The first round of voting in the French presidential election looms on April 22. One of the three leading candidates, Nicolas Sarkozy, has been blunt about the need to preserve French culture, has called Muslim "youth" rioters "scum", and has opposed the admission of Turkey to the EU. Accordingly, he has earned enmity of many residents of the high rise housing estate slums surrounding most French cities.According  to the strategic analysis firm Oxford Analytical, Sarkozy is likely to win:The first round of voting is on April 22. Conservative Sarkozy and his center-left rival Royal should proceed to the second round on May 6, when all but one pollster predicts a Sarkozy victory. Other factors indicate the likelihood of a Sarkozy victory, namely: --the consistency of his polling lead; --his overall credibility; --the Right's overall lead in first-ballot support; --the firmness of his support within his own party; and --the firmness of his support among the...(Read Full Post)