Friday, September 10, 2021

Public Forum Over Laschet

 Last night, CDU's Laschet (Chancellor candidate) showed up at the ZDF studio (public TV, Channel Two) for roughly 90 minutes of Q-and-A (by the public).  Focus had the better of details for the episode.  I probably watched 40 minutes of it altogether.  

General observations:

1.  Crowd at the studio were mixed.....some pretty tough questions thrown at Laschet.

2.  Someone throw up this weird question over 'light pollution'....meaning too many lights exist in the urbanized regions.  Of the 50-odd thousand problems a Chancellor has to deal with....you just got the feeling that Laschet didn't rate this in the 50-thousand group.

3.  One guy did make a blunt negative comment about regulations (he runs a business) and that bureaucracy in Germany is ruining opportunities.  Laschet agreed with him entirely.

4.  One question did come up from a guy....that people preferred Soder as the party choice, instead of Laschet.  Laschet countered that he was picked by the bulk of 'decision-makers' of the party.  The truth of the matter....it was the 40-odd member executive council that selected him (roughly 75-percent of the group).  He was NOT selected by the party membership itself.  You can laugh over the comment, and the Laschet answer, but it's the screwed-up nature of party politics in the middle of Covid.

5.  On environmental matters.....he didn't really satisfy the crowd at all.  

6.  So finally, if you were pro-Laschet before the episode....you probably kept your faith with him.  If you were pro-CDU but anti-Laschet.....you are standing there disgruntled and likely voting for the FDP instead (to send a message).  

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