Say Hollande 3 Times

Bemused, French style, is the early-on response here in the States to President Francois Hollande. Naturally his name is a twister for Yanks, with most saying his surname like Holland. Holland itself is an American conundrum. Geography is not generally appealing to large, powerful nations. Holland ?country, is confused with the Netherlands. (Holland comprises 2 of the 12 provinces of the country, Netherlands. The capital of Netherlands is Amsterdam, which is in Holland.) Don't even try to apply the word Dutch!

Hollande bounded into office by defeating Nicolas Sarkozy in May. Sarko, himself, has an interesting name. With an accent shift, his moniker is chameleon-like. Names aside, what many find most gripping about any famous man is his woman (women.) Although it would be fair to say the opposite, somehow men are not nearly as interesting to the general public, when it comes to being the other half.

As it became clear that Hollande was going to replace the vertically challenged Sarkozy, the consequent loss of Carla Bruni, Sarkozy's wife, portended a vacuum of proportion. Despite the fact that Bruni was getting a bit long in tooth (the price of beauty - ugly people age so much better with nothing to lose), she remained a charmer and she is still quite lovely.

Mr. Hollande, for his part, had been private-partnered with Ségolène Royal. She is a fellow Socialist. Indeed, she ran for the Presidency of France in 2007, but she lost to Mr. Sarkozy. Soon after that defeat, the 30 year union (four children) between Hollande and Royal dissolved. Somehow the irony is inescapable. It was a few months after the break-up that Valerie Trierweiler became Hollande's girlfriend. She is the de facto First Lady of France.

Segolene

Right now, Ms. Royal is running for a Parliamentary seat in an election slated Sunday. Her competitor is Olivier Farlorni. In the event Royal wins, she is likely to seek the position of the Speaker of the National Assembly. A victory there would place her in almost daily contact with Francois.

Valerie

Treirweiler has been married twice. She is a prominent journalist and reporter. As a result of Hollande's Presidency, Treierweiler's role at Paris Match has become apolitical. She now reviews books! The relationship between Royal and Trierweiler is claw-feline. That should come as no surprise if Hollande's persona, stature and magnetism are factored into the equation. Stud?

Too bad Trierweiler cannot stifle herself. A brouhaha has been ignited with her tweeting yesterday...

Good luck to Olivier Farlorni

Great stuff! It certainly beats Michelle Obama and her diet plans and Land's End clothes and her vegetable garden and her other boring yip-yap. Imagine two smart, older but still attractive, ladies going at it.

Now the tale could be a little better. For one, Hollande's balding is a rate limiter. His old man hair style is plug pulling. Perhaps if he shaved his head... hmmm, forget that. For two, a physical interaction between the ladies. Ya' know a fight, a push her-shove her thing... maybe even a swipe or two... maybe a take-down. Aw, way too crude. But this is America where such behavior is heralded by many citizens with little to do but watch the show.

In the event Royal prevails in her race, things could get most interesting. It's unfortunate that the three of them, Oh-Lan, Royal and Valerie can't just get along. Three people with sooo much in common should not be enemies. Three people with so much in common... a bottle of wine... then two, then three. Now there's something to think about. Strange things are possible. After all, France is not Holland and it most certainly is not the United States. France is...

Three Lovers, Theodore Gericault

Adieu

Added June 18, 2012

Segolene Royal lost her election bid...

The media spotlight was also focused on Segolene Royal, Hollande's former partner and mother of their four children, who conceded defeat in her battle after a dissident Socialist candidate refused to stand down.


Royal, whose campaign was shaken when Hollande's current partner Valerie Trierweiler tweeted her support for dissident Olivier Falorni, slammed what she called a "political betrayal".


"I ran a tough but straight and loyal campaign," she said in bitter but brief remarks in La Rochelle in western France. http://ca.news.yahoo.com/vote-set-cement-frances-swing-left-040630225.html


Betcha... Valerie took President Hollande for a trip around the world after learning her rival failed to win...