Les élections américaines
Sometimes, the best way to take a look at yourself comes from outside. This is why I think it is important for everyone to read the foreign press, especially foreign-language press.
Le Monde has a section on their website on the US election. While the French are no experts on the US electoral process (neither are Americans, but that’s another topic of discussion), the articles they provide
In partucular, I would suggest reading the article regarding the Iowa primaries. It gives a fairly concise description of the process, the timeframe for the primaries. For the French, the primaries on 5 February are the end of the story (and to some extent, they’re right).
The interesting bits come from the difference in interpreting what is important. For example, the French seem to suggest that more weight should go to the 22 primary on 5 Feb. but acknowledge that “[t]he parties – and the press – attach extreme importance to Iowa, which is the first poll after a year of campaigning.“
Le Monde does not seem to endorse a particular candidate, but it does spend far more time discussing the position of the democratic candidates than the republican candidates, suggesting that may give an endorsement to whomever wins the party nomination.
The paper also acknowledges that Obama and Edwards have a far more difficult challenge with the election, noting that these candidates must win or at least have a very strong showing in Iowa in order to convince other states of their importance.
