[chirac] dog in a manger

Old lady trying to shift Paris 2012 T-shirts after the loss of the Olympics. Interesting that the sign is in English.

In a poll published Friday in the daily Le Parisien, 80 per cent of respondents said they found Nicolas Sarkozy courageous, 57 per cent believed he was capable of reforming the country, and 48 per cent said he would make a good president. Other polls continue to show him running neck-and-neck with his Socialist opponent Ségolène Royal if, as widely expected, the two make it to the second round of the presidential election, to be held on May 6.

So he got the nomination but Chirac played less than fairly and even now is undermining the UMP candidate for President by refusing to rule himself out of the race, either out of spite or under some delusion that he could take on Ségolène Royal himself and win. Chirac became an anachronism in most people’s minds about the time of his comments about British cuisine and there is certainly a case that he contributed greatly to Paris losing the 2012 Olympics. Unfortunately, he may have had the last laugh, as costs spiral out of control.

Chirac is a perfect example of people who overstay their welcome and then just get in the way. I truly, truly, hope I never do such a thing in my own sphere.