Obama in Berlin | 47 comments (47 topical, editorial, 0 hidden)

Re: Bits from an unwritten diary 3: Wowi (none / 1)

Just to mention it, attacking a politician on his or her private life isn´t that common or popular in Germany.

You´ve got Brandt, Schroeder, Fischer or Wulff as examples. Trying to use the private life of a politician against him always involves the risk of a back-lash.
That´s why most media won´t use that knowledge.

What do I care about their private life?
Are they competent or not?

Also, consider the case of Ole von Beust. Conservative CDU politician. As far as I can make it out, his father outed him unintentionally in an interview. Just like Wowereit according to your search. :)
And his popularity soared after he fired Schill allegedly trying to blackmail him.

And to say the truth if I didn´t follow the news seriously I doubt that I would know that von Beust or Westerwelle are gay. It´s just not a page 1 story.
Different to Wowereit, I admit. But only because of his "Und das is gut so" comment.

by Detlef (Detlef1961_at_yahoo_dot_de) on Wed Jul 23rd, 2008 at 05:29:23 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Bits from an unwritten diary 3: Wowi (none / 1)

I checked, the order of events was the opposite. First von Beust announced Schill's attempted blackmail, denying corruption (e.g. Schill's claim that he gave a job to his alleged partner in life just like Schill did) but not confirming or denying his relationship (which I consider an even more clever publicity move than Wowereit's); the unapproved outing by the father (in this Die Welt article) came two weeks later - and all of this was two years after Wowereit's self-outing.

Now, speaking of the CDU and gays, von Beust is one example, Anette Schavan another - there is a reason she felt the need to deny the rumours (her voters); and despite all the denials from his camp, the lesbian rumours may well have tipped the balance towards Oettinger in 2004.

_{*Lunatic*, n.

One whose delusions are out of fashion.}

by DoDo on Thu Jul 24th, 2008 at 04:30:23 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Bits from an unwritten diary 3: Wowi (none / 0)

There are two different situations. One is the election level. I don't think traditional conservatives would vote for a left candidate, because the conservative candidate is gay or lesbian. Indeed I think it is an advantage for any candidate to be homosexual, except the candidate is from 'Die Linke'. It is like moving left without really moving left on any issues. Merkel had as well an advantage because she was a woman in 2005 in the general election, because feminists have voted for her without agreeing with her on issues.

The other is an inner party decision. There a heterosexual candidate has clearly an advantage in conservative circles against a homosexual one. This was the case for Schavan.

Der Amerikaner ist die Orchidee unter den Menschen
Volker Pispers

by Martin (weiser.mensch(at)googlemail.com) on Thu Jul 24th, 2008 at 01:03:50 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Bits from an unwritten diary 3: Wowi (none / 1)

On the election level, not voting is a possibility (and protest vote for an also-ran party too).

Schavan's case is more complicated and mean in that she denied being homosexual, it was only rumours spread by some circles.

_{*Lunatic*, n.

One whose delusions are out of fashion.}

by DoDo on Thu Jul 24th, 2008 at 02:41:37 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Bits from an unwritten diary 3: Wowi (none / 0)

I know it were just rumours. But if the rumours do damage, an outing of a candidate in the same situation would have been as well damaging.

Der Amerikaner ist die Orchidee unter den Menschen
Volker Pispers

by Martin (weiser.mensch(at)googlemail.com) on Thu Jul 24th, 2008 at 05:15:12 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Obama in Berlin | 47 comments (47 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

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