We've had lots of heady discussions over the last couple of days in Paris. We've talked about and around presidential politics, immigration, education, trade policy, France and the EU, France and the US, France and global economics, and even freedom fries.

Just to get it out of the way…everyone, and I'm speaking of the American Marshall Fellows, seem to agree that freedom fries were a poorly cooked idea that sat under a heat lamp a little too long, and should have been discarded.

Seriously though, we’ve had the opportunity to engage some truly brilliant people and it has been fun and challenging. I’ve also come to understand that we have some pretty brilliant folks from the US on this trip. We are well represented and I’m honored to be in such company.

France is in the midst of an election, and the time to choose is imminent (at least for the first round, as French elections consist of two rounds). Unfortunately, the consensus seems to be no matter who wins (Sarkozy, Royal, or the upstart Bayrou) the status quo will be pretty much unchanged as inertia is tough to overcome. See the links to their web sites.

It impresses me much like US politics in that many people believe no matter who wins things will pretty much stay the same.  This was certainly a theme in most of our meetings.

One thing that is strange to me is the approach to election process. There is very little TV, radio, or newspaper advertising. I’ve also only seen three election posters, and they were all for the same candidate on one street corner on Rue de Bac. The whole system seems so…er, civilized.  I want my attack ads, well, not really. 

Whatever they are doing it works as France averages 70 – 75% voter turn out according the folks we spoke with. This compares to the roughly 50% turn out we get in the US for a competitive presidential election cycle.

I’ve found that the folks we’ve talked with have been very friendly and warm, but they parry a conversation with the deft skill of Zoro. As soon as I think I am close to getting a firm answer, here comes the zig, zag, bob, weave, duck, and turn. Ultimately I stand defeated, surrendering to the superior will to remain non-committal. It is truly an art that bears more study.  I harbor no ill will, but actually a great respect for the protection of privacy.

Check out the great pictures of all the people we met. They refer to the  well educated folks as  “Elites” in France.   I prefer to simply call them friends and I want to thank them for taking the time to talk with a Zebulon boy.

Next up…Hamburg, Germany.

Sprechen Sie Deutsch? Nein, Sprechen Sie Englisch? Ja, Geuten Tag!