Just back from Soissons, a town about 60 miles northeast of Paris, for a look at the Sego phenomenon. Segolene Royal is on phase two of her bid to become France's first woman president. Phase one was becoming a media star. That is in the can. Now comes the task of winning the Socialist nomination. I think she is a shoo-in. They loved her up in Soissons. Maybe that is too strong. Many in the audience of Socialist activists were frankly suspicious of her "liberalism". But even these sceptics said they would vote for her. Why? Because she is a woman, because she is new, and because she can win. Think of all the ambitious local politicians who dream of being swept to office on her coat-tails. They know they won't stand half as much chance behind some old bore like Jack Lang. So if you ask me ideology will go out the window, and they'll pick their meal-ticket. The staggering thing about Sego is that she really is stunning to look at. Imagine a hall full of sturdy locals from the Aisne department: all five-foot-nothing in supermarket jeans, and dumpy ladies in flowery tops. In walks this veritable looker. She is like a willow in a stunted hedgerow. As the man next to me said - I know I'm not supposed to say it , but she is beautiful -- and it does matter." By the way look in on Sego's doings at her website www.desirsdavenir.org