Story-Line: Trump And How People Believe Things

 I noticed this week....a SW (public TV from the Pfalz)....where they interviewed some Germans in the Spangdahlem region. The topic....the Germans  were conditioning themselves not to be overly critical of Trump....in front of GI's who live in the area.  Oddly, they found that the American GI's didn't have the same opinion over things.

So, I'm going to tell you a story.

As the Clinton years wound down....2000 was this election year where VP Al Gore would run against George Bush.  Most of the newspapers in Germany with a  left view (Die Tageszeitung, Neues Deutschland, Frankfurter Rundschau,  Berliner Zeitung and Süddeutsche Zeitung), and ZDF/ARD TV news....carried the main articles of Bush in trouble, or Bush with a bad performance report while in the Air National Guard.

The election came up....5-star theatrics in Florida....no one in Germany able to understand the card-problem, and a major disappointment because they expected Al Gore to win.

Four years would pass.  It's safe to say while 9-11 influenced people....the bulk of what Germans say in the build-up of 2004's election....was pro-Kerry.

Shocker?  Bush won.

What you can say over the next year or so.....is that each time a picture came up on  ZDF  or ARD....it was made to  persuade you that Bush was an idiot.  At some point...maybe in the 6th year....Chancellor had some meeting with the ARD CEO (remember, it's  a public TV situation).  No one said what the meeting was about.....but over the next week....the poor picture gimmick ended, and the ARD/ZDF efforts were mostly to set a neutral 'tone'.  At some point....one of the two were given a 20-minute interview situation with Bush.  

So then came 2008, and the entry of Barak Obama. Over a 8-year period....just about each time that Obama or his staff came up....it was either neutral or positive news.  

2016?  Over the whole year, Germans were conditioned....the Obama period would continue, and Hillary Clinton would easily win over Trump.   No one could understand how Trump could possibly win.

Over a four year period....Germans were convinced over and over....Trump would fall or be impeached.   It was great theatrics and kept people in hopes of the great ending.

Once Joe Biden won....they expected the Obama era to return, and Trump would never be mentioned again.

Well....then came the court cases....where Germans were reassured....Trump would be bankrupted...convicted, and sent off to prison.  The numbers in 2024? Joe Biden couldn't lose.

It was just an odd thing....you saw less and less of Joe Biden and those 'lost-mind'  episodes were never shown to the German public.  Once he was out and Harris in....everyone was reassured....Trump would be in prison, or that Harris had  this  set to win.

So as we come to January....there's a new show playing.

The tariff-chatter?  It worries German car companies.  No one will mention the German tariffs on US goods (for over 40 years).

 This talk of a lack of German 'free-speech'?  Well...it sets off all kinds of drama.

The election chatter of Elon Musk talking about migration problems and pumping up AfD numbers?  It sets the media off in a frenzy.

Germans hoping that Tesla fails in Germany?  Oddly....the jobs will appear, and China will pick up the lost numbers, and the jobs.

Trump getting into the peace business with Ukraine and Russia?  That disturbs German politicians. 

Trump needling Germany with intent?  Oh yeah....no doubt.  Unlike 2016....he's got them on the defensive this time.

Germans trusting the news business like in 2016 or 2020?  No...it's different now. I'd say one out of  four are skeptical of what they see, or how to perceive it.

So I can understand the German locals standing there in Spangdahlem, and waking up to Americans muting their conversation....keeping things at a distance.