Sweet & sour: everything about president Sarkozy’s visit to the United States that could be sweet—his personal popularity, a giant boost to the prestige of France, the benefits of good relations with a major world power—was turned sour in the French media.
From Paris Nidra Poller surveys print and TV media coverage of Sarkozy’s visit to America. Example:
Prime time news gave the spit-in-his-eye treatment to President Sarkozy’s address to Congress—a few snatches of his speech with applause and standing ovation, revised by an anchorman who reminds viewers that George W. Bush is an unpopular has-been and someone else—certainly a Democrat—will be in the White House next year. Nevertheless, the privately-owned TV channel TF1 presented an exclusive interview of President Bush by Patrick Poivre d’Arvor. The president was relaxed, alert, personable, coherent and, yes, eloquent. He was by far the more sophisticated of the two. Poivre d’Arvor asked questions flavored with French vinegar, and Bush replied with good humored intelligence. He defended his choices, including of course the liberation of Iraq, while understanding that “people don’t like force…that’s normal.†He praised Sarkozy in terms that contrast sharply with French anti-Sarkozy sarcasm: “He’s intelligent, has a lot of energy, he’s a lot of fun to be around…and he’s serious.†Poivre d’Arvor opined—with downcast eyes, nose, and mouth—that the United States had lost its reputation as a land of freedom and is seen today as an oppressive nation. Bush laughed heartily. “That’s absurd! » Defending his record—liberating 25 million Iraqis and perhaps creating a Palestinian state—he reminded Poivre d’Arvor that the judgment of history will fall when he is no longer of this world. In the meantime, he doesn’t let himself be swayed by polls, he does what he thinks is right. And, he concluded, the Republican candidate is going to win in 2008, because we are tough on terrorism and advocate tax reductions.
Much, much <more>
Recent Comments