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Political Play of the Week

Voting for a better choice

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Are the fascists taking over in France?

That's what you might think from the reaction to the first round of French presidential elections this week. But you may be surprised to find out who really won those elections -- and who gets "le jeu politique de la semaine."

For democracy to work, you have to be able to throw the bums out.

But in this year's race for president of France, the two leading candidates were both incumbents: President Jacques Chirac, a conservative; and Prime Minister Lionel Jospin, a socialist.

And, a lot of voters thought, both bums. They've been governing France together for five years now, in an arrangement the French call -- oh, those naughty French -- "cohabitation."

"It's clear that the masters of the game in France are too old, and they are not adapted to the present situation," French political analyst Philippe Moreau Defarges said.

The present situation is that French voters are worried about crime. So what's a disgruntled voter to do?

Look at the results of last Sunday's primary.

Chirac came in first, with just 20 percent of the vote: hardly a vote of confidence in the incumbent. Jospin came in third, with 16 percent. He later announced he would "retire from political life."

The sensation was the second-place finisher: Jean-Marie Le Pen, an unsavory character from the extreme right with a reputation for bigotry. Europe was outraged, but Le Pen will now face Chirac in the May 5 runoff.

Le Pen came in second in last Sunday's balloting and won a place in the runoff.

Remember how shocked Americans were when Pat Buchanan won the New Hampshire primary in 1996? Imagine if Buchanan had won the Republican nomination. Now you understand how many French people feel.

But the real winner was not Le Pen. His 17 percent showing was only a couple of points better than he did the last two times he ran.

The big winner was the record 28 percent of French voters who abstained -- a lot more than voted for any candidate.

The polls predicted Chirac and Jospin would go into the run-off. By refusing to vote, what many French voters said on Sunday was "Give us better choices.'' The abstainers threw the system into turmoil, and they made their point -- a choice between two discredited incumbents and a bunch of extremists is no choice at all.

That's the message, and it's the political Play of the Week.