9 jours d'après - tour 2

Because I am a woman, things will be different.

Ségo,
setting the WABAC machine to the 19th century
March 14, 2007 (IHT)

GENITAL POLITICS
Bad Sexitude* Vs. Good Sexitude

Jean d'Arc. Motherhood. Bikinitude. Ségo invoked or exploited all these things to call attention to herself as a woman candidate for the presidency of France. She openly held that a redundant X chromosome especially qualified her for the presidency. We imagine her reasoning something like this: if a man with one X is capable of being president, then a woman with double Xs is doubly capable. The claim is patently sexist, but it's OK. Ségo believed this the good kind of sexism because, well, because it was meant to benefit her.

Besides, sexist cant is more fun and breezy than, say, costing out unfunded government candy.

And a fawning press agreed.

Much of the media focus on her is because she is a woman, and a rather striking woman at that, looking much younger than her 53 years, with a lovely smile. Judges of a certain age would doubtless describe her as "fragrant".

And this:

One understands why Ségolène Royal has fallen for the kitten heel. Reliable, elegant, this is the Ford Focus of footwear. The kitten heel represents a safe pair of hands, promising just enough of a lift to make a calf look slightly elongated and streamlined in photographs.

It’s cute without being too sexy, pointy without being dominatrix and has also, within living memory, been fashionable, thereby demonstrating the in-touch-with-the-common-herd instincts of those who wear it. Poor, height-challenged Sarko.

And no Ségo story was without its reminder of her female novelty: the first woman with a fair shot at being the first woman president of France [pace, Arlette Laguiller, Marie-George Buffet, et Dominique Voynet], which became after April 22 the first woman to make the runoff, which became after May 6 the first woman to make the runoff and not be elected the first woman president of France.

Ségo's vagina enjoyed early success, and with the opposition L'UMPs worried about a vagina gap, Defense Minister Michèle Alliot-Marie** briefly surfaced as a possible présidentiable. Although Mdm. le Ministre had a handy, serviceable vagina, at 61, she lacked the necessary bikinitude to enchant the press.

While her vagina was hot, the rest of Ségo was being viewed more cooly. The French had begun to notice that when she spoke, well, it wasn't clear what was said. Or if it was clear, then Ségo held a press conference to say she hadn't been understood.

With Sarko's nomination, Ségo soon felt his rude prick in her poll numbers. With falling numbers, she decided to drop the nice touch and be tough, but came off as pouty and desperate. She accused Sarko of "thuggish tactics", using "war-like words", and unleashing "violence and brutality" should he have the temerity of allowing himself to be elected.

In all this, the Royal camp dearly hoped that the 53% of the voter rolls with vaginas would be naturally empathic and rally to the only candidate with a bona fide vagina. It was not to be -- vaginas being no more politically empathic than legs or toes -- French women proved cannier than political handlers and media consultants.

WOMEN VOTERS SHUN SEGOLENE ROYAL

PARIS May 7, 2007 (Reuters) - Socialist Segolene Royal failed to win over a majority of women voters in France's presidential election and may have paid a price for focusing too much on her gender at the expense of promoting her policies.

Only 48 percent of women voted for Royal, according to an Ipsos poll conducted on election day on Sunday, while 52 percent supported rightist rival and overall winner Nicolas Sarkozy.

The weak female support is a bitter personal blow for Royal, who had played up her feminist credentials throughout the campaign, frequently defending policies she would want "as a mother" and accusing critics of male chauvinism.

Some women said the glamorous Royal, a mother of four, had focused too much on the symbolism linked to becoming France's first female president.

Amen.

* Sex + plenitude = sex-itude. For context, see here.
** Former dimmest bulb in the dark Chirac marquee™, a distinction since awarded to the current foreign minister.

PFFT (What is this?): Glamour 3 | Bikinitude 2½ | Politics 1¾ | Rayonnement français 0