Poll: French Voters Prefer DSK to Sarkozy

If French voters had to choose between Dominique Strauss-Kahn and Nicolas Sarkozy in next year's presidential election, the incumbent would be out of a job, a new poll finds. Some 54% would opt for the former IMF chief currently charged with attempted rape, according to the Independent, which notes that the result is almost certainly due to an "anyone but Sarko" sentiment instead of a surge of support for DSK—despite the hopes of his supporters.

Another poll found that 61% of French voters wouldn't want Strauss-Kahn to run for president even if he is cleared of charges of sexual assault and attempted rape. Even if the Socialist Party decides to extend the primary nomination deadline to give Strauss-Kahn a chance, the former front-runner would likely struggle to beat current and former party leaders Martine Aubry and Francois Hollande, the BBC notes. (More Nicolas Sarkozy stories.)