As the craze for Obama spreads across the French countryside, the concern of Democrats Abroad is growing, as fear that Hillary could be doing irreparable harm to the Party’s likely standard-bearer in November starts to take hold.

Expressing frustration in this news account from France’s Le Monde newspaper, one member of Democrats abroad says:

“She’s playing the Bush card and the politics of fear. It’s because of her that we have the shameful racial bias that has been introduced into the country! It makes me crazy!”

Reflecting the kind of global attention Senator Obama’s candidacy has generated, Samuel Solvit, President of the French Committee to Support Barack Obama says in part:

“This election concerns the entire planet … it’s important to us … we are attentive to the emergence of this candidate bearing hope and who is open to the world.”

And beyond the U.S. election, some French hope that Obama’s candidacy will spur France to embrace greater diversity. According to French political scientist Olivier Duhamel:

“The simple observation of Obama’s emergence should move minds … especially at a moment when ideologies have become so blurred and when the hatred of immigrants acts like a demagogic venom.”

By Annick Cojean

Translated By Sandrine Ageorges

April 26, 2008

France - Le Monde - Original Article (France)
American Democrats living in France prefer Barack Obama to Hillary Clinton. But the French aren’t far behind. The French Committee to Support Obama has some very distinguished recruits.

In a posh building on the Boulevard St. Germain, about 40 Parisian Americans, wine glass in hand, listen attentively to the voice of a male speaker emerging from a speaker phone on a coffee table in the living room.

The voice is from Chicago. To be more precise, it’s the headquarters of Democratic candidate Barack Obama. The voice is of Michael Robertson, Senator Obama’s Legislative Coordinator, who cleverly dissects the results of the April 23 Pennsylvania primary, won just hours earlier by Hillary Clinton. Even if it was predictable, her triumphant speech caused consternation among these Parisian supporters of the Illinois Senator WATCH .

“Do you have any questions?” asks a questioner at the end of Robertson’s presentation. The group opens up. Of course they have questions! It was in the fact the very purpose of this little meeting to support Barack Obama (the are 289 members registered in Paris, against 64 for Hillary Clinton). Constance Borde, the hostess for the evening, is Vice President of Democrats Abroad , begins, “We all know that Hillary can’t catch up. But I fear her galling attacks will weaken Obama for the struggle he will have to mount against the Republican candidate. Do you think irreparable damage has been done … That voters will turn to McCain?”

All faces turn toward the loudspeaker. That’s the question. And Constance Borde’s frankness seems to have suddenly released an anxiety and even an anger that has permeated their minds.

“It’s terrible!,” says one white-haired woman. “Hillary has carried on a vicious, negative, Republican-style campaign.” A man says: “For eight years, we have had to deal with an American president who’s as dumb as a stone. I’m afraid Hillary will look a lot like him! The country’s in flames she hears nothing, listens to nothing and hangs on beyond all reason!”

Some smile, most shake their heads. “It’s incredible that we’re still talking about her! She has lost!” says one bitter woman. “It’s not only her ambition or her ego that impel her” adds a man next to her, “It’s the large groups and lobbies which control Washington. They think only about their contracts and tremble about seeing a new man.”

She’s betting on the superdelegates,” explains Constance Borde: “It is they she intends to seduce and persuade. She was the Party’s candidate, the one that controlled the machine, and she wants to show them that she’s in the best position to win in the larger states that generally lean Republicans.” A voice rises: “But at which price? She’s playing the Bush card and the politics of fear. It’s because of her that we have the shameful racial bias that has been introduced into the country! It makes me crazy!”

In any case, all are delighted that their candidate has resisted the temptation to resort to personal attacks and continues to behave like a gentleman. “Hillary’s making us lose sight of the essential, while Obama embodies our highest ideals” says a professor, “but when are we going to take the issue of McCain seriously? He is a dangerous type, close to certain Washington fascists who are only happy when engaged war or a conflict. And now he looks like a moderate …”

A young man, born in France but a fresh arrival from Los Angeles, admits to being ignorant of who Democrats abroad are voting for. “Obama!,” Responds the unprompted group. Of the 25,000 American Democrats around the world, 65.6 percent have declared for Obama, against 32.7 for Senator Clinton. Only two countries out of 70 (Israel and the Dominican Republic) have withstood the Obama wave. In France, the number has reached 71.8 percent. “And what about the French?” asks the American. This time the group erupts into laughter. There’s no doubt there: the French vote for Obama.

READ ON AT WORLDMEETS.US, along with continuing translated foreign press coverage of the U.S. election.