France: Challenger, Front and Center

They laughed three weeks ago when French pollsters predicted that Charles de Gaulle's referendum would go down to defeat. Les psephologistes, of course, had the last laugh. So when Le Figaro last week published the first public-opinion survey showing preferences for De Gaulle's successor, candidates and voters paid close attention. As expected, Gaullist ex-Premier Georges Pompidou led the field, the choice of 42% of those queried. What was surprising was that close behind him, with a hefty 35% of the vote, came Interim President Alain Poher. The showing made the still undeclared Poher...

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