Sarkozy for the win, Royal down for the match

From the BBC: "Conservative candidate Nicolas Sarkozy has won the hotly-contested French presidential election.

The final count gave Mr Sarkozy 53.06%, compared with 46.94% for socialist Segolene Royal, with turnout at 85%. "

Sarkozy ran on conservatism, and won. Royal ran as a socialist, and lost.
And of course, the socialist party there is now looking around in bewilderment, saying 'ce qui l'estacade à claire-voie?'

Fresh from the keyboards of the Financial Times:
"It is the party’s third consecutive presidential defeat. The Socialists now face the question of whether they can ever regain power without ditching their anti-capitalist rhetoric, as the mainstream left has done across almost all of Europe. ... It is the party’s third consecutive presidential defeat. The Socialists now face the question of whether they can ever regain power without ditching their anti-capitalist rhetoric, as the mainstream left has done across almost all of Europe."

So campaigning against capitalism: Doesn't work.
Small wonder. The best, and pretty much only way to raise a countries standard of living is through a free market, capitalistic system.

So, how does this affect you, me, and the rest of the US?
CNN: ""The French people have called for change. I will carry out that change, because that's the mandate I have received from the French people."

Sarkozy added that he wanted to tell his "American friends that they can rely on our friendship ... France will always be next to them when they need us."

But, he added, "Friends can think differently."

He then called on the United States "not to impede" in the fight against global warming. "On the contrary, they must lead this fight because humanity's fate is at stake here.""

Interesting...