Could France Have Its First Gay President In the Near Future?

The 2008 US Presidential election could be by far the most historic in modern-day let alone US history itself. But, it is very historical in regards to the Democratic Party itself. While the Democratic race is still going on, there are two frontrunners that have remained strong throughout the race.

One is Senator Hillary Clinton of New York, former first lady and wife to former US President Bill Clinton. She is the first female presidential frontrunner. However, there is still a possibility that Clinton could pull an upset victory over her fellow frontrunner.

Clinton’s fellow frontrunner and rival for the Democratic nomination is Senator Barack Obama of Illinois. Obama is the first multi-racial and African-American frontrunner. There is a strong chance that Obama could be the first African-American president in United States history.

If Obama does end up winning the presidency, there is one question to be asked: Can you imagine the first African-American president embracing the first gay French president? One could ask: Why am I asking such a question?

The answer is, France is possibly not that far from having its first gay president. Currently Bertrand Delanoe, the Mayor of Paris has his sights set towards the French presidency. Despite his sexual orientation, Delanoe is very popular, successful, and well-liked.

While it does seem that Delanoe may have a strong chance of running against current French President Nicholas Sarkozy, there are still obstacles he must get past. In the case of the US Presidential race, let alone the US Democratic race, there has been the obstacle of gender and race.

In Delanoe’s case, this obstacle is one of sexual preference. Some in the blogosphere talked about how Delanoe cannot ignore homophobia on the left and right sides of the political spectrum. But, the opinion polls contrast. They put Delanoe in a more positive light.

Over half the people that took such polls felt that Delanoe would make a good president, with sexual preference put aside. Despite his sexuality, Delanoe merits speak for themselves.

In regards, we could possibly see France having its first gay president in the near future. So far it seems that his merits have outweighed criticisms towards his sexual preference. We could possibly see France’s first gay president.