buddha

zemmour was much more right wing than le pen, if that's what you mean. zemmour was a radio/print personality (the french, unlike americans, value intellectuals and authors) who made his name as very anti-immigrant and pro-nativist (interesting coming from a french/algerian jew). he was much further right wing than le pen. le pen, otoh, has been moving to the center and away from the far right on many issues. she embraced right wing popularism and "anti elite" language. melachon was the same, but on the other end of the political spectrum. both he and le pen want to raise taxes on the rich, increase the social welfare state and lower the retirement age. le pen is much more "anti muslim" than melanchon, but no mainstream french politician would really embrace a "pro muslim" platform the way the democratic party has embraced left wing black politics following george floyd's death. even macron is against the hijab in certain situations and very pro-french. in one way the politics are similar to here in that macron represents the elite in the same way the democrats do here and le pen is very trumpian in her nationalism and anti immigrant rhetoric. but in france you have an actual candidate who espouses pro worker/anti capitalist policies (melanchon) whereas here the democrats have given that up and instead focus more on one's racial and sexual "identity" rather than ones class.

other countries also dont have our ridiculous primary system. the elections are over very quickly after they begin and arent drawn out over a two year period.

but then they cant gin up clicks talking about the "death of democracy"! macron benefits from le pen's past. she'll never shake her dad's history. zemmour is too radical. the republicaines are finished as a party, so are the socialists. so macron and his party are now the center left AND sort of center right. good place to be. there's a huge vacuum on the right waiting to be filled. zemmour is right about that, but it cant be zemmour or marine le pen who does it. it will have to be someone more palatable who doesnt have that past. that's why i'll be interested to see if marine's daughter can separate herself from her grandfather in a way that marine could not from her father.

why is it a surprise to anyone that ben simmons is sitting out a big game? he's been healthy all year and hasnt played, why would he play now when there is pressure to win? he makes KAT look mentally tough and tracy mcgrady look like a big time playoff winner.

72% turnout. very low for france. macron won huge with older voters over 70 and younger voters under 25. split the rest of the age cohorts. le pen announces she wont run again. this is the highest vote total the far right have ever achieved in france, probably due to the disintegration of the traditional center right and center left parties as well as her pivoting to mainstreaming her message to more of an anti-elite populist economic argument. zemmour calls for a far right unity party, to bring them (and even the traditional center right) into one party to combat macron. melanchon calls for the same thing on the left. parliamentary elections in june. en marche will probably win a majority there too. marine le pen may be done, but watch out for her daughter. she's as right wing as her mom but is younger and more charismatic. we'll see if pecresse is still around in 5 years (doubtful considering how bad she flopped), but 5 years is an eternity in politics.

watching the bucks lose middleton and STILL obliterate the bulls is so much fun.

jersey fans booing them off the ice.

macron cruises to an easy win in france.

blashill with the challenge! and wins!

bad goal from ned. well....more like really unlucky.

how disappointing a season is this for jersey? they got their #1 pick in hughes. they paid out big money for hamilton....and theyre terrible. a cautionary tale against spending before youre ready.

not just "collapse" but total collapse. 11 goals..10 goals...7 goals...a complete and utter disaster on defense.

they killed cade's chances by tanking and benching him late in the season.

he had his appendix removed.

i dont know how you guys put up with cmo and shep. theyre awful.

hey, a matt stafford sighting.

last time they gave up 11 so....improvement?

i'm still upset about 2013.

i guess i grew up watching too many ogrodnick highlights so i get too excited about wingers who have good shots. lol.

i think it signifies that vrana has an amazing shot. he's got great speed amd a great shot, but he's not that big and he can float a lot. especially on defense. i think washington saw him as a luxury player. i think if you put him on the top line with larkin and bert and he stayed healthy he's one of the top goal scorers/snipers in the league. i'm hoping we get a legit #2 center, ras gets stronger and goes back to wing, and then you have vrana on a line with a playmaking center (like shayne wright!), a big forward to do the dirty work, and a finisher/sniper like vrana. a man can dream...

that must be a pretty bad illness.

watched some of a couple swedish games (wallinder's rogle was on too). it strikes me just how much bigger the ice is and how much more room these guys have to manuever and how much more time it gives them on the puck.

bob quinn had no positive value drafts. mayhew had a great draft in 2013, which is all of detroit's "points" except for a few from last year (which is too early to judge) and a couple from larry warford in 2014.

they really need cossa to work out.