French presidential election, 2022

[Statilius the Epicurean]

[Statilius the Epicurean]

He reminds me of Baudet in another sense. An almost-elite populist for almost-elite people who turned into nihilist big brained intellectuals that resent the public sector and creative classes as a result of not being them.

This is very much a type - Arron Banks and Nigel Farage fit that description, as does Donald Trump (the Queens boy who was too gauche for the Manhattan set).

[Statilius the Epicurean]

He reminds me of Baudet in another sense. An almost-elite populist for almost-elite people who turned into nihilist big brained intellectuals that resent the public sector and creative classes as a result of not being them.

This is very much a type - Arron Banks and Nigel Farage fit that description, as does Donald Trump (the Queens boy who was too gauche for the Manhattan set).

Trump was never a candidate for almost-elite people, though, and Farage similar. Zemmour and Baudet are a pretty distinct brand that way. Vox in Spain is not too dissimilar from Baudet and Zemmour, either, although with more of a religious bent.

It's interesting too that both Baudet and Zemmour emerged in political environments that already had a lower-class far-right populist presence from which they both have tried to draw a sharp distinction.

Yeah, "big brained" is scarcely a label that befits the Trump/Farage crowd.  The closest thing to an Anglosphere equivalent might be if Jordan Peterson ever decided to go into politics.  "Intellectual incels", sort of like...

Whether they're intellectual or not is less relevant to me than the point about their class position. Wealthy almost-but-not-quite elites who feel resentment at the actual elite they failed to break into.

[Statilius the Epicurean]

1. The video makes all these evocations to French "grandeur" (some would say "delusions of grandeur") - and yet the entire soundtrack is Beethoven - who was German! You'd think he'd at least find some inspirational French music.

One doesn't really think of "inspirational" or "heroic" when one thinks of French composers. The best I can think of is that it would have been very funny if Zemmour went all the way back to Lully for a roi soleil announcement video

Although someone could point out he was an Italian immigrant.

[Statilius the Epicurean]

Le Pen beating Melenchon by <1% would be more painful than the original projection really.

[Statilius the Epicurean]

Embarrassing for Le Pen given she ran literally the most Shorpilled campaign possible. Moderated a ton and still got blown out. Have to think her career is over.

[Statilius the Epicurean]

Embarrassing for Le Pen given she ran literally the most Shorpilled campaign possible. Moderated a ton and still got blown out. Have to think her career is over.

Does RN really have anyone else though? Although maybe they'll be eclipsed by Zemmour's party or something for 2027.

Maréchal I guess. IDK perhaps a more mainstream right wing candidate contests the second round in 2027.