The presidential race is not a beauty contest.

Jack Lang,
PS elephant and présidentiable wash-out,
obliquely commenting on Mlle. Royal's bikinitude
PARIS April 7, 2006 (IHT/NYT)

Jack Lang, the common man of the Place des Vosges, becomes the latest victim of the obvious.

LANG BREAKS SILENCE TO BACK SÉGOLÈNE AS SOCIALIST LEADER

PARIS November 6, 2006 (Telegraph) - Jack Lang, the former culture and education minister, announced he would back Miss Royal, 53, following weeks of silence since he withdrew his own bid.

Mr Lang, 67, said he had plumped for Miss Royal in the Socialist primaries because she was the best placed to "beat the Right" in elections next April.

He said Miss Royal, whose campaign has been showing signs of losing steam in recent days, was the only candidate capable of winning the primaries outright in the first round, sending a strong message to the wide spectrum of France's Left-wing electorate that they should get behind her in national polls.

His words echoed a call from Miss Royal over the weekend for the 200,000 Socialist "militants" – the party's card-carrying members — to vote for her next week to avoid a second round of primaries on Nov 23. "It gives extra strength for afterwards, for the main battle against the Right," she said.

Messrs. DSK et Fabius greeted M. Lang's announcement with a yawn.

Édith Cresson also appears to be breaking for Mlle. Royal. This is sure to sew up the all-important graft-in-government vote.

PFFT (What is this?): Principled jump on bandwagon 2½ | Vote the bikini 3¾ | Rayonnement français 0