35.4 to 34.2 isn't the clear rejection of anti-Americanism one would hope to see - Merkel almost botched a large early lead (assuming that Schroeder isn't able to put together a coalition...) - Together with the Forbes experience, I suppose "Never campaign on a flat tax." should be added to the list of political axioms.

Dude, what's with the Little House on the Prairie existence?

How does 33% for the SDP, 8% for the Greens and 9% of the mostly former Communist New Left Party represent a triumph for America ? I think whoever is left standing will be in a very very ambivilent position here.

Yeah, Karol, I don't get it either.

I don't think anyone does.

Damned socialist countries. *snicker*

Karol, it's really simple. Germany doesn't have a two-party system. Think about it. America gets chastized for having a two-party system and how it doesn't fully represent our diverse political make up, and yet we see how complex multi-party governments have to deal with non-majority winners.

The issue is that Germany has parliamentary democracy, which means you vote for a party instead of a president or local representatives. It's pretty much the norm everywhere except the U.S. and a few Latin American countries.

It makes some sense on paper, since everyone gets to have their views represented. In practice it sometimes leads to extremism. Though I think Germany's real problem is just that there are are still way too many socialists there who favor high taxes and heavy business regulation and then wonder why they have double-digit unemployment.

As said Germany is a parliamentary democracy. And as much as people like to think that the SDP ideology is quite wrong. They are social democrats and they believe in socialism. I highly doubt there was much anti vs. pro US discussion between regular Germans. It was more a discussion of domestic issues. Which will make the cabinet formation even more interesting since it is unlikely that greens join a CDU-FDP coalition and more likely that it will be a SDP-Greens-FDP coalition. But that is all just speculation and it could even get so bad that new elections will have to be called by the president if negotiations fail.

An even more complex system would be the election just held in New Zealand where a coalition formation will also be quite difficult.

But although parliamentry elections are more likely to lead to extremism they are less likely to lead to such populism that can be found in other places.

"I do not understand Germany's political system."

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