October 11, 2005
WHEN YOU VOTE AGAINST CHANGE YOU DON'T GET IT:
Germans suddenly cool on "grand coalition" (Philip Blenkinsop, 10/11/05, Reuters)
Now that Germans are on the verge of getting what they wanted, they're beginning to have second thoughts.Posted by Orrin Judd at October 11, 2005 4:24 PMIn last month's tight election and in recent opinion polls German voters have sent a clear message about the kind of government they prefer -- a consensus-driven "grand coalition" of the country's two largest parties.
On Monday, three weeks after the vote, a deal was finally struck between Germany's Christian Democrats (CDU) and Social Democrats (SPD) that ends a political deadlock and paves the way for just such a coalition under conservative Angela Merkel.
The response on the streets of Germany and in the country's media? A collective groan.
"A collective groan: Oy!
Posted by: Genecis at October 11, 2005 5:47 PMI'm sorry, but this "analysis" is total nonsense and a pet peeve of mine. If 50% voted Left and 50% voted Right, that doesn't mean 100% voted for a Left/Right coalition. The average (or median or mean) is not "what everyone wants," it is only a statistical artifact that tells you little or nothing of the individual desires of those sampled.
Posted by: PapayaSF at October 12, 2005 2:09 AM