[tale of two ladies] can they arise, phoenix like

First the Bull moose. Among the stories reported by Fox News and Newsweek magazine:

-- She showed up in front of John McCain campaign aides "wearing nothing but a towel."

-- She sent campaign staff on a shopping spree for her family that insiders described as the "Wasilla hillbillies looting Neiman Marcus from coast to coast."

-- She was so shockingly ignorant of basic geography that aides prepping her for her single debate realized she didn't know that Africa is a continent and not a country, nor could she identify the countries that comprise North America.

The first is hardly a negative, the second can be adjusted by the GOP if it wants her and the third is a national American trait so if they want, as just said, she can be groomed for the part. There are grounds for it.

She does have brand image and not all of it is bad. If she is seen to grow into the role, she certainly has administrative experience [gubernatorial].

Across the pond, how is Segie faring? It's difficult to get up to date info in English but my rusty French encompasses this:

Ségolène Royal a enfin déclaré qu'elle souhaitait former «la meilleure équipe possible» en rassemblant tous «les les talents du Parti socialiste» (citant au passage Pierre Moscovici ou François Vallini).

In short, she's right in there and following the link back to le Figaro shows that at least she is the front runner. What it says to me, in both cases, is that there is deeply entrenched opposition to both women within their parties, perhaps even more so in that they are women.

On the other hand, they have both seen front line action and understand the process far better than before, something no other candidates can lay claim to.