GERMAN ELECTION (Running Thread): Schroeder by a Nosehair

Die Welt- translated ^ | 9/22/02 | Die Welt

[RobFromGa]

Election turnout probably smaller than 1998

Large opinion

Berlin/Rostock (dpa) - with the election to the Bundestag a smaller participation than before drew four years starting from 1998 lay it Germany far with 82,2 per cent in the late Sunday afternoon. However the returning officers reported high letter voter at the same time of a ratio. Everywhere the letter voters were not already taken in account. Thus a factor of uncertainty remained existing.

As one inquires around approximately three hours before locking of the polling stations resulted in, to against 15.00 o'clock in most Lands of the Federal Republic a clearly lower election turnout was registered. In Saxonia-Anhalt the participation lay at this time approximately 15 points under the values of the yearly 1998, in other Lands of the Federal Republic up to eight points. Also in the capital went to Berlin with herbstlich to cool weather clearly less voter to the urns.

On the other hand there was the tendency in few other Lands of the Federal Republic also to an easily higher election turnout - in such a way in Schleswig-Holstein and in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, where at the same time a new federal state parliament was selected.

In Saxonia the returning officers spoke first of a surprisingly large resonance, then the interest decreased/went back however clearly. Also in Bavaria the choice encountered in the first hours in some cities a substantially larger interest than 1998. There the participation up to 12 per cent points in the comparison rose to the same time before four years. Against noon this tendency decreased/went back likewise, of a clear minus was later spoken. It was similar in North Rhine-Westphalia and Hamburg.

From other Lands of the Federal Republic a rather weak resonance was determined. In Hessen, Thuringia, Saarland and Bremen the values decreased/went back. Also in Rhineland-Palatinate, Brandenburg and Lower Saxony the crush was smaller than 1998. In Baden-Wuerttemberg it meant: Election turnout constantly.

The polling stations for the election to the Bundestag had opened o'clock punctually at 08.00. 61,2 million Federal citizen were called to select a new parliament. With the election of the federal parliament in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania were entitled to vote about 1.4 million citizen.

After last inquiries and prognoses to the exit the SPD with Federal Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder was appropriate for the election to the Bundestag scarcely before the union with her candidate for the chancellorship Edmund Stoiber (CSU). Since also the smaller parties FDP and the Green were strongly estimated approximately in each case equal, the continuation of the red-green coalition was considered as uncertain. For a government majority in the parliament it could be crucial whether the Party of Democratic Socialism draws again into the Bundestag or not.

The Social Democrats set to come into the proximity of their result from 1998 to. At that time they reached 40.9 per cent of the secondary voices. CDU/CSU had slipped before four years to 35,1 per cent, their secondaryworst result with elections to the Bundestag. The Greens reached 6.7 per cent, the FDP came on 6,2 per cent. The Party of Democratic Socialism overcame the five-per cent hurdle with 5,1 per cent scarcely.

After last inquiries in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania a confirmation of the red-red coalition of SPD and Party of Democratic Socialism under head of the government Harald Ringstorff (SPD) applied as extremely probable. 1998 had the SPD 34.3, which reaches Party of Democratic Socialism 24.4 and the CDU 30.2 per cent.

[eabinga]

REP = Republicans (Nazis)
SCHILL = Party for strenghtening internal security and tough enforcement of laws and emigration
NPD = Nazis (http://www.npd.net/)

[eabinga]

Looks like the REPS have changed...last time they were a hardcore nazi party, now they have moderated themselves a bit.

[AmishDude]

Talk about "overhang votes": check out her stomach. Somebody that young with that big of a paunch has a lot of guts wearing a cow t-shirt!

[eabinga]

Beer belly?

[AmishDude]

Beer belly?

Ja!

[knighthawk]

I am watching the ZDF (German broadcaster) now:

Union: 38,6%
SPD 38,4%
Grunen: 8,5%
FDP: 7,4%
PDS: 4,0%

[anymouse]

Maybe these freilines should drink more milk and less bier. Look at the gut on them. Probably good think they aren't wearing tank tops as we would be exposed to some unsightly fur in their armpits.

[TheRedSoxWinThePennant]

I had an easier time learning the krebs cycle than trying to figure out german elections, coalitions, grand coalitions, extra mandates, sdu, cdu, lmnopqrstuvwxyz etc

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

Well I guess Florida could learn from Germany in this regard...

A single x marked on the ballot? Florida could screw it up. IMO.

[marajade]

You got a point there... You have to know how to read to tally a vote...

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

T-Shirt says : "Cows would vote for Kühnast"

Any other captions?

"Sluts for Kühnast"

[RobFromGa]

I'm calling it...

Please change title from "Leaning Left Barely" to "Schroeder by a Nosehair"

[RobFromGa]

Any other captions?

"My Daddy's stupid business paid for this T-shirt, so I killed him and re-distributed his cash."

[RobFromGa]

Thanks for a lively thread today. I learned a lot:

1. Germany has some "clever" election rules.

2. The Left in Germany lost a lot of power today. They went from a 57-43% lead in 1998 to a 50+/50-% lead in 2002.

3. The former Communists dropped below the magic 5% threshold and lost all but 2 direct seats in (former?) Communist East Berlin. But, many of them switched to Green.

4. The FDP (right/pro-business) leader made a bunch of stupid anti-Semitic remarks against Sharon and Israel two days before the election, probably costing the Right a narrow coalition victory today.

5. Hating America is a good way to increase your base if you are a Democrat/Leftist. It's a sure-fire winner.

6. The Green Party are "Communists in Disguise" (already knew that one but worth reiterating).

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

I wonder if Bush will send a telegram congratulating the winner....

How about: "Congratulations from the country that saved yours from Hitler, rebuilt your war-shattered country with the Marschall Plan, and saved yours from being conquered by the soviets for 40 years. How about showing a little gratitiude?"

[dfwgator]

My note would be, "We are moving our bases to Poland, so you can forget about getting any ideas of ever invading Poland again."

[Citizen of the Savage Nation]

I think, as has been noted, that this is exactly what they want. Our response should be to add even more bases by 300%, using other Nato troops. Furthermore, we will be conducting war preparations and exercises 24/7, primarily at night and in urban areas. Helicopter and jet flights will increase by 500%. Roads, highways and railways to be blocked off for military use only on extremely short notice, and often.

That should piss 'em off.

[RobFromGa]

An oldy but goody:

Dear Schroed-meister:

All our bases are belong to us.

Singed (sic),
Dubya

[McGavin999]

Just read on another thread that Rumsfeld has refused to meet with the new German defense minister at the NATO meeting. Germany is already reaping their anti-American rewards.

[thedugal]

Dear Schroeder,

Congratulations on your well-earned victory. I very much admire your strategy in coming from behind to win by appealing to your most extreme voter base. In fact, I so much admire this method that I too have decided to strengthen my most extreme voter base.

The bombing will begin in 5 minutes.

Sincerely,
Dubya