{"id":180421,"date":"2017-04-23T20:09:00","date_gmt":"2017-04-24T01:09:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.panix.com\/~msaroff\/40years\/2017\/04\/23\/its-le-pen-and-macron\/"},"modified":"2017-04-23T20:09:00","modified_gmt":"2017-04-24T01:09:00","slug":"its-le-pen-and-macron","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.panix.com\/~msaroff\/40years\/2017\/04\/23\/its-le-pen-and-macron\/","title":{"rendered":"It’s Le Pen and Macron"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/a>I didn’t expect Jean-Luc M\u00e9lenchon to make it too the runoff, but I am still bummed that it’s going to be Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen in the runoff<\/a>:<\/p>\n

In France\u2019s most consequential election in recent history, voters on Sunday chose Emmanuel Macron<\/a> and Marine Le Pen<\/a> to go to a runoff to determine the next president, official returns showed. One is a political novice, the other a far-right firebrand \u2014 both outsiders, but with starkly different visions for the country.<\/p>\n

The result was a full-throated rebuke of France\u2019s traditional mainstream parties, setting the country on an uncertain path in an election that could also decide the future of the European Union.<\/p>\n

It is the first time in the nearly 59-year history of France\u2019s Fifth Republic that both of the final candidates are from outside the traditional left-right party structure. Together, they drew less than half the total votes cast in a highly fractured election.<\/p>\n

Even before the official tallies were announced, the political establishment was rallying behind Mr. Macron, warning of the dangers of a victory by Ms. Le Pen\u2019s far-right National Front, though few analysts give her much of a chance of winning the May 7 runoff.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I am surprised that the scandal plagued Fillon got as many votes as he did.<\/p>\n

Some things to note: <\/p>\n