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Anyone else suspect that Chirac will support whichever candidate for President promises to not throw him in jail?  Naturally this is a tough order for law-and-order Sarkozy but hypocrisy has never been an issue with him so why not?
by paving on Mon Mar 12th, 2007 at 04:38:48 PM EST
Le Pen would throw him in jail and supply the rats to gnaw his toes off.

But would Sarko jail him? Bayrou? Royal? I doubt it.

by afew (afew(a in a circle)eurotrib_dot_com) on Mon Mar 12th, 2007 at 04:42:25 PM EST
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I think he'll just reluctantly endorse Sarkozy, but beyond that won't do more than the bare minimum, if even that, to help him out.

"The basis of optimism is sheer terror" - Oscar Wilde
by NordicStorm (m<-at->sturmbaum.net) on Mon Mar 12th, 2007 at 04:49:18 PM EST
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I'm more interested in the backroom phone calls he'll be making.  Chirac has known many powerful people and has many favors he can call in. He also has a history of behaving badly at election time.  I think he will be proud of himself if in his last act of political will he is able to cock-clock Sarkozy.  This is consistent with his strategy of delaying his announcement as well.  No matter how the media tries to portray it a failure of one party leader to support another is bad, especially if they are the outgoing President.  If Chirac himself doesn't think Sarkozy, a fellow UMP guy, is cut out for the job why should anyone else?  It would be so easy for Chirac to support him fakely, even unenthusiastically but support him nonetheless.  His silence on the matter speaks volumes.

Lastly, IIRC Villepin is pledging support for Sarkozy now, yes?  That's a case of giving a cat your fleas if I ever saw one...

All signs point to Chirac providing back-door support for another candidate.  The question is Bayrou or Royal?

by paving on Tue Mar 13th, 2007 at 03:21:34 AM EST
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