MIKE MURPHY: I'm a right-wing Republican with a terrible secret.</s>MICHELE NORRIS, Host: This is commentator and media consultant Mike Murphy.</s>MIKE MURPHY: I like the way the French government monitors TV and radio newscasts with a stopwatch to make sure all the 12 candidates, including Frederique and his faithful companion, get exactly the same amount of coverage. Talk about fair and balanced.</s>TV: After seeing the system in action myself, I think I'll keep defending France, reminding my conservative pals that the French system works hard to give every candidate a fair and equal shot while giving French voters a democracy with real choices. That strikes me as American as the Statue of Liberty.</s>MICHELE NORRIS, Host: Mike Murphy is a writer and Republican media consultant.
A Republican who just returned from France got a good look at the French election process. He thinks the United States could learn a few things from our French friends.