Historic defeat for Social Democrats in German federal election

[Hannah Bell]

The German federal election held Sunday produced a historic defeat for the Social Democratic Party (SPD) and a sharp drop in support for all of the parties involved in Germany's outgoing coalition government.

The SPD polled just 23.0 percent, down more than 11 percent from the last federal election in 2005, when the party polled 34.2 percent. The result is the worst ever for the SPD since World War II. Its decline of over 11 percent is the biggest loss ever recorded by a German party in a federal election since 1949.

The SPD's main partners in Germany's grand coalition government, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and Bavarian-based Christian Social Union (CSU), were also punished by voters. The so-called "union" parties emerged with the largest share of the vote—a combined total of 33.8 percent—but recorded their second worst result in postwar history.

The tally for the union parties was 1.4 percentage points less than their result of 35.2 percent in 2005, and far removed from the 40 percent-plus vote recorded in the majority of elections held in the postwar period. Many CDU-CSU voters evidently switched to the pro-"free market" Free Democratic Party (FDP), which polled 14.8 percent, a gain of 5 percentage points compared to 2005.

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2009/sep2009/germ-s28.shtml

[rpannier]

1. Thanks for the post

I forgot the election was this past weekend
I'm usually on top of these things.

Thanks again

[HamdenRice]

2. Surprise! Anti-union, anti-Democrat millionaire's mouthpiece (WSWS) trashes Germany's Democrats

Germany's Social Democrats are somewhat equivalent to our Democrats so of course WSWS -- which is just a mouthpiece for an anti-union millionare corporate CEO who plays at being a Trotskyite through his various cult-like parties and mouthpieces -- is celebrating that Germany's left of center party has lost electoral support.

[Hannah Bell]

3. you're getting so boring.

[ret5hd]

5. As someone who is uneducated re: political parties of Germany...

why don't you give me your take on the situation?

[Hannah Bell]

6. why don't you read the article or go read a different one you prefer more?

[ret5hd]

16. LOL!!!

I politely and genuinely asked for some further insight about a subject, and you scream at me to get off your lawn.

[HamdenRice]

24. She's basically our crazy old aunt crackpot so she's on a hair trigger

Her mind has been captured by a ruthless corporate cult (WSWS), and she relentlessly and inexplicably reposts their lies here. Her susceptibility to cult indoctrination imo probably is a symptom of the weakened status of her intellect, possibly from excessive drug taking in the 60s. If you search her posts she thinks, among other things, that she is the center of a "Truman Show" type total surveillance and artificial world.

[HamdenRice]

9. Coming from Hannah One Note Bell, that's a bit ironic, no?

[Hannah Bell]

10. come now. you're the one note. i post different articles. just for you, sweetie. smooch!

[malaise]

4. The truth is that it is very hard for socialists anywhere to

recognize social democratic parties today. Across the globe, most of their leaders sound like apologists for the Reagan-Thatcher axis of evil policies.
Maybe when they get back to their philosophical principles, they will find favor with genuine socialists.

[HamdenRice]

8. WSWS trashes genuine socialists also

They even trash the socialist workers party. They are a narrow, narrow, splinter of a splinter party that does nothing but engage in character assassination of all other left of center parties and unions.

[Hannah Bell]

11. so what? that's not what the article's about. maybe you could discuss

the collapse at the polls v. your one-note song? you know, the point of the article, the political implications, something interesting?

[HamdenRice]

12. That's like asking a paleontologist to discuss an article in "Creationism Magazine"

Almost everything in WSWS is bullshit, so why would I want to try to discuss what a priori is sure to be a bunch of lies anyway.

Post a story from a different source, and maybe we can have a discussion.

[Hannah Bell]

13. um, because most of their articles are direct from msm sources?

you smart little paleontologist, you!

let's see, we could choose the cult of sulzberger-cia spookery represented by the nyt, or the cult of financiers at the wsj - no wait, it's now the cult of murdoch - or a big story by a naval intelligence type - or maybe the cult of texas private money at vox - which is yours?

[Romulox]

19. Rightwinger's heart pumps peanut butter for "trashed socialists"

Only the exceedingly credulous buy your schtick.

[Echo In Light]

20. True, that

[Romulox]

18. "monomania". nt

[HamdenRice]

21. UDDA

Uniform Determination of Death Act

...

Section 1

Determination of Death. An individual who has sustained either (1) ... or (2) irreversible cessation of all functions of the entire brain, including the brain stem ...

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[Romulox]

22. Is this to be construed as a threat, or is it yet another bizarre non-sequitiur?

I hope I don't have my nervous breakdown on an internet message board, at any rate. :hi:

[HamdenRice]

23. It's a description of a particular person's mental status!

:hi:

[Romulox]

25. So we're adding Therapist to Lawyer, Economist and Investment Advisor?

Which are all things that HamdenRice pretends he is qualified to do on an internet message board?

Funny how a person as qualified in so many fields as you has so much free time to engage in childish name calling on the DU. Hmmmm.... :rofl:

[JVS]

7. Evidently when faced with an economic crisis caused by "free markets" the libertarian shitheads...

go into a stronger capitalist fervor. Life must be putting the pinch on the doctor and lawyer class over there that they got so active.

[WonderGrunion]

14. Horrors!! Germany now = USA!!!

USA = OBAMA

OBAMA = HITLER

therefore

GERMANY = HITLER!!!!! :wow: :hide:

[BolivarianHero]

15. Well that's not all that surprising...

But this doesn't mean all that much..I would argue that if you count the Pirate Party and the Animal Rights Party, both of which fell well below the threshold for winning seats, the left in fact won a very narrow plurality of the popular vote.

As far as I'm concerned, the Pirate Party is right about everything but is nonetheless useless as apolitical vessel...If your concern is with liberalizing copyright law and freeing music, art, and culture from the tyranny of big entertainment, you ought to just work within the Left Party or even the Greens or Social Democrats if your inclinations are otherwise more moderate.

[OHdem10]

17. Free Markets in Germany are more controlled than in the US.

So far they have not permitted their mfg base to be decimated.

Not defending anyone just making an observation.

It will be interesting to see if this election starts the decimation.

[blindpig]

26. This comes of being all things to all people.

Ya can't be for socialism and for capitalism, the capitalists will eventually dominate, because they have the economic power to do so. And then ya end up looking like you're talking out both sides of your mouth, which you are.

k&r