First, the high popularity figures for Sarko in polls over the past few years should have been a hint of what is to be expected of the majority of the French electorate.

Second, for Royal to expose Sarko's constant lies, she would have to have been aware of them, which means being aware of a lot of erroneous conventional wisdom and media spin spreading around. But she is neither a blogger, nor a non-mainstream economist or journalist, nor a hard-left politician. So as good an effort as she has made during the campaign to mobilise base democracy, get input on ideas, and stand for a program, as a centre-left ENArque politician, she was still ill-equipped to stand against the stream of lies. (And this would be a foreboding of problems as President.)

Third, all mention what was plan for Sarko in the debate (e.g. "look presidential", "father/daughter relationship"), but what was Ségo's? As an ENArque politician, I'd expect her preparation to not focus on beating Sarko with facts but have some rhetorical or image-establishing strategy. If it was to make Sarko confused and angry, it obviously didn't work out well enough, but maybe there was more?

Fourth, if Sarko wins, what will be of the entire French Left? Unless a confrontation between Prez Sarko and the banlieues cannot be channeled and be kept focused, at the moment, it appears to me that self-destruction mixing the German, British and pre-2006 US ways is rather likely...

_{*Lunatic*, n.
One whose delusions are out of fashion.}