PUTIN COST Le PEN FRANCE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION: A TOXIC ASSOCIATION DID IT.

ICHEOKU says President Vladimir Putin's vagrant violation of the sanctity of Europe's long running peace, safety and security through his needless invasion of Ukraine has made him a pariah in the West. He is now so loathed in the West that anyone who is closely associated with him, even by a fathom of the imagination or necessary implication, stands to be shunned by the West as well. 

It is a problem which former President Donald John Trump is most likely to face in his reelection bid in 2024. The West is spooked and presently deathly afraid of the Russian strong man's erratic behavior, and they will punish anyone who reminds them of the reason and cause of their current state of trepidation and unbearable anxiety. 

Madam Marine Le Pen is the face of President Vladimir Putin to French people and they yoked her together with the Russia strongman as enemy of their peace, security and progress. They saw her as Putin and wanted to keep Putin as far away as possible frpm their Elysee Palace. But for Putin's scaring Europe, Madam Le Pen would have coasted through into the French presidential palace, the unpopularity of the boy-president who married his mother, considered. President Emmanuel Macron is not liked by the majority of French people and it showed in the percentage margin loss he suffered in this election, plunging down from his 2017's 66% to now 58% electoral win. 

President Vladimir Putin was the gravitational force which pulled down Madam Marine Le Pen and prevented her from surging into Elysee` Palace. He also helped propel President Emmanuel Macron to his second term reelection victory as many spooked French voters found succor in maintaining the course rather than cast their lot with a known Putin acolyte. Many too, who would ordinarily have voted for LePen decided to either sit out the election or cast anti-Putin's vote against her. Some who were planning not to vote at all or not to vote for Emmanuel Macron found themselves at the last minute, covering their nostrils to vote for him out of fear of Russia. 

French voters wanted a more assured pro European hand on the tiller of the French state who can continue to secure France and by extension the wider Europe from the unfolding aggression of President Vladimir Putin's Russia. French voters would rather trust someone who has already proved his anti Putin and pro Europe bona fides, rather than someone who is closely and inarguably a lackey of Putin. Someone whose policy objective was to withdraw France from Europe and move it closer to Vladimir Putin's Russia. Which right thinking person would not have voted as the French voters did when the security of France as well as the greater Europe is being threatened by Russia. 

So yes, President Emmanuel Macron won a second term and yes, it was with a big fight for his political life with Madame Marine LePen, the insurgent. But the result shows that Madame LePen really showed up in the fight for Elysee` Palace. Her spectacular performance, 41%, is a much improvement from her other previous runs for the office, an indication that she has gained more acceptability in France. Her position on issues and overall message resonated in France and the French would have voted her into office had it not been for the strategic blunder of President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine which violated the sanctity of entire Europe's security. 

If the result of the French presidential election is the canary in the coal mine, then American presidential election in 2024 might not afterall favor former President Donald John Trump as he makes a comeback bid for the White House. What derailed Madam Marine Le-Pen's quest in France might similarly puncture the former president's tires and stop him from reentering the White House and taking up residence there in 2024. He might be found guilty by association, of "sleeping with the enemy" of the West, by public opinion and many American voter will not readily vote for an acknowledged Putin's ally as president come 2024. 

It is therefore in the former president's 2024-comeback interest that the Ukraine war ends long before 2024. Unfortunately, it might not be the case as America is trying to impose its will on Russia and cause the Ukraine war to last as long as America desires, and possibly beyond 2024. America's stated objective in the war is now quite clear, to drastically degrade and weaken Russia in order to prevent it from imposing any future threat to its neighbors. To achieve this, America will need to stretch the war for as many years as possible, so that they can methodically bleed Russia into bankruptcy. Two years might not be enough to accomplish this, which means that the war will last beyond 2024 which will not be good for the former president's planned rerun for the White House. 

Madam Le Pen would have become the first elected female president of France. She has the presence and carriage and poise of a leader. She is affable and captivating, and would have easily been the France answer to former German Chancellor Angel Markle. ICHEOKU admires her and wishes her well, but she did not pass the Putin's smell test and was rejected by her French people due to her close association with Vladimir Putin, the butcher of Moscow. A thoughtless gnome whose reckless gamble in Ukraine spooked the entire European continent who now detest him and anyone identified or identifiable as his close associate. 

Madame Marine Le Pen's Putin's scarlet letter was the poison dart which thwarted her storied presidential ambition, which would have most likely come through in this election. Her Putin's madame sobriquet is a permanent stain on her reputation which will have a lasting effect on her electability as French president. In fact, she may not have another chance ever again at being elected president, as she has transitioned now to the France's equivalent of America's Hillary Clinton, always running for president but always being rejected by the people as simply unelectable. Speaking of when the gods are against someone and hounding their move every step of the way.

Anyway, despite her defeat, she had a successful outing with a very strong showing, capturing 41% of the total votes cast in the election. It was quite a remarkable feat but that is where the story ends as she is now completely done and out of any future contention. Looking for who to blame for her loss, she should look East, to the Kremlin, to see a bloody vampire named Vladimir Putin. It was Putin's aggression in Ukraine which pierced the peace and tranquility bubble of Europe and with it, swept Madame Le Pen off into the dustbin of history as the best female president which France never had nor will ever have. Hers was a case where association with somebody irrecoverably damages someone. Au revoir Madame Marine LePen. What a run!