WI Georges Bidault dressed better?

In his book *Bourgeois Politics in France 1945-51*, (Cambridge University Press 1995), Richard Vinen writes (p. 163) about Georges Bidault, a leader of the right wing of the Christian Democratic MRP (and later a conspirator against De Gaulle for his "betrayal" of Algerie Francaise) that various characteristics of Bidault put off many who might have supported him, including his "untidiness":

"Michelet claimed that when Bidault had been a teacher, a pupil had sarcastically offered to sew on one of his buttons...Attention to sartorial detail might sound a ludicrously trivial matter to discuss alongside serious political matters, but French right-wingers (whose formative experiences had been in strict Jesuit schools and smart regiments) took such matters seriously. Bidault's dress sense let him down again during the 1960s: General Massu justified his refusal to join the clandestine anti-Gaullist forces on the grounds that 'Bidault wore a coat with a fur lining.'" https://books.google.com/books?id=urcpK3my6CYC&pg=PA163

OK, so I finally got my POD for a successful anti-De Gaulle coup: Georges Bidault dresses better... :openedeyewink:
 
It's been a while since I looked at this era, but on its face surely there must be more to his lack of support than his dress sense? Humans are fickle yes, but it's not as if he was dating a manikin or something as outlandish as that.
 
OK, so I finally got my POD for a successful anti-De Gaulle coup: Georges Bidault dresses better... :openedeyewink:
This being France, your most likely PoD is a mistress who dresses him/insists he dress himself properly.

It's been a while since I looked at this era, but on its face surely there must be more to his lack of support than his dress sense? Humans are fickle yes, but it's not as if he was dating a manikin or something as outlandish as that.
Umm... 1) this is a spit-and-polish right wing military based movement. 2) appearances count. Look at how modern politicians are groomed and polished before any public appearances. 3) this is France ( :) )

Seriously, a socialist/anarchist type can get away with slovenliness (down with bourgeois and aristo rules). It's much harder for a right wing politician, especially one appealing to the military.
 
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