The liberal French Daily, Le Monde, broke tradition and endorsed a candidate today for president in the upcoming U.S. election.
Citing "exceptional stakes" arising out of the events of Sept 11, Le Monde said that a victory for John Kerry was desirable "beyond the borders of the United States."
The endorsement reflects the sentiments of France. A poll commissioned by Le Monde last week showed only 16 percent of French respondents wanting George W. Bush to win, versus 72 percent for Kerry.
"Even the countries which supported the U.S. war in Iraq would be happier with a more mainstream type of president in Washington, one who would be more acceptable to all the Europeans," Guillaume Parmentier, director of the Center on the United States at the French Institute of International Relations, told Cybercast News Service.
Le Monde's endorsement said President Bush "exploits fear of new attacks" while asking for four more years to conclude his "world war against terrorism." Kerry was praised for his "internationalist" vision of the world, his experience in Vietnam and the force of convictions shown in the three presidential debates.
