.

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watch me (live) at 2:05 pm EDT today (Sunday) on CNNtv !!!

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Thanks so much, Keith for your encoouragement...a marked difference from the troglodytes who 'disabled' me for reporting on media that are calling for Biden's withdrawal....sigh ... I suggested they'd probably be happier with the uniformity from a subscription to Pravda.

;0(

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Totally !!!

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Pedal like craaaaazeeee !!!

(.and stay off that sauce!)

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Ha !

Tooo true … thank you Walter !!

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you are SO kind, Brennan .. makes all this work worthwhile !!!!

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David, The result of the election in France frightens me and American media are not explaining what is at stake and what it signifies for the US. Hope you will be writing about this. Sadly I think The Economist and the NYT editorial boards are right. But I can’t be sad. Too much at stake. What can we do?

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Jun 30·edited Jun 30

First tentative results are in. The Nouveau Front populaire polled surprisingly well behind the RN, and Mélanchon's leftwing party is already throwing their weight to the NFP, second round.

From what I remember of the Front Uni past, this has a chance of [later] stopping LePen from taking Elysée. What do you think, David? (edit: can Macron's group possibly be part of the non-fascist coalition?) Sorry I missed your CNN gig --saw the notice too late.

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I've enjoyed your substack, but I'm going to unsubscribe because you want Biden to drop out of the race. This is unacceptable and it's unacceptable that other media have written such things.

I stand with Joe Biden. Always.

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You are one of just two (out of 3,,238 faithful readers) who've suggested the ultimate penalty for simply reporting faithfully on what the world is thinking or writing about America and themselves each week. Frankly, I suspect in this case that you'd probably feel more comfortable with a sub to Pravda since clearly you'll be 'disabling' your subs to the NYT, Economist, FT, Le Monde, Singapore Straits Times and I could go on....but frankly, after 12 years a NYT correspondent, 7 years as Paris correspondent for CBS, exec ed of Forbes and Bloomberg and e-i-c of World Policy Journal, there are so many who place themselves in my I like to think most capable hands to bring to them my reporting & commentary with background in 90+ countries....

Anyway, today I'm ALL about France ! Hope you'll continue on for the ride !

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Can't disagree, but won't unsubscribe.

Uncle Joe stumbled early, but came back well enough. The Queens Man simply lied at the American people for the duration of the event. Who among the press are demanding HE step aside for the good of the nation?

My question to David and all else who insist on a different candidate: Who do you think will attract 82 million votes? Because that's what it took 4 years ago. Even if a few of Queens Man's cohort yawn and say 'Nah, not this time', it likely will take close to 82 million to beat him again.

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OK....I am (finally) awake and have an answer....the answer is that 2/3rds of those 82 mln are baked-in Democrats who'll vote a straight ticket anyway. Another 1/6th are baked-in Republicans who are still sentient enough to recognize the UTTER DANGER of a Trump II presidency to this country they allegedly cherish and don't think will need to be made greater by a Putinesque autocrat. The final 1/6th are independents relieved that there is a 'whole' person found to vote for to run our country.....soooo, yes I think it may still be early enough to accumulate those 82 mln but especially in the handful of right states that our idiotic electoral college mandates to elect a president for all 50 states (most of which have no real say in who wins!)

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ps I'm delighted you did not unsubscribe ... I lost two subs for merely reporting on a chorus who do believe that perhaps Biden might consider stepping aside... I told them that they'd probably feel more comfortable with a sub to Pravda since clearly they'll be 'disabling' their subs to the NYT, Economist, FT, Le Monde etc!

Anyway, today I'm ALL about France !

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I enjoy your straightforward writing and clearly described thought processes. And your subject matter. I'm here for all that, irrespective of how closely my opinions track yours.

Carry on, carry on...

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Let's wait a few weeks and try to run REAL professional polling, not the random crap that's being done. If Biden holds his place, there's hope. If he's dropped back by 8-10% more, it's a national emergency.

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I have been watching the political developments in disbelief, even in horror, for some years now.

Yet,, something inherently cynic seems to be happening: those who are fighting to preserve western democracy are, at the same time, conspiring to keep those getting higher and higher results in polls as well as democratic elections from taking over, or substantially participating in, positions of power. Don't get me wrong: can't even begin to say how I hope for them, those fighting for democracy, to succeed.

Still, I do think it to be cynic

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Thanks David for your expanded coverage of how the world sees our presidential debate and their reactions.

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How does a cyclist qualify for the Nuit-Saint-Georges to Gevrey-Chambertin stage?

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Thanks again David, you're indispensable.

This week makes me want a ticket to the next Moon landing.

Which the extreme-right claim never took place but was cooked up in a far-left Walt Disney studio.

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Great public service reporting on all these global reactions!

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