[GermanBusiness]

Anyone in tune with the German elections care to put in their observations?

[The KG9 Kid]

"... The Communists are having a temper tantrum like the Naderites in 2000. They want to sacrifice this election in order to destroy the center-left Schroeder and Joschke Fischer who only talked about being anti-American."

Here's what 'Center-Left' means in Germany:

(Photo: Helmeted young radical Joschka Fischer beating a policeman in Frankfurt during the 'German Student Union' street battles of 1968)

To be acknowledged as truly left-wing in Germany, it's apparently not enough that Joschka Fischer organized a violent nationwide Marxist student revolt, worked in the 'Karl Marx Bookstore' in Frankfurt, got an assembly job at Opel for the express purpose of starting a union designed to seize control of the company, travelled abroad to lend support for the PLO in 1969, and is now trying to mediate a resolution between the Greens and Communists to retain control of the country he's been the second-longest serving Foreign Minister of.

Nowadays, the left throws paint balloons at him signifying blood on his hands for allowing German troops to be sent to Afghanistan while Al-Jazeerah's editorials call him a Jew-loving Zionist.

What's a committed communist gotta do to get some credit over there?

[shield]

Darn it...look what elections do with a voting public/citizens...they have the right to redirect their government when that government is screwing up royally. LOL...I love it. The pendulum swings right...

That right swing is happening all over...it's starting to swing even in the commie infested left loon land of Hollyweirdo.

[xp38]

Ah...so the Porsche boycott will soon be over?

[Billthedrill]

Do you think that given the resistance that Schroeder has had to his own modest reform package, that the trade unions and the unemployed will allow a conservative government to enact their own without major social unrest? I ask because as we have seen in the U.S., one major component of protest isn't against policy at all but against the fact that they lost the last election. This form of protest is entirely unamenable to compromise and deliberately subversive to the sitting administration. Would you expect this in Germany as well?

[GOPGuide]

"Anyone in tune with the German elections care to put in their observations?"

Yeah I do.

I've been following the election since it was announced in in May. The most recent three polls show Merkel with either a 1% point lead, a .1% lead or an exact tie.

Before the Sept 4th debate, the CDU-FDP had held a narrow but steady lead for over 2 weeks. But Schroder had a good debate performance and his SPD briefly took the lead. But the 3 most recent polls show that the debate effect is wearing off (Just like it does in the US after the Presidential debates).

Schroder will continue to lose support as the effect of the debate wears off and The CDU/CSU-FDP wins over Linke-SPD-Grune by at least 1.5% points on election day.

[FFforFreedom]

Thanks! That's a great article.

Quote:
The only danger is that the SPD/Greens/Communists end up with their current 48% winning the day combined against a low turnout for conservative voters or super Kerry style turnout for liberals. Then Schroeder could remain Chancellor if he actually allied with the commies...which is entirely possible! Quote:

If the labor and leftist based Socialist/Communist parties successfully create a viable third party in the U.S., Conservatives would enjoy the same success.

Maybe this is why they are bent on taking over the Democratic Party instead of running as Socialists.

[TheClintons-STILLAnti-American]

"The American left is going to be squealing like a pig...or more likely ignoring the situation as the Germans elect a pro-Bush government, possibly by a landslide in Sunday's national elections."

My knee-jerk response?

Praise God for some sign of sanity in the rest of the world.

[Gamecock]

I am living in the Southwest corner of Germany, in the state of Rhineland-Pfalz, and will offer the following observations:

-People want a change. The unemployment rate (5,000,000+) is killing them. The major parties are running on an economic reform/job creation platform.

-Most German's hot button issues are
a)high taxes (Regular unleaded gas costs $6.12 a gallon, about 5.00 is tax.)
b)a desire to maintain a nanny state (I don't see how you can reconcile a with b.)
c) unemployment
d) the continuing cost of reintegrating the East
e) immigration, specifically the benefits given to ethnic Germans wanting back into Germany from Russia, Poland, Romania, etc

-The man on the street feels like the candidates/parties are indistinguishable. They don't feel like either party has the interests of the normal guy in mind.

I think it will tilt towards the CDU.

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