It's the beginning of the month. Time to check in on Jack and see how he's piled up the love and adoration since last month.

QUESTION:

"Do you have confidence, some confidence, not much confidence, or no confidence in Jack Chirac to solve the problems that currently arise in France?"

HIGHER LOW CONFIDENCE, LOWER NO CONFIDENCE
Feel The Love

Source: TNS-Sofres / Le Figaro

In a tremendous swell of tepid confidence, Jack jumps a full percentage point -- a 4% increase! -- over last month's numbers! He has surged back to his poor numbers of September, a personal best for 2006.

Assuming that this is the beginning of a steady trend -- and not just a continuation of Jack's year-long bobbing in the low 20s -- we calculate in a mere 4¾ years he will be back to the 82% that swept him into office for a second term. Of course, that assumes he doesn't open his mouth or go out much and watches what he eats.

Fish around and other polls produce other Jacks. The Jack of the CSA poll below represents a 68% more confidence-inducing Jack than the Jack of the TNS-Sofres poll above.

CHIRAC'S POPULARITY IN JUMPS TO 18-MONTH HIGH, SURVEY SHOWS

PARIS November 29, 2006 (Bloomberg) - French President Jacques Chirac's approval rating jumped to an 18-month high amid speculation he may seek a third term in 2007 elections, a CSA survey showed.

Forty-two percent of the French trust Chirac, who turned 74 today, to tackle the country's problems, up from 32 percent in October, the poll held Nov. 21 and 22 for La Vie and France Info showed today. Thirty-eight percent of the people polled also trust Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin, a 9 percentage point jump from last month.

"They appeal to the French when they speak about values of the republic and solidarity," Jean-Daniel Levy, an analyst at polling company CSA in Paris, said in an interview today.

"That doesn't mean that people would vote for them."

We thought the very same.

PFFT (What is this?): Steaming into the near 30s 2¼ | Rayonnement français 0