Zemmour no more

The much talked-about French Presidential candidate is collapsing, and it's not entirely because of Russia.

One day you’re the presidential candidate everyone is talking about, setting the agenda and attracting attention from far beyond your country’s borders, climbing in the polls and making people wonder about you pulling off an earth-shattering upset.

The next day you’re just some shmoe working in a boîte factory.

Okay, maybe Eric Zemmour never really had a chance of winning the French Presidential election. Even at his peak he was well behind Macron, and polling data suggested that he’d be routed in a second-round head to head matchup. Instead of looking for work in the corrugated-cardboard industry, he’ll likely go back to his TV show and best-selling books once he realizes he will never, ever become President of the Republic.

Still, his collapse in the polls is striking:

Zemmour had been effusive in his praise for Vladmir Putin (and vice versa) and his numbers took a massive hit around the time Russia invaded Ukraine, so that’s what torpedoed his campaign, right?

Maybe in part. But