In the diary, I expressed my not too charitable view of moderator Beckstein, e.g. when saying he is (or imagines himself to be) hard-hitting. This was also coloured by his interview with Hessen state SPD leader Andrea Ypsilanti a week earlier. (From what I read of it; now I found the video.) You remember, she is the leftie intent on ending the rule of a CDU strongman by forming a minority government with outside support from the Left Party, breaking a West German taboo.

Beckmann grilled Ypsilanti for minutes about her supposed "lust for power". Even SPIEGEL was displeased with that: they would have liked Beckmann to make her nervous with more substantial questions like conflict issues with the future coalition partner Greens, and the Left Party (which, BTW, happens to be the current focus of her inner-party opposition, too). For, Ypsilanti could deal with the low-brow power-lust attacks by now. (SPIEGEL uses this for a double-edged praise of her professionality, which now makes her just another politician using empty phrases -- then again, methinks SPIEGEL presented real arguments as empty phrases.)

Now, what is going on in Hessen throughout October is that all three parties ask for approval on all levels of the party (factions, special party congress, all party members). Even the top conservative broadsheet, FAZ acknowledges how well she brought even her inner-party enemies under the fold. Amazingly (and this is what makes it topical in this diary), that article also notes and recognises the truth of a line Ypsilanti now uses:

Die Bevölkerung hat mittlerweile weniger Angst vor der Linkspartei als vor den Lehman Brothers oder den unfähigen Bankern.

By now, the population is less afraid of the Left Party than of Lehman Brothers or incompetent bankers.

_{*Lunatic*, n.
One whose delusions are out of fashion.}