Polls say: France Clearly Wants Obama in White House. But would they have voted Sarkozy in the Elysée if he were black?
This was one of the adverts used in the French presidential campaign in 2007. The spots were made by Le Cran (Conseil représentatif des associations noires de France).
i’d say a black (should one say Africain-Français?) would have a standing chance. But the real question should be: would a North African and/or muslum have any chance at all in a national French election… probably not!
FWIW, the 2 most popular Frenchies are Zidane and Yannick Noah…
See here (add the http prefix): tempsreel.nouvelobs.com/actualites/people/20070819.OBS1029/zidane_reste_la_personnalitepreferee_des_francais.html?idfx=RSS_notr
popular, yes… In French sports, the exception is the White Man!
But in politics its “Chasse Resérvée” for MachoMan: blacks, arabs and women are just for show; take a look at the numbers.
You don’t think Noah would get elected to whatever post he would run for?
//take a look at the numbers. //
And compare them to what?
I have compared them to the US, for example: a country where minorities have been living for a far longer time than France, where most of the eligible citizens would only be second generation.
With a population that’s about 18% black and 30% minorities, Obama is only the 5th black to be elected in the US senate. In 231 years there have only been 2 elected black governors. The first one was elected in 1990, and only one is still currently running a state.
- Meanwhile, Gratien Candace, a black man, was elected vice-president of the French National Assembly in… 1938.
- Gaston Monnerville, a black man, was elected president of the French Senate in… 1959.
- Félix Éboué, another black man, was made governor of Guadeloupe in… 1936.
- Rachida Dati, the daughter of illiterate Algerian and Moroccan parents, is the current Minister of Justice.
- Rama Yade, who was born in Dakar, Senegal, is the current State Secretary in charge of foreign affairs and human rights.
- The number of black lawmakers in the National Assembly is at least 15 (10 men, 5 women). The number of black senators is 13 (10 men, 3 women). One of them, a woman, was a candidate in the last presidential elections.
- And of course, lets not forget that Sarko is the son of an immigrant. Hasn’t happened yet in the US.
ok, you win.
i’m going to go read a book and fall asleep.
- And of course, lets not forget that Sarko is the son of an immigrant. Hasn’t happened yet in the US.
I hate to point it out to you, but our first presidents were actually former British subjects ; ) And 6 have had at least one immigrant parent.
http://lawprofessors.typepad.com/immigration/2008/08/immigration-fac.html
Most people in SF’s list were appointed, not elected. The question is: would a popular vote ever put a non-white president in the Elysee? Not in my lifetime, I think…
Candace, Monnerville, Sarko and the black lawmakers in the National Assembly are all elected.
Not sure whether a non-white would be elected president. Not even sure what a non-white is. (Don’t you have some animal name for them just like you do for “the French”?)
At any rate, the problem is mostly a very closed political system that favors an elite that goes through “Grandes Ecoles,” as well as the fact that most eligible people are just 2nd generation. Considering slavery, the US has had a much longer time to work out those “technical” issues.
Considering also that an election is mostly a popularity contest, the fact that we choose Noah and Zidane as our favorite Frenchies seem to indicate that race would not be a problem, should a candidate emerge through that rather closed political system of ours.