Posted on 11/17/2016 11:04:25 PM PST by Cronos
President Barack Obama’s press conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday was a love fest, with Obama joking that Merkel would have his backing if he were a German voter.
Asked whether he would like to see Merkel run for re-election in 2017, Obama all but explicitly endorsed her candidacy.
“I try to make it a rule not to meddle in other people’s politics. All I can say is that Chancellor Merkel has been an outstanding partner,” Obama said at their joint appearance in Berlin.
“Chancellor Merkel is perhaps the only leader left among our closest allies that was there when I arrived,” he went on. “In some ways, we are now the veterans of many challenges over the last eight years.”
...“You know, if I were here and I were German and I had to vote, I might support her. But it’s ― I don’t know whether that hurts or helps,” he said, drawing laughter from the press pool.
(Excerpt) Read more at huffingtonpost.com ...
Obama endorsed Clinton and she lost when she wasn't supposed to.
Getting Obama's endorsement is like the kiss of death.
I guess Merkel will lose.
You would think Merkel would lose BIG time for what has happened over there.
Kiss o’ death.
Obama endorsing her re-election? Well that’s the kiss of death isn’t it?
He [Obama] went to Massachusetts to campaign against Scott Brown; Brown is now a senator. He went to New Jersey to campaign against Chris Christie, who is now governor. He went to Virginia to campaign against Bob McDonnell, who is now governor. He campaigned for the health care plan extensively; it became less popular. He campaigned in 2010 for the Democrats; they were shellacked. He began, in a sense, his presidency flying to Copenhagen to get Chicago the Olympics, Chicago is the first city eliminated. There is no evidence that the man has rhetorical powers that he’s relying on.”
- George Will
Some things to note about this “theme”.
1. Over the past month, while Merkel keeps hinting that she is considering another run....you find more and more CDU Party members (her party) from outside of the Berlin beltway, who absolutely want someone else to run.
2. Why is Merkel pressing on this idea? The gut feeling by Berlin players is that the CDU has no one groomed or ready...that can win. Of the top five possible replacements....two are retiring by the end of 2017 from politics. Two are identical in behavior to Merkel, and one just doesn’t hype up crowds with speeches. One distant but possible player is a Rheinland Pfalz CDU member (outside of the Berlin crowd) but thought not ready.
3. The general public? Last night (via WDR’s public live forum on TV), a hundred regular Germans got into commentary. There’s a lot of feeling that both the CDU and the SPD have merged their platforms into one gimmick. You can’t tell the difference between the two. For some voters...why vote for either?
4. Finally, you come to the odd repeat of the US election. Anger and frustration by the German public over the politics they see in Berlin. The public doesn’t believe that the politicians know the people or their issues. Crime, asylum issues, taxation, and integration are all on the public’s mind.
If you count only CDU votes (minus out the Bavarian CSU party results)...Merkel’s crowd has around 24-percent of the national vote at this point (it cannot go any higher). You have three state elections by May in Germany, of which the CDU will not do that great. Toss on the French presidential election in the spring, and the Austrian Presidential election in three weeks....and you have a Merkel crowd of maybe 20-percent max. It won’t be enough to win unless the Bavarians help them out.
Yeah but he's got a pen, and a phone.
The pen I don't know about, but I can think of a way he could give Angela a good time with the phone, especially if it's got one of those haptic feedback devices built in.
Merkel will go.
Her replacement is unclear.
It isn’t a matter of exit, but the damage already done.
Anyway, European politics is ever changing. But there are undercurrents & indications of things to come.
My gut feel is that there will be a massive war in Europe within 10 years or less. Politically, there is only chaos & confusion there.
Massive confrontation will occur in Europe but it’ll be within each country.
Look at Spain and this issue of Catalonia. As each month goes by....more people within Catalonia agree that they need to be their own separate nation and quit supporting a great deal of the non-profitable states of Spain.
Look at Belgium....same story with two entire factions arguing for a split.
Look at the UK, and this BREXIT deal. Whether they get to BREXIT or not is unknown....but you have both Scotland and Northern Ireland discussing independence votes.
Look at France and this overwhelming Presidential vote in May of 2017....which will result in a right-wing win, a right-of-right wing win, or a right-of-right-of-right wing win.
The EU could be some type of anchor for stability, but it’s become more like the wrecking ball instead and part of the overall problem.
As for Germany? If the AfD were to cross the line and get 25-percent of the vote next year....it would be utter shock for the state-run news media and the liberals of the country. A non-AfD government might still rule, but it’ll be marginally capable of making the public happy. It’s simply creating a mess for four years and the 2021 German election turning into a no-holds barred mess.
One of the great stories of the past decade is what’s going on in Iceland. Massive frustration with politics as usual gimmick. They didn’t have any problem five years ago electing a pure comedian as mayor of the capital city. Of all people....the comedian was probably the most shocked that people were that angry.
Everybody loves barry, outside the United States.
Not the Filipino president.
Not the chinese, who made wussybama deplane without a red carpet.
Asians are showing more balls than the wusses in Europe.
I don’t necessarily disagree with what you stated.
I well remember reunification of East and West Germany in 1990. After the initial euphoria, many West Germans couldn’t stop complaining about being swamped until they adjusted.
Nationalistic differences or troubles within each European country have existed from time immemorial.
But I was referring to added dimensions to Europe, in general.
Exponentially, importing or allowing in those from trouble spots, muslims mainly, in the last, say, 15 years. This, even if somewhat forced, doesn’t and can never sit well, without thorough assimilation or even integration, into overall culture and society. This is NOT country specific in Europe.
Also, my reference and “gut feel” wasn’t so much about Politics, more about culture & society. The latter often dictates or drives the former.
Excuse my asking, are you an ethnic German? I know you said you live in Germany.
His ego is such that even if we deplorable Americans rejected him he figures Merkel carrying on the same policies is part of his own legacy.
Egg-zactly!
The Bavarians will not help Merkel out. I have family there near the Austrian border and they are pissed beyond expression.
Her reelection will be a great spectacle; like the Chicago Olympics. Oh, wait...
Is this guy even (netanyahu) CAPABLE of telling ONE truth?
Totally agree. He has been unmasked as the Pariah and Enemy of Western Civilization instead of its saviour.
The Bavarians (aka the CSU Party) would typically bring 8.5 points of the national election with them. Since the war, those two conservative parties could usually get near 30-percent or more of the national vote. For those who aren’t aware, there is a under-the-table agreement. The CDU won’t campaign in Bavaria (one of the 16 states of Germany). The CSU in return....won’t campaign in 15 of the German states.
There are probably a dozen different scenarios where the CSU might throw this ‘pokergame’ into an entirely new way, and shock Merkel. The majority of CSU folks? Anti-Merkel and the immigration business is problem number one.
I don’t know the players but the people on the ground that I know are breaking to the AfD in a big way. My contacts are mainly near the Bad Tolz, Tegernsee area. Notwithstanding the legacy parties, this whole refugee thing has turned the tables just as Trump has here. Everyone around the world is watching and learning.
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