Absent A Terrorist Attack, Marine Le Pen Is Poised To Lose French Presidency

Writing for The Daily Beast, Christopher Dickey says definitively that "barring an act of God or ISIS, or a massive vote for the mysterious Monsiur Blanc", it is near certain that France will dodge a right-wing bullet, electing 39-year-old centrist candidate Emmanuel Macron and not far-right, nationalist-socialistic candidate Marine Le Pen as France's next president. 

The two candidates faced off in their one and only debate on Wednesday night, in which instant polls declared Macron the winner 60%-40%. If Macron is elected on Sunday, his victory represents a huge roadblock in what threatened to be a wave of nativism and populism sweeping Europe after Britain's Brexit vote.  

In America, Trump's Steve Bannon will not be happy if his candidate Le Pen loses. Her loss would also represent a huge setback for Russian President Vladimir Putin and promises one less headache for German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who is looking steady -- if not totally secure -- on her own road to re-election in September. 

Both candidates are taking a hard line on terrorism, although a large-scale attack in the next three days could deliver a win to Marine Le Pen. Dickey describes the debate and Le Pen's catty references to Macron's significantly-older wife and his former teacher:

On questions of economic nationalism, Le Pen repeatedly fell short as Macron, a policy wonk, demanded specifics that she was hard pressed to deliver. Her key pitch to withdraw from the common currency, for instance, became a muddle of francs and ecus and euros that might have evoked nostalgia in some, but provoked a sense of incompetence and chaos among others.

When Le Pen felt herself stumbling, she tried to goad Macron, laughing at him, shaking her head, and tossing out thinly veiled insults and allusions to his private life. At one point she accused him of “playing student and professor,” a smug reference to the fact he married his high-school drama teacher, who is 24 years older than he is. (Yes, there are some amorous anomalies floating around Macron, but this is France: His wife is very attractive, he jokes about his rumored homosexual liaisons—which the Russian press wrote about at length but without substantiation—and few people care.)

Indeed, Le Pen’s Trumpian penchant for nastiness, which plays well with her traditional base, served her very poorly in the debate.

Hillary Clinton Slams Trump Administration's Assault On Women's Reproductive Health

Hillary Clinton, speaking at the 100th anniversary gala honoring Planned Parenthood on Tuesday, slammed "groups of men" in Washington, DC who are deciding the future of women's health protections. Everyone in the room knew she was talking about the men of the Trump administration and now the anti-women lieutenants like Teresa Manning and Charmaine Yoest, hired to rollback women's health advancements over the last 50 years. 

The event was a star-studded affair. Clinton spoke after actress Meryl Streep (she met with Streep earlier in the day, a spokesman said) and producer Shonda Rhimes. Comedian and actress Tina Fey, comedian and actor Ed Helms and top Clinton donor and producer Harvey Weinstein were also in attendance.

While urging action, Clinton also pushed the attendees to try to understand the people who disagree with Planned Parenthood.

"After decades of arguing back and forth, I think it's safe to say that people of goodwill and good faith will continue to view this issue differently," she said. "So, yes, I believe we can and should respect the deeply held beliefs of our friends, our neighbors, our fellow citizens, even when they differ from our own. That's part of what should make America America."

The event was a star-studded affair. Clinton spoke after actress Meryl Streep, who she met with earlier in  the day, and producer Shonda Rhimes. Comedian and actress Tina Fey, comedian and actor Ed Helms and top Clinton donor and producer Harvey Weinstein were also in attendance.

While urging action, Clinton also pushed the attendees to try to understand the people who disagree with Planned Parenthood.

"After decades of arguing back and forth, I think it's safe to say that people of goodwill and good faith will continue to view this issue differently," the Democratic presidential candidate said. "So, yes, I believe we can and should respect the deeply held beliefs of our friends, our neighbors, our fellow citizens, even when they differ from our own. That's part of what should make America America."

However, Clinton added, activists should "never back down from our commitment to defend the ability of every woman to make these deeply personal decisions for herself."

Hillary closed her speech with a reference to "The Handmaid's Tale," a new Hulu show based on the 1985 book by Margaret Atwood where women's rights in a dystopian future erode.

"The show has prompted important conversation about women's rights and autonomy. In 'The Handmaid's Tale,' women's rights are gradually, slowly stripped away. As one character says, 'We didn't look up from our phones until it was too late,'" Clinton said. "It's not too late for us, but we have to encourage the millions of women and men who support Planned Parenthood's mission to keep fighting."

Trumps Launch Full Assault On International Programs That Benefit Women & Girls

The Trump family double teamed their lies about women's rights with the proposed elimination of Hillary Clinton's Global Women's Issues Office, a State Department office that fights for the rights of women all over the world, with a special focus on defending those who are in the most precarious and vulnerable situations in impoverished countries.

This office is far more than a do-gooder initiative, which is clearly how one of both Trumps see its mission.  How ironic that this news broke hours after Ivanka Trump tried to persuade a skeptical audience in Berlin that her father is a "tremendous champion of supporting families and enabling them to thrive." In fact, most terrorism experts and the highest ranks of the US military know that women's empowerment programs are vital for America's national security.  Women Are the Best Weapon in the War Against Terrorism wrote Foreign Policy in this 2015 article. When we heard Trump declare that he has no interest in soft power, we knew the Global Women's Issues Office was on the chopping block. Just as the cuts to preventive medical care and birth control for women will enhance greater risks of terrorism, the inability of the Trump team to educate themselves on the opinions of their own generals on this matter is reckless and puts America at increased risks for decades. 

In her recent Georgetown speech, Hillary Clinton reminded us that women's rights are the first targets of fundamentalists. AOC reminds us that Hillary is correct and that -- no matter what Ivanka Trump has to say -- Washington DC is also in the hands of the most conservative administration in decades. Cutting back women's rights is their prime objective as well.

Note that many Senators -- including Republican senators -- do not abide by these deep cuts in the State Department. So we can't say for certain if the office will actually be abolished in the end, since it is their decision about how to fund the government, not Trump's. Still, the so-called support for women by the Trump administration is a joke. 

The Global Women's Issues Office did survive the short-term funding bill passed over the weekend to keep the government running. It's the 2018 budget negotiations that will be critical. 

In a related matter, CNN sent thinking women's tempers flaring yesterday with news that the Trump administration intends to discontinue 'Let Girls Learn', Michelle Obama's signature girls education initiative. CNN reported on an internal memo of Trump's intention to end the program which includes leadership camps, mentorship programs, school libraries and other resources intended to help 62 million adolescent girls attend and stay in school. The White House says the program has not changed, but did not say whether it would be maintained in the future or why the memo was sent.

AOC has reported on Michelle Obama's work for 'Let Girls Learn' and also her 2016 trip with CNN and the documentary 'We Will Rise'. 

Read: In Trump's Plan to Gut Foreign Aid, Battle Lines Drawn Over Global Women's Issues Foreign Policy