Schnitzel Republic: Assessing the Chancellor Race Now

Tuesday, August 11, 2020

Assessing the Chancellor Race Now

Several observations can now be made over the fall 2021 race here in Germany:

1. The three probable 'big' candidates are Robert Habeck of the Green Party, Olaf Scholz of the SPD Party, and Markus Soder of the CSU/CDU Party. Beyond them, with the Linke Party, FDP Party and AfD Party....it doesn't really matter....they won't get beyond 10 to 15 percent each.

2. Before Corona came along, the chief topic was going to be the environment, and youth-vote mattered a great deal. Right now.....jobs, the economy, and the Covid-19 business matter. The Greens are obviously hurt by this.

3. General public ready for a change? At the 2017 election period, a poll was held and a majority of Germans were prepared for a change-out with Merkel. The problem is.....no one really stood out or got the public enthusiastic. With these three mentioned, one can see the same problem occurring again.

4. Would it have been interesting to allow the SPD to engage upon Kevin Kuhnert (their former youth director)? The issue with Kuhnert is split between his youthful age (31) and his stances (a bit to the far left, even for the SPD Party). I would admit, he'd draw youth votes away from the Green Party.

5. The fact that no women are in the top level of the SPD to run for Chancellor? It is a bit obvious. You could make the same comment over the CSU-CDU folks as well though.

6. Any recovery enthusiasm for the AfD Party? Well, there is this odd Covid-19 ban-rule thing going on, with economic figures looking dismal. There is some minor speculation that the AfD will pick up the anti-ban-rule crowd and push their numbers back up to 15 percent. If that happens.....it effectively takes votes away from the SPD and CDU parties.

7. Chief expectation? Not a lot of hype or thrills until mid-summer 2021. Soder will likely get the party up around 35-percent and thus win.....but the partner discussion in the new coalition will be the chief topic going on. Do they partner again with the SPD, or do they bring the Habeck-led Greens into the talks?

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About the Collection of Essays

First, note that this is NOT a blog....it's a collection of essays similar in nature to what the Greek Plutarch attempted to write.

Second: NO, there will be no Facebook connection to the essay collection. Besides the negativity with FB, there is just too much potential in the future for censorship with FB.

Third, this log of essays is written by an American (not a German). If you are a German seeking commentary written by a German, on Germans....look elsewhere.

Fourth, I will offer wit and sarcasm on Germany, Germans, Germanology, German political figures, German TV, German beer, German food, German humor (or lack of), German habits, German weirdness, German news, German autos, German brilliance, German stupidity, German customs, German Nazis, German history, and German stubbornness.

Fifth (new), the essays are not about ethnic pathways to your grandfather or great-grandmother who was German. It relates present day Germans. If you are trying to get some understanding to your ancestor who packed up and left sixty years ago from the old 'homeland', then this blog is probably not for you.

I was one of those Americans who did over twenty years of military time....married a German....and eventually returned as a retiree.

I'm one of the few who stood under the German umbrella.....paid German taxes for some years.....German social security.....and felt the various pains like Germans.

So, this is my all-purpose commentary essay, designed for non-Germans mostly (and those Germans who accidentally discover it). I tend to put German culture into the spotlight of sarcasm, wit and humor. I'm simply pointing out the richness and craziness of life in Germany, which even some Germans can't understand.

The amusing thing is that I'm merely repeating the exercise that Mark Twain performed in 1880, when he published "A Tramp Abroad". Various comments were dished out on the Germans....which apparently did not trigger any wars, chaos, climate change, or ill feelings.

Final note: I generally only delete comments that are spam-related, or hype over pure Nationalist Socialist agendas. I generally won't support one-sided arguments/agendas. I also don't think accusations of racism or nationalism are generally proven, and can reflect poorly upon the person making the accusations.