worried that with the President so unpopular, the economy sluggish, social issues raw, and

the left in power in many parts of France, the PS should have been doing far better in the
polls (to which, incidentally, French politicians and media pay far too much attention.) Of
course this was pre selection of a PS candidate. Many of the Socialists agreed with my
analysis that once they had chosen the candidate, they needed to unite behind that
candidate, resist their historic predilection for factionalism, run a campaign that was fresh,
energetic and based upon a programme totally focused on the future and one which
addressed people's concerns. They agreed too that the PS could no longer look down its
nose at communication, but had to see it not just as an essential element of campaigning,
but a democratic duty at a time when people have so many pressures on their lives and
living standards, and concerns about the world around them. But though they agreed with
the analysis, some worried about the Party’s capacity to deliver upon it. The fear of another
defeat ought to be enough, surely, to deliver on the first and essential part: unity. As
someone on the progressive side of the political divide, I continue to think the French left's
over intellectualisation of politics, its