We Hear You: ‘Illuminating,’ ‘Thoughtful’ Reporting on France’s Presidential Election

Ken McIntyre / May 21, 2017

Editor’s note: We get a fair amount of passionate comment addressed to or about Nolan Peterson, The Daily Signal’s Ukraine-based foreign correspondent. When Peterson traveled to France to cover the final days of the French presidential election campaign, his reporting attracted your attention. Here’s a sample at the top of the mailbag.—Ken McIntyre

Dear Daily Signal: Nolan Peterson’s reporting on the French presidential election is illuminating (“French Malaise Over Election Cuts Across Party Lines”). Makes one wonder if Russia was willing to do everything in its power to influence the election in favor of Marine Le Pen.

Emmanuel Macron, the eventual winner, is not exactly going down the “conservative” road, but seems at least interested in keeping Putin’s Russia at a “safe” distance. What a mess over in France.—Steven P. Bowman

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I hope to read more of Nolan Peterson’s thoughtful if, well, somewhat right-of-center—rather than fully objective—reporting (“Uninspired French Voters Choose a ‘Centrist’ President Over Far-Right One”). That said, he writes well and captures details with a good observational sense.—Rik Myslewski

In “France’s Election Is Also a Crossroads for Europe,” Nolan Peterson writes of the eventual winner: “Macron has also proposed creating rehabilitation centers for radicalized French citizens returning from embattled regions in the Middle East—to show them that another life is possible after a life of radicalization or jihadism.”

Yup, that’ll do it! Those wacky jihadists will see the error of their ways and begin worshiping Jesus. Despite massive failures of every one of the left’s policies, they continue to believe that evil can actually be “rehabilitated.”

Back in the 1960s, when my then-husband worked at a prison, I met with a group of activists who were fighting for such programs within the prison. Well, they got them in and the inmates all attended the meetings, sitting attentively and nodding their heads. On their way back to their cells, they were laughing and mocking the “do-gooders” who didn’t have a clue that the only reason they attended was to get out of their cells for a couple of hours.

The left continues to demonstrate their total insanity by doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. I like to call it the “Isn’t it pretty to think so” mentality. That’s the last line in Hemingway’s “The Sun Also Rises.” Read the book and you’ll understand the quote.

Oh, and does Macron plan to have windows in those rehabilitation centers so they can watch as innocent French citizens are blown to pieces while they’re all singing the French version of “We Are the World”?—Barbara Sprogna

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Nolan Peterson’s May 1 article on France’s presidential election campaign was the most amazing I’ve read on this topic (“France’s Election Is Also a Crossroads for Europe”). I feel as though I’ve just had a college course in current and past events of this region.

I pray that God will bless those who have the weight of decisions of this magnitude on their shoulders in helping or prepare to help those who are vulnerable to tyrants and murders. I feel confidence and pride in the brilliance of those in charge of our defense.—Doris McClellan

Really appreciated Nolan Peterson’s article, “France’s Election Is Also a Crossroads for Europe.” Nicely done! I think it was a fair approach and information that is simply all distorted and twisted other places I’ve seen. Thank you.—Guy Gruters

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I want to thank Nolan Peterson for his article, “France’s Election Is Also a Crossroads for Europe.” It is clear and concise. May he stay safe. —Catherine

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“The aim of Americans is to start a war in Europe to push NATO to the Russian border,” French presidential candidate Marine Le Pen stated, according to Nolan Peterson’s report (“In France’s Presidential Election, the Intersecting Consequences of Islamist Terrorism and Russian Aggression”).

Apparently she has no memory of who liberated France when the Germans crossed the French border. Obviously Le Pen believes that Russia is a better ally than the U.S.—Jerry Zacny

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May God keep Nolan Peterson protected with his holy angels. I thank him for sharing the truth. I thank him for his service and say, “You are a special man.”—Liz Maculsay

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Thanks to Nolan Peterson for his insightful journalism.—Larry Hopkins 

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As a Franco-American, this saddens me (“Uninspired French Voters Choose a ‘Centrist’ President Over Far-Right One”). France has chosen a lapdog of the corrupt political elite and the liberal media. Emmanuel Macron will subjugate the needs of France under the thumb of German Chancellor Angela Merkel and the European Union.

There will be more immigrants flooding in from Muslim countries. There will be more terror attacks—and soon. More French blood will be spilled in the streets. Triste! La France ne peut pas se sauver.

The media tried to make Marine Le Pen look bad. But she was all in for France.—J.A. Lessard

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What is it that makes Marion Le Pen so “far right?” Is it that she is against unrestrained immigration, which has been such an utter bane to France? Is it that she doesn’t support work weeks limited to 35 hours, or 32, and that make France so embarrassingly noncompetitive? Or is it that she’s just not a blatant socialist—a system that is such a friend to the European community?

And how is the European Union such a wonderful deal for France? Because they can nurse their economic woes with the help of Germany? What good are a bunch of anonymous bureaucrats in Belgium doing France? Not much, I am sure. So Le Pen is probably not so far right. She’s just not a half-witted lefty.—Brad Gillespie

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I very much appreciated Sharyl Attkisson’s reporting on “fake science” posted on The Daily Signal (“The Growing Problem of ‘Fake Science’”). I am a retired molecular geneticist who was a professor and active researcher for 40 years.

