According to a survey taken by French publication  Le Journal du Dimanche Jacques Chirac must be envious of the comparatively stratospheric popularity of George W. Bush. AFP reports:

Only 1 per cent of French people want President Jacques Chirac to stand for a third term at the Elysee palace in elections due in May 2007.

Asked which candidate they would like to see representing Mr Chirac's Union for a Popular Movement party, 36 per cent chose Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy and 19 per cent chose Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin

Sarkozy, the closest thing to a conservative in mainstream French politics, has come under fire from the bien pensants in the French media for advocating tough handling of the Muslim rioters. The fact that his support is nearly twice that of anti—American de Villepin demonstrates that France may not be as hopeless as we are sometimes tempted to think.

Hmm, let's see: Gerhard Schroeder stabbed George Bush in the back and is now out of office and on the payroll of a Russian company he helped out while in office. Chirac stabbed George Bush in the back and is now not wanted for a third term in office by a ratio of 99 to 1. And don't forget that once out of office Chirac can finally be charged with various offenses which cannot be brought against a sitting President.

Life is good.

Hat tip: Lucianne.com

Thomas Lifson  12 11 05