British LBC radio presenter Nick Abbott explains the Tory lock on governance in the UK like this: During elections, factions on the Left wrestle each other to the ground in feuds over ideological purity. Meanwhile, the monolithic Right, comprised of a minority bent only on retaining power, steps nimbly over them into office time and again. It evokes Will Rogers’ famous quip: I am not a member of any organized political party. I am a Democrat.

The French may be challenging this paradigm.

For the first time since 1997, France’s major left-wing parties put aside their differences and ran a single slate of candidates. The coalition, known as NUPES, for Nouvelle Union Populaire Écologique et Sociale, soared last week… Shrewdness and an instinct for self-preservation are two of the biggest factors making unity possible… The coalition needs its base to turn out in much greater numbers than it did in the first round — which featured historically low participation across the board — but especially among low-income voters and young people. If these groups do deliver a majority to NUPES, the effects would be truly seismic.

(Cole Stangler, “Something Extraordinary Is Happening in France,” NYTimes, 6-16-22)

Allez-y in Texas dialect is “Get after it!”

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