My research was funded by the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes for Health. Both are excellent supporters of scientific research, along with other federal agencies. Nonetheless, the federal science support system is subject to interference by political ideologies in a manner similar to the interference by pharmaceutical companies that Attkisson describes.

The bias comes from the scientists who serve on the peer review panels of the granting agencies and the journal reviewers. If your work does not conform to the political bias, you do not get funded and your papers are not accepted in the best journals. Attkisson touches on this in her article, but I believe it is worth another article.

The second “fake science” source is the media. Sadly, much of this is because journalists are biased evaluators of the scientific literature. They have politicized science regarding issues like climate change that support the liberal progressive agenda. The basic tenets of the scientific method have been undermined by journalists and biased scientists in order to manipulate the public—Corinne A. Michels, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor Emerita, Queens College

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Interesting report by Sharyl Attkisson on “fake science.” My question: How much of this type of fraud also applies to some climate change research?—Burton P. Brodt, DuPont Technology Fellow (retired)

Accountability Goes Absent in Student Loans

Dear Daily Signal: Thanks to Mary Clare Reim for her commentary on the problems with the student loan program (“Betsy DeVos Says We Should ‘Start Fresh’ on Higher Ed. Here’s Where to Begin”). Now that the federal government has gotten so involved, it’s a nightmare.

How many private sector banks have now exited the student loan market? When the federal government starts competing against the private sector, the feds are going to win because it’s not a level playing field. The feds regulate too.

Private banks rates are going to reflect the market. Federal rates generally are specified, and may require congressional or regulatory action to change.

Current “Parent PLUS” loans assign a loan-servicing agency. People have no choice. Accountability is almost totally absent. A text message is sent when a withdrawal is made. There is no communication between student and parent. Parents get almost no communication on the loans.

This is all part of the Obama nightmare. If we had good jobs, we would not have to get these federal loans. Obama created a nanny state, with extreme reliance on the government. It’s easier for the government to control you that way.—Kathleen Goryl

We should ‘start fresh’ on higher ed, @BetsyDeVosED says. Where to start, per @Mary_Clare21: https://t.co/FRzFbBBxoW @DailySignal

— Ken McIntyre (@KenMac55) May 13, 2017

The Feds and the Opioid Drug Crisis

Dear Daily Signal: I have interest in finding a way to be a part of maintaining our freedoms and liberties that blood has and is being shed for. One of my biggest outrages at the moment is this nationwide government intrusion, over opioids, into the lives of hardworking Americans.

Quality of life without pain and being a responsible working person is being trampled by a bunch of idiots that know nothing about addiction, recovery, or the need for quality of life. I guarantee you the people that are being hurt are the construction workers, the plumbers, those in the back-breaking jobs that cripple people who have to work past the point of retirement just to survive.

Trust me, if a drug addict wants to get high he or she is going to use heroin, meth, cocaine, whatever it takes to change the way they feel. The Drug Enforcement Administration is violating the HIPAA law [Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act] to tell trained specialists what their patients need. It is a freaking lie that they can control people.

The people being hurt are the responsible patients who obey the rules, pass the drug test, and need help to continue work. What this government intrusion will do is send law-abiding citizens to the dope man’s house for basic survival.

And what does New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie know, other than he had a friend overdose? Good Lord help us! And Christie is the head of the new government commission.  We need to use people who have been there, not a bunch of bureaucrats. Insanity.—Judy Thatche

The Border Wall

Dear Daily Signal: Recent figures show drug-related deaths have increased again. Drugs are coming from or through our southern border. We want the wall started, as a symbol we care and a first barrier to slow drugs down.

Congress obviously doesn’t care. Americans do care. It is looking like independent representatives will do very well in 2018.—Sam Victor

Some Story Tips

Dear Daily Signal: Some subjects that I believe would be good stories: Why so many people are attracted to the drama that the Democratic Party uses as propaganda to oppose commonsense policies that would improve life for all in America. Examples of lack of common sense by Democratic Party members. How Kim Jong Un, Vladimir Putin, and Bashar Assad maintain their leadership positions.—Pete McNally

How Are We Doing?

Just letting you know: I deeply appreciate The Daily Signal writers/reporters and their contributions. If only everyone was as reasonable and forthright.—Ginny McKenzie

Keep up the excellent work you do.—Dolores Noel 

All 534 members of Congress should have the same health care plan that they propose all 300 million-plus Americans have.—Dick Allen

Kudos. Doing well.—Robert Kroning

I know you are not full-service news media, but I would like to have more background information that I could trust. Things I find on the internet are always slanted.—Virginia Wallace

Keep up the good work.—Ken Oxley 

You ass—-s need to pack up and go to Russia. Your lives are in danger the longer you stay.—John Macki

To all at The Daily Signal: Good news reporting. Great job.—Steve Ryan