anybody here who is watching? any comments?

I think, the first 30 min were quite lame. And both contenders did not fetch their best day, as it seems.

interesting...

Merkel's argues along the line of lacking domestic consume while Schröder praises the export situation. What the .. happens here?

my impression: An awkward debate. Four people asking, two people answering. Not that the four journalists were able to add more substance to the debate...

None of both contenders were able to score a big point. Both were quite weak, sometimes stuttering, confusing words. I'd say that the last TV debates three years ago between Schröder and Stoiber were more important.

Probably the most important effect: Merkel with no major faux pas, looked more relaxed than many people expected.

Merkel is going to get the bonus of low expectations. She's easily exceeded those. To turn this thing around, Schröder needed to demolish Merkel. That hasn't happened (and was never particularly likely to happen). Overall, I thought this was a better debate than the two matchups  between Schröder and Stoiber three years ago. Too much of those were dominated by a personality issue - Stoiber's irritable and irritating petulance. Merkel has clearly outdone Stoiber. Other than that, the main issues of the debate were the conservatives' tax policies (Schröder won that one) and who was able to project more optimism (chalk one up for Merkel there). Overall, no clear winner, but Merkel wins by default since Schröder had to accomplish much more than she did - and he didn't.

If you can't convince them, confuse them. (Harry S. Truman)

Spinning begins. Poll numbers from the first half of the debate (infratest dimap):

Q: Who performed better in the debate?

All voters:
Schröder 49 - 38 Merkel

Undecided voters:
Schröder 55 - 22 Merkel

These numbers correspond roughly with the overall personality poll numbers. It remains to be seen if it has some effect on party poll numbers.

Poll numbers for the whole debate coming in. Again infratest dimap:

Q: Who had the better arguments?

              S. M.
Pensions  51 37
Family     40 50
Foreign   71 19
Taxes      49 38
Jobs        35 46

Q: Who was more convincing?

Schröder 49 - 33 Merkel

Q: Support before/after debate?

Schröder: 51/54
Merkel: 36/38

ok, last poll numbers for tonight:

infratest dimap asked 1300 viewers between 10.00 and 10.30 CET:

Was the debate useful for your decision?

Undecided: Yes 46 - 52 No

Who was more convincing?

Undecided: Schröder 56 - 19 Merkel

Quite impressive, also if you take into account that Schröder was - personally - more popular anyway. But in this year's campaign, personality played a minor role - at least until today. I would wait with further comments about the impact of the debate until tomorrow when spinning might have had some effect.

I see from Le Monde that Merkel announced that she would lower the ökosteuer (ecological tax) on gasoline by 3 cents (from the current 15) to lower gas costs.

Why? Why?

In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes

You guys seem to have msotly disappeared from the site... can we expect any countdown diaries in the near future?

In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes