Last edited Mon May 27, 2019, 03:52 PM - Edit history (1)
Her successor as party head, Annette Kramp-Karrenbauer, is an obvious choice, but far from a definite one. First the next federal elections have to take place, and they are not scheduled for two years. The last ones almost ended in a mess, and even the coalition that did result was unsatisfactory. What should have happened was a coalition between Merkel's CDU, the Greens and the FDP, who is a pro-business party that calls themselves "the Liberals." Like with the Greens, no similarity in terms with the USA.
The head of the FDP, who acts very much like he is in the pocket of the fossil fuel industry (coal, oil) torpedoed that coalition, and said he could never work with the Greens. Merkel was forced back into bed with the Social Democrats, who have nothing more to offer than tired old 20 year old slogans, and are in desperate need of rejuvenation. Unfortunately, the head of their youth division gave a fiery speech that could have come from Erich Honecker, himself, and sank the party's prospects for a rosy future in one blow.
One thing is for sure, if the elections were held today, Merkel would have no option but to coalesce with the Greens. But she has led her "conservatives (more socially liberal than half our Democrats, so don't get confused there, either)" slowly leftward, and the Greens have become slowly more pragmatic, so it makes sense. As of now, they don't have 50% between them, which means they would need a third coalition partner, and no one knows who that could be. Not "the Left" or the Afd, who are extremists on both ends of the spectrum, and not the FDP as long as they are led by the suspicious fossil fuel champion (if he is replaced, things get a LOT easier). One bright spot--last year, when Merkel stepped down as party leader, her party had three contenders to replace her. One hard-right (by their standards, not ours), one strong right, and the only woman, and she, the most moderate, won. VERY encouraging.
As for US, Biden is holding up well for now, but 18 months is an eternity in US politics, and anything could happen. Harris is one viable pick, though just one out of many. Far from my favorite, that's for sure. If Biden survives the gauntlet and picks up the nomination, I think Klobuchar, Buttigieg and Inslee have equal chances of being picked, and they don't have the baggage of Harris' ruthless prosecutions when she had that position. Biden could also go outside the circle of other candidates and pick someone completely off that radar, like Howard Dean or Joe Kennedy III. Who knows, maybe even Norm Ornstein or Al Franken? There is a lot of talent to choose from. I reject the notion that the ticket MUST include mixed gender and race just as I reject the notion that it must not. Get a ticket that inspires, and it will get people to the polls in droves. Their pigmentation or chromasomes are matters I don't care about.
One thing I see as a given--whoever our nominee picks as VP, the choice will not be universally popular. However, as long as it is someone who brings some true appeal to the table, and has a good heart (indeed, like Biden himself did in 2008), I'm happy.
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