Campaigning politicos to Sarkozy: Please don't endorse us!

French campaigning politicians from Nikolas Sarkozy's UMP party are leaving the party logo off their campaign materials and begging party leaders not to campaign on their behalf. They're hoping that voters forget that they're standing for election on behalf of one of the least popular administrations in France's history.

• [inness]

  So all they need to do now to follow the American right-wing conservative (GOTea Party) playbook is to create their own ‘grassroots’ political organization (Le Absinthe Party, perhaps). Then their most radical supporters and unwitting patriotic dupes can add stealth votes to their stained political party without fear of seeming stolid and entrenched in their views even when their party has soiled its own base.
  Viva La France!

• [Anonymous]

  This could be relevant, Gadaffi claims that he contributed to Sarkozys electoral campaign: http://www.rttnews.com/Content/GeneralNews.aspx?Id=1577508&SM=1

• [microdot]

  When Sarko first started to make his diplomatic moves, the recognition of the Rebel Government, his cynical intentions wer very obvious to many French. Of course, he is playing to the general population and appealing to their patriotism. Unfortunately, Sarko seems to have come down with the “shit finger” syndrome. Everything he does lately to manipulate opinion backfires horribly.
  He is a great politician in the sense that he can manipulate and campaign, but is incapable of governing. The horrible upshot is that his true political stance is more Belusconiesque and his top aides are more in the vein of right wing fascists. The constant manipulation of racial and immigration issues has backfired and only empowered the extreme right. Frankly, I am more than a little leary of openly writing criticism of Sarkozy for fear of web monitoring and retaliation.
  In the cantonal elections yesterday, this was very apparent. The good side is that right now, France is very occupied with environmental issues and the disaster in Japan has only discredited the governments whole hearted unquestioning stance of nuclear energy. Everyone remembers the great government deception regarding the nuclear contamination from Chernobyl here.
  The real concern with social and economic issues, the trashing of unions and social programs coupled with the spector of race baiting managed to keep a lot of the voters at home, but the Socialists and Greens were the big winners, with a strong showing by the extreme right Front National and a real trouncing of the UMP (Sarko’s Party).
  Here in our little commune, the UMP candidate actually had the party logo on his posters, but he was a new comer no one had heard of before, a sacrificial lamb who will be forgotten.
  The Communist party had printed little stickers that they were putting on the stealth UMP candidate posters for “TRUTH IN MARKETNG”!
  Frankly, Sarko may rise in the polls, but reality will set in very soon and as usual, the shitfinger syndrome will wreak its vengeance.

• [Anonymous]

  This is totally true (i’m french). They even change the colors sometimes or put it on posters but reaaaally small. Ridiculous.

• [turn_self_off]

  Ah, the politics of politics…

• [phillamb168]

  My concern is that FN is going to be getting all the people who might otherwise have voted for Sarko. This happened a few years ago when Le Pen somehow won through the equivalent of the primaries here. Chirac was able to trounce him in the General, but it opened a lot of peoples’ eyes. For a US example, imagine the Green Party suddenly having a candidate in the general presidential election, causing a Repub/Green or Green/Dem election. Green/Dem, now that would be a nice thing to have. But anyway, it’s a concern here, because Jean-Marie’s daughter, Marie, is not nearly as much of an openly racist asshole as her father and really knows how to work the media. But she’s still just as dangerous.

  Funny side note, one of Sarko’s cabinet members recently made a gaffe saying something to the effect of, “Immigration is destroying France.” Le Pen held a press conference soon afterward where she announced she was giving him an honorary membership in the FN. It’s going to be an interesting election year.

  Also note to guy above: “Viva” is Spanish. “Vive” is French.

• [Don Speekingleesh]

  The same happened in the recent Irish general election. Many Fianna Fail party (the administration that ruined the country) candidates either didn’t mention the party in their material or had tiny logos.

• [Deidzoeb]

  See also 2010 state and local campaign signs in Michigan. I noticed signs for candidates from both sides left off their party affiliation. Must have been intentional.