Strauss-Kahn’s Political Future Getting Dimmer by the Day

Despite speculation that the French presidential race might have an intriguing new entrant, a poll taken in the country that Dominique Strauss-Kahn should rule out running in the election.

A Thursday poll indicated that two-thirds of the French populace are against a potential Strauss-Kahn candidacy.

The survey, conducted by OpinionWay and published by Le Figaro Magazine, showed that 65 percent of respondents opposed SJ running for president. An even greater portion (74 percent) does not think he would run anyway.

Prior to his arrest in New York on rape charges, Strauss-Kahn was widely considered the leading Socialist candidate for next April’s presidential run-off – and likely to beat the incumbent Nicholas Sarkozy.

However, even now that the sexual assault case against the former IMF chief case has collapsed, a Strauss-Kahn candidacy is very far from a sure thing.

Even some of his Socialist supporters have backed off from their efforts to entice Strauss-Kahn to run.

Socialist Party spokesman Benoit Hamon even said that the thought of Strauss-Kahn jumping into the race was the weakest of all possible options for his future.

It may not even be logistically possible for Strauss-Kahn to run, even if he wanted to. Presidential candidates in France have to submit their names for consideration by July 13 – Strauss-Kahn has another court hearing on July 18.

Moreover, Strauss-Kahn is facing another serious obstacle in France – a Frenchwoman named Tristane Banon just filed a complaint against him for attempted rape over an incident that occurred eight years ago.