GRcade

Interestingly, Macron might have been more overwhelmingly popular with older generations than younger.

twitter.com/Guillaume_Alv/status/861298981854490625

The biggest mistake Macron and Europe and/or the EU can do is pretend this suddenly means France has chosen to stick two fingers up to the far right or are suddendly fantastically pro EU...

Choose to ignore the 35% of Le Pen voters here, and the masses who voted for EU-scepticism leading up to this election victory, at their folly. Macron has said things now have to change so we'll see if he can live up to that promise. But it's not really him pulling the strings. He needs people backing him in France too, which is where the next elections come in next month, I think.

I don't see a viable way for educated, moderate people to 'engage' with people who vote Brexit, Trump, Le Pen (etc.) without legitimising their points of view. We can't make concessions to fascism and anti-intellectualism without sending the message that those ideologies have something going for them.

Return_of_the_STAR wrote:

Moggy wrote:

Memento Mori wrote:

Moggy wrote:I'd quite like an abstain option. It shows you bothered to turn up but that you were disgusted by the choices.

Anyone choosing the abstain option when one of the candidates is an actual fascist is too stupid to be allowed to vote.

In that case, or with Trump, I'd agree.

I'd like the option to be able to express my disgust at the quality of the candidates though. I'd probably never use it but it'd be better than people not turning up or just spoiling ballot papers.

It's not stupid if they genuinely dislike both candidates as much as the other.

Anybody that dislikes Macron or Clinton as much as Le Pen or Trump is stupid.

With more normal candidates a "none of the above" is a good way to send a message that what's on offer just isn't good enough.

Karl wrote:I don't see a viable way for educated, moderate people to 'engage' with people who vote Brexit, Trump, Le Pen (etc.) without legitimising their points of view. We can't make concessions to fascism and anti-intellectualism without sending the message that those ideologies have something going for them.

This. The idea that you can somehow reach out to Trump/Le Pen supporters by just listening and understanding is madness.

I think those supporters can see the error of their ways but it won't come about by decent people pretending that there is any merit in the Trump administration or the Le Pen ideology.

No mention of the French election result on the front page of the Sun or the Daily Mail, lol:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs/the_papers

KK wrote:The biggest mistake Macron and Europe and/or the EU can do is pretend this suddenly means France has chosen to stick two fingers up to the far right or are suddendly fantastically pro EU...

Choose to ignore the 35% of Le Pen voters here, and the masses who voted for EU-scepticism leading up to this election victory, at their folly. Macron has said things now have to change so we'll see if he can live up to that promise. But it's not really him pulling the strings. He needs people backing him in France too, which is where the next elections come in next month, I think.

If only the same applied to May and the 48%

Karl wrote:I don't see a viable way for educated, moderate people to 'engage' with people who vote Brexit, Trump, Le Pen (etc.) without legitimising their points of view. We can't make concessions to fascism and anti-intellectualism without sending the message that those ideologies have something going for them.

The problem with this lack of engagement is that it is driving people to vote for extremes because there appears to be no other choice on the ballot to represent their views or concerns.

The fact that 35% of French people voted for the FN should be an absolutely massive wakeup call that there is something seriously wrong in French society that needs fixing and not ignoring.

The other thing is the politicians on the more "extreme" ends of the spectrum tend to speak more like "normal" people when doing speeches or shows etc. they aren't just spouting a line over and over which makes people more likely to vote that way just because they are less of a PR robot.

I honestly think politicians needs to be more "themselves" and not this politician thing they think they need to be, like Miliband on the Last Leg, he was saying that there is this what you are supposed to be thing when running and it leads to repeating and that non human feel, and it doesn't work. I think he would have done way way better had he been like he is now at the election and just been a normal sodding person.

I think it's why people also like Boris, as he's the same whatever he does. Whereas people like Ed Balls and Michael Portillo (hated in 1997) only became popular once leaving politics and their actual personalities came out. I think the public quite like Ed Miliband now as well.

Leave.EU reacting well to the French elections...

twitter.com/LeaveEUOfficial/status/861307433829924866

twitter.com/LeaveEUOfficial/status/861284167115575297

twitter.com/Nigel_Farage/status/861322265924861952

twitter.com/ryxnf/status/861299791099174912

mwahxhahahahahahahahaha

captain red dog wrote:

Karl wrote:I don't see a viable way for educated, moderate people to 'engage' with people who vote Brexit, Trump, Le Pen (etc.) without legitimising their points of view. We can't make concessions to fascism and anti-intellectualism without sending the message that those ideologies have something going for them.

The problem with this lack of engagement is that it is driving people to vote for extremes because there appears to be no other choice on the ballot to represent their views or concerns.

The fact that 35% of French people voted for the FN should be an absolutely massive wakeup call that there is something seriously wrong in French society that needs fixing and not ignoring.

The only person to lose by a bigger margin than Marine was her father. In a two horse race, losing by 65% is a massive defeat.

Pandering to racists and simpletons is not going to help society. After all look at the state of the Tory party now that they are trying to attract the UKIP types.

Garth wrote:No mention of the French election result on the front page of the Sun or the Daily Mail, lol:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs/the_papers

Funny how it's The Metro with The Sun-esque front page of "Le Big Mac" accompanied with the tabloid-friendly Harry-kiss.

How you can not have the French elections anywhere on the front page (even The Express has it) makes you look ridiculous. "NEW FRENCH REVOLUTION" was on their front in April...but the final result? Nah. Some dull story about insurance is far more important.

Denster wrote::lol:

Laugh it up, you know it's true.

Stolen from Twitter:

Brexit 52-48: "Clear, decisive victory."
Trump 46-48: "The people have spoken."
Macron 66-34: "OMG France is so divided."

captain red dog wrote:The fact that 35% of French people voted for the FN should be an absolutely massive wakeup call that there is something seriously wrong in French society that needs fixing and not ignoring.

They should stop moaning and embrace it.

Moggy wrote:

Denster wrote::lol:

Laugh it up, you know it's true.

From your standpoint I'm sure it is.

Denster wrote:

Moggy wrote:

Denster wrote::lol:

Laugh it up, you know it's true.

From your standpoint I'm sure it is.

It's not my standpoint, it's the way it is. Theresa May went from supporting Remain to being a hard Brexit supporter at the slightest sniff of power and has only been trying to attract the UKIP supporters ever since.

I'm not saying that the Conservatives are UKIP, but they are definitely heading further right in order to attract the UKIP voters.