Welcome to charm school
Lagarde, by contrast, creates an almost surreal aura of veneration. This is combined with a nuanced command of English, a precise intellect and unnerving stamina. People talk about Lagarde with admiration that borders on hero worship. She "radiates charm", she "oozes respect"; she's described variously as intelligent, beautiful, upstanding and elegant. In short, they usually conclude, elle a de la classe.
Ice cool, and radiates class.
Quite a difference from a sex crazed libertine; to say the least.
Everything one could aspire to be....apart from the underlying politics, old school East Coast Republican is about as close as the US equivalent comes. If she ran for president ...now that would be interesting.
She would give even President Obama a run for his money in intelligence and charm, and is the same breed of technocrat.
A role model perhaps, and I don't think we will have any scandals anywhere near her tenure.
A fiscal conservative, perhaps too much so, but then again in France we have better social protection already in place to absorb the austerity measures. Unemployment in the 20 to 30 group is totally unacceptable; but things here are getting slowly better.
Less socially maladroit than Sarkozy; and when he fails I think she will take his place as the leader of the right, definitely of the Dominique de Villepin mold of elitist politicians; but far from being of the scary lePen breed that resembles the "U.S.tea party" in so many ways.
For me it would be a political disagreement and all the healthier for that since no fear and loathing is present.
Respect in both directions even in disagreement works for me.
10:44 AM PT: Christiane Amanpour interviews Christine Lagarde [wont embed]
http://www.youtube.com/...