Sarkozy

In a photo-packed post at democracy-focused Publius Pundit, A.M. Mora y Leon is gleeful at the victory and surprised pundits had France pegged wrong. "Whodathunk? … Wasn't France solidly socialist to the bone? Weren't there a lot of analyses out saying that the French abhorred change, couldn't lift itself from its cafes, hated globalization and definitely didn't want a wild man like Sarkozy as president out wrecking the country? It's just amazing how mistaken so many observers were. There's a whole different country out there that none of them, neither enemy nor familiar, really seemed to know."
At Captain's Quarters, conservative Ed Morrissey asserts that French fatigue with rioting in the banlieus contributed to Sarkozy's success: "Of course, part of the reason Sarkozy won … is because of the continuous violence occurring in the Muslim ghettoes. Cars burn on most nights, and it no longer makes headlines unless the count gets above 200 or so. The obvious cultural disconnect, along with the moribund French economy under Socialist policies, has created a shift in mood for the French."
Bring back French fries! Like many bloggers, Republican Mike at Mike's America declares a victory for the United States here: "Sarkozy's election is just the latest trend from the last few years which have seen increasingly pro-American conservatives elected to governments in Australia, Germany, Canada and Japan. All of the above have stressed the importance of a strong relationship with the United States. And we're constantly told how we've alienated our allies?"
Conservative Andrew Sullivan also strikes a triumphant note: "Sarko is not a visceral anti-American, unlike many of his peers. In that sense, we have gained a new and stronger ally in the war against Islamism. Now to make that war more effective and intelligent."