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Lower Saxony and Hesse Elections

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  • #1

    Lower Saxony and Hesse Elections

    Looks like Schroeder is going down to a big defeat in his home region on Sunday.

    http://news.ft.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=FT.com/StoryFT/FullStory&c=StoryFT&cid=1042491396042&p=1012571727092


    Can anybody here describe what is at stake for the government? Is it just humiliation, or does it make some operational difference?

    To the Germans here, what is the mood in the country? Approval polls, etc.
    I came upon a barroom full of bad Salon pictures in which men with hats on the backs of their heads were wolfing food from a counter. It was the institution of the "free lunch" I had struck. You paid for a drink and got as much as you wanted to eat. For something less than a rupee a day a man can feed himself sumptuously in San Francisco, even though he be a bankrupt. Remember this if ever you are stranded in these parts. ~ Rudyard Kipling, 1891
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  • #2
    No thoughts?
    I came upon a barroom full of bad Salon pictures in which men with hats on the backs of their heads were wolfing food from a counter. It was the institution of the "free lunch" I had struck. You paid for a drink and got as much as you wanted to eat. For something less than a rupee a day a man can feed himself sumptuously in San Francisco, even though he be a bankrupt. Remember this if ever you are stranded in these parts. ~ Rudyard Kipling, 1891

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    • #3
      The rumors going in say Gerhard's party is going to suffer badly.
      Try http://wordforge.net/index.php for discussion and debate.

      Comment

      • #4
        CNN among others have the story

        State voters reject Schröder

        According to some projections, the SPD will plunge from 48 to 33% in Niedersachsen (Lower Saxony) and from 40 to 28% in Hessen.

        Maybe the peacenik anti US bluff of the general elections is coming back to haunt old Gerhard, eh?

        Hessen's CDU premier Roland Koch has 50%, and in Niedersachsen, which is traditionally viewed as Schröder's base of power, the CDU is looking at 48%.

        This is a historic defeat for the SPD as I see it.

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        • #5
          Burn, Schrodi, burn! Ya gotta admit, that whole 'getting elected based on Yank-baiting' thing was pretty low, and he generally gives me rather negative vibes.

          I wonder whether there will be Soc. Dems or Greens in parliament who'd be willing to join CDU/FDP in a vote of no confidence?
          "Spirit merges with matter to sanctify the universe. Matter transcends to return to spirit. The interchangeability of matter and spirit means the starlit magic of the outermost life of our universe becomes the soul-light magic of the innermost life of our self." - Dennis Kucinich, candidate for the U. S. presidency
          "That’s the future of the Democratic Party: providing Republicans with a number of cute (but not that bright) comfort women." - Adam Yoshida, Canada's gift to the world

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          • #6
            More likely the Greens, Stefu. Though even then, I think they'd realize that the CDU wouldn't invite them to a coalition afterwards .
            “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
            - John 13:34-35 (NRSV)

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            • #7
              Excellent. Crash and burn Schroeder.
              "I'm moving to the Left" - Lancer

              "I imagine the neighbors on your right are estatic." - Slowwhand

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              • #8
                Don't forget the CDU / FDP are as bad as the SPD or even worse. There is currently no valid alternative in Germany. Just the same old party-politics which won't bring anything good for the country.

                Edit : btw, the "peacenik anti-US bluff" would help the SPD not to lose by too far. The Germans are outstandingly anti-war, and it is rumored Schröder won against Stoiber because of this in October.
                (EditEdit : don't get me wrong : Stoiber was almost as impopular as Schröder ; Schröder has likely won just the few votes he needed with antiamericanism)
                Last edited by Spiffor; February 2, 2003, 17:43.
                "I have been reading up on the universe and have come to the conclusion that the universe is a good thing." -- Dissident
                "I never had the need to have a boner." -- Dissident
                "I have never cut off my penis when I was upset over a girl." -- Dis

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                • #9
                  I prefer the CDU and FDP . They may not be the same as Kohl's party, but servicable .
                  “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
                  - John 13:34-35 (NRSV)

                  Comment

                  • #10
                    Why is that, Spiffor? It sounds to me like the CDU is a valid alternative. One of the only things I don't like about the CDU is its stand on immigration.
                    I came upon a barroom full of bad Salon pictures in which men with hats on the backs of their heads were wolfing food from a counter. It was the institution of the "free lunch" I had struck. You paid for a drink and got as much as you wanted to eat. For something less than a rupee a day a man can feed himself sumptuously in San Francisco, even though he be a bankrupt. Remember this if ever you are stranded in these parts. ~ Rudyard Kipling, 1891

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                    • #11
                      The CDU is a conservative party with no modern approach against the problems that Germany is facing, and is in favor of many outdated ideas (especially the traditional German hostility to groundright nationality).
                      Economically, the CDU and the SPD are really close to each other, with a slightly more pro-unions stance from the SPD. But both want to promote private enterprise, notably small businesses.
                      Put simply, both parties lack dearly the vision Germany oh so needs, and are just struggling for power.

                      The FDP is for a radical liberalization of the economy, which would be terrible for many aspects of the German society (yes, I am not talking about pure economics here). Especially in the East, where the still underdeveloped economy vitally needs help from the federation.
                      "I have been reading up on the universe and have come to the conclusion that the universe is a good thing." -- Dissident
                      "I never had the need to have a boner." -- Dissident
                      "I have never cut off my penis when I was upset over a girl." -- Dis

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                      • #12
                        The very fact that the anti-American rhetoric helped Schröeder win marginally in the general elections was the reason I hinted it may now have come back to haunt him, Roland.

                        Edit:

                        I also don't agree with your analysis of the lack of differences between the two blocks. I agree there are similarities in some goals and means to reach them, but there's a profound difference in the leadership qualities the two main parties could provide for Germany, and not just person-wise, but more importantly political and ideological leadership.

                        But they've just held general elections, so I guess the people have spoken...
                        Last edited by Winston; February 2, 2003, 17:54.

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                        • #13
                          I am Spiffor

                          Maybe it'll haunt him in the future, when Germany will be ridiculed internationally, and if Germans do care of this. But for now, antiamericanism is stronger as I've ever seen in Germany, and anti-war as well.
                          "I have been reading up on the universe and have come to the conclusion that the universe is a good thing." -- Dissident
                          "I never had the need to have a boner." -- Dissident
                          "I have never cut off my penis when I was upset over a girl." -- Dis

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                          • #14
                            The fact that anti-Americanism is strong is not a reason to play on it. Not if you're a responsible political leader anyway.

                            Which might admittedly explain why Schröder did it.

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                            • #15
                              The CDU is a conservative party with no modern approach against the problems that Germany is facing



                              The FDP is for a radical liberalization of the economy

                              Sound like my kind of guys.
                              I came upon a barroom full of bad Salon pictures in which men with hats on the backs of their heads were wolfing food from a counter. It was the institution of the "free lunch" I had struck. You paid for a drink and got as much as you wanted to eat. For something less than a rupee a day a man can feed himself sumptuously in San Francisco, even though he be a bankrupt. Remember this if ever you are stranded in these parts. ~ Rudyard Kipling, 1891

                              Comment

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