One thing I love about German politics is its entertainment value; fuelled mainly by politicians' predilection for rhetorical hyperbole and use of rare edgy words (you may have noticed in my diaries). A more severe case of this is when politicians try to fill the summer news drought - AFAIK English has the word "silly season" for this, but the German equivalent Sommertheater ( = summer theatre) seems stronger and much more in use.
Ah, gotcha.
But Merkel being perceived as getting in Obama's way could actually be a German electoral issue?
Just to refresh my memory, help me out here: The SPD is the socialist party, and the CSU is basically synonymous at the federal level with the Christian Dems (led by Merkel)? Conservatives want live babies so they can raise them to be dead soldiers. - George Carlin
And yes, when Obama is perceived as a vote-getter, events around him are bound to become a German electoral issue... *Lunatic*, n. One whose delusions are out of fashion.
And yes, when Obama is perceived as a vote-getter, events around him are bound to become a German electoral issue...
I guess I never would've thought he'd be a vote-getter there. Reading about public attitudes over there around the Interwebz, maybe the speech is a good idea. Huh. Conservatives want live babies so they can raise them to be dead soldiers. - George Carlin
Your prediction of public reaction to Obama's expected demands on Europe is shared by Karl-Theodor Freiherr/CSU, whom I cited above with "Sommertheater". (BTW I forgot to make clear: he is also criticising his own camp there, and deviates from the party line.)
As for the German left-wing's, rather than the SPD's reaction, what I wonder about is the position of the Left Party and its voters in general. Perhaps jandsm or Jeffersonian Democrat can tell us more about the mood in the party. Would the Left Party profile itself early on with some criticism of Obama, the eventual disillusion of SPD voters with him that you and Freiherr predict could lead to some shift of balance within the German left-wing. *Lunatic*, n. One whose delusions are out of fashion.
what wouldn't would be some finger-wagging exceptionalist b.s. for the redneck domestic consumption, instrumentalising europe for a purely u.s. agenda.
i wish i could totally trust obama on this, we really need an american president who doesn't pretend to look down on us, (or over-venerate us for that matter!)
on. the. level. please barry. no trumpeted platitudes about how we should do anything. (or we'll tell you where to put yer war)
some tact, m'lad! be an example of a trans-nationalistic global citizen, if you really want us to warm to your cause more than we already do...
waving that tattered global hegemon flag over here will not win you any cookies.
save it for the rubes you need votes from back home, and just be your sweet self. ~"When an inner situation is not made conscious, it appears outside as fate." Karl Jung~
That would make for a good speech. Conservatives want live babies so they can raise them to be dead soldiers. - George Carlin
i don't need him to be too humble, lol, but simply for him to accent unity and good faith in the same way he does back home.
he has a lot of savvy, i expect he'll finesse this ok. ~"When an inner situation is not made conscious, it appears outside as fate." Karl Jung~
Changing the subject somewhat, now that Clinton is NOT the dem candidate, I can't believe that I'll finally vote in a Presidential election (since Carter) when the choice is NOT between the lesser of two evils. I actually think we have a shot at a non-evil candidate for once. IN MY LIFETIME! Or am I being overly optimistic? In the end, might makes right. Nothing has changed since the caveman.
Putting him on par with Jimmy Carter is probably not unfair all things considered. Which is still unimpressive, but as recent US presidents go it's a big step forward.
I'm prepared to be surprised, but so far Obama doesn't look like more than a Carter with a snazzier marketing department and the advantage that the other wing of the Corporate Party has shot itself in both feet, a kneecap and one arm with an elephant gun.
Still, Obama is preferable to John "Nuke Iran" McCain.
- Jake If you only spend 20 minutes of the rest of your life on economics, go spend them here.
