So that's what we've got to work with
Well, Jörg and I we were both right, I guess.
Looking at the local data, there definitely seems to have been a surge of support for "local boy" Lindner (whose Liberal Democrats got 18.6 % of votes in our town, as opposed to 10.7% in the national average), but also some rising support for AfD (although it delights me to see that they "only" got 8.4% as opposed to the national average of 12.6%. Still too much, but.)
In that light, I suppose it may actually be a good thing (and not only sore loser mentality) that the Social Democrats have already announced that they will not stand ready for another "great coalition" with Merkel's Christian Democrats, but limit themselves to opposition instead. That way, the voice of the right-wing AfD will (presumably? if the SPD stick to their announcement?) be hemmed by a reasonably strong block of Social Democrats , and the third oppositional party will be the Left. So three quarters of the opposition will be made up of moderate to strong left-wing politicians which will hopefully keep the right-wing shenanigans down a bit. Hopefully.
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What really apalls me is news like from Duisburg, where apparently they didn't have enough ballots (like hello? YOU KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE GOING TO VOTE? AND AT WHICH POLLING STATION? Shouldn't they expect, just to be on the safe side, that 100% of voters show up? HOW THE HELL CAN YOU RUN OUT OF BALLOTS?) and voters had to wait for hours, or go home and return three times. This is how you discourage voters. This is how you drive voters to "protest vote" for the right-wing assholes. THIS IS HOW YOU DO IT WRONG.
Sheesh.
Yeah this will stop being a political blog any moment now but I had to ramble somewhere.
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Crossposted via Dreamwidth. Feel free to comment here or there.
Looking at the local data, there definitely seems to have been a surge of support for "local boy" Lindner (whose Liberal Democrats got 18.6 % of votes in our town, as opposed to 10.7% in the national average), but also some rising support for AfD (although it delights me to see that they "only" got 8.4% as opposed to the national average of 12.6%. Still too much, but.)
In that light, I suppose it may actually be a good thing (and not only sore loser mentality) that the Social Democrats have already announced that they will not stand ready for another "great coalition" with Merkel's Christian Democrats, but limit themselves to opposition instead. That way, the voice of the right-wing AfD will (presumably? if the SPD stick to their announcement?) be hemmed by a reasonably strong block of Social Democrats , and the third oppositional party will be the Left. So three quarters of the opposition will be made up of moderate to strong left-wing politicians which will hopefully keep the right-wing shenanigans down a bit. Hopefully.
---
What really apalls me is news like from Duisburg, where apparently they didn't have enough ballots (like hello? YOU KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE GOING TO VOTE? AND AT WHICH POLLING STATION? Shouldn't they expect, just to be on the safe side, that 100% of voters show up? HOW THE HELL CAN YOU RUN OUT OF BALLOTS?) and voters had to wait for hours, or go home and return three times. This is how you discourage voters. This is how you drive voters to "protest vote" for the right-wing assholes. THIS IS HOW YOU DO IT WRONG.
Sheesh.
Yeah this will stop being a political blog any moment now but I had to ramble somewhere.
- - -
Crossposted via Dreamwidth. Feel free to comment here or there.