Reader Marika Buchberger found this in her email. It’s from a float that was on display in Düsseldorf during Rosenmontag just before “Super Tuesday” this year. Exactly why the Germans are so into our election needs discussion.
Clarificarion by Michael Auerswald who adds a link to the key slideshow highlighting this float here.
The McCain float would have to be sponsored by Viagra.
Let’s be honest. Whoever wins this election has got to spend literally all his four years cleaning up the mess left by Bush Jr. It’s still surprises me that someone actually wants to be succeeding him.
It’s no wonder that it takes a really crappy president like Bush Jr. to make it possible that an old man, a black guy or a woman to actually be on the race for presidency.
#1 – Recently on his 75th birthday, country music star Willie Nelson made this profound statement, “I have outlived my dick.”
I suppose that being occupied by the U.S. for about 50 years might mean they take some interest in our political process…
Germany is following the election very closely, as are most European countries I assume. One reason is the obvious influence that American politics have on the (western) world in general. Another is that ever since the Iraq fiasco and Germany’s decision to stay out of it, the Bush administration has an exceptionally bad rep there. With Merkel, a very Bush friendly Premier was elected (while previous Premier Schroeder leaned more towards the Russians (and now has a nice gig as a consultant for a Russian oil multi…), but first and foremost most Germans are still sceptical about pretty much anything that comes out of the US. And here comes the interesting part: deep inside Germans actually want to like the US – the last few generations grew up with an idealised picture of it and want it back. Which is why most want Obama to win because they feel he is more open as far as the rest of the world is concerned and generally more liberal and in line with European thinking. (now, how much of this is actually true after his sponsors hand over their list of demands remains to be seen)
Well, that’s my take on it anyway. Would be something to discuss on No Agenda maybe? I’m sure Adam has an opinion on it too.
#5 “generally more liberal and in line with European thinking.”
Too funny. The reason for the adulation was because the US was very successful because it wasn’t using the EU socialist model.
Quick question….
Have you banned me from the site? None of my comments ever get posted. Could you let me know via email?
Thanks,
Jake
[No, you're not banned but you gave a fake email address. Due to heavy spam, moderating has been slower lately. - ed.]
#6–Paddy==you really do just string any talking point at hand to post BS==unless the “was” truly is past tense and you are talking about 20 years ago? Is that your current thinking?
Socialist EU–safer better place to live than the USA. More competitive than the USA in global markets. More respect in global affairs. EU currency growing in strength against the dollar.
Bad Socialists==out performing the USA in all measures. Very un-American!
I kind of liked the float of Osama taking a bloodbath…
You know, I’m still trying to recover from the five minutes of German porn I watched in like nineteen ninety-three… I was making progress, Dvorak.
Why must you derail the healing process?!
In the same vein, here’s more photos from Burning Man. Or the Democratic National Convention. I can never tell which is which.
Evidently this parade is about current political issues. Most of the floats are about German issues–a few about Europe, one about USA.
Yea, they sure are involved in USA.
Imagine a USA parade about anything other than the local sports team or religion.
BAD EU==outperforming USA again. Very un-American.
#6 Paddy…
Socialist… Don’t know… really! At least more to the left than USA, if “left” and “right” still mean something. At least EU countries have Social Security… no Paradise by any means, but still if I get sick I can get health care for free, and if I get out of work I can get unemployment money that it’s not just survival money. Sure we get high taxes, but for the most part of it we can see where they go.
#8 “Bad Socialists==out performing the USA in all measures. Very un-American!”
Yep, why all my friends from EU have me getting them green cards! LOL
#14 – O’Furniture
>>Yep, why all my friends from EU have
>>me getting them green cards! LOL
LOL is right! You’re “getting them green cards”??
Whoa dude, you must carry a pretty big stick if you’re “getting” people green cards!!!
Man. Who knew we had a powerbroker like that on d dot o slash b??
Who you gettin’ ‘em for? Muslims from Amsterdam?
HAW! HAW HAW HAW!!
“Yep, why all my friends from EU have me getting them green cards! LOL
That’s the funniest thing I’ve read this year!
Paddy O’Furniture “getting” green cards for his friends!
Titter titter! Snicker!
“Exactly why the Germans are so into our election needs discussion.”
What’s to discuss? It’s not just Germany, it’s Big in Japan, France, Kenya, the UK, here in Ireland and elsewhere. The USA’s economy is tanking, its reputation in the rest of the world is trashed, and this election process is like watching a packed bus heading for a brick wall in slow motion. Call it morbid fascination: can the bus stop in time, or at least swerve to avoid a head-on crash?
The reason the rest of the world follows US politics is becuase the US completley dominates the course of world events, sets the tone of political discourse globaly and can make or break governments around the world just by small shifts in policy.
This is not a criticism, just an observation. US politcals is the equivalent of El Nina in terms of the effect it has on the political climate of the rest of the world.
This parade is rather famous in Germany. They do these provocative floats every year, not just featuring US politicians.
#14–Paddy==your personal experience, even if true, means nothing without a whole lot more details. Mustard nailed you pretty good.
I have friends in Europe who also want to work in USA==just as they have worked all over the EU, Asia, and Africa. You see the Euro’s aren’t as insular in their world view as are “conservatives” everywhere.
What does a baby do when all its candy is gone?
Those floats are amazing! I like them!
There is a similar inexplicable (at least by me) obsession with U.S. politics, specifically the Democrat Party.
I have not been able to turn on the TV news here in Spain for the last month or so without at least one mention of Clinton or Obama. They always find something to say. Yet there hasn’t hardly been anything on McCain or any of the other Republicans; (absolutely nothing about Ron Paul.) No Bob Barr either, not even sure how to translate Libertarian.
Some German T.V. shows make it here to Spain. There’s one about a police dog, and another with thirty-year-old actors playing slutty high school kids. So maybe Europeans have more in common with Americans than you might think.
BTW, on that float, Hillary should have been in a pant suit.
#9 – Mister Mustard
LMAO 
I wonder how he’s doing up there in northern Pakistan.
What do you mean why they’re so into elections?
What about the US? Oh wait, they just overthrow governments instead of being into other elections.
“Exactly why the Germans are so into our election needs discussion.”
Okay. How about the fact that every other country on the planet takes an interest in things outside their own borders, while the U.S. media never gives a damn about anything if it doesn’t directly involve the U.S.? The U.S. media has its head up its ass consistently and continually; and the uninformed American public is evidence of this. Ever watch “JayWalking”?
The U.S. is allegedly *the* superpower of the day (China will join the club in its own good time, and Russia’s bucking for re-entry). If I lived outside the U.S., I’d sure have an interest in whoever gets elected… I’d want to know who would be coach of the all the superpowers’ teams when worldwide scraps take place.
There are things that are happening outside the borders of the United States, but people who rely on U.S. news media to tell the story get a very biased and one-sided view.
#25 – OvenMaster
Come on… people want to hear simple explanations… such as “The reason the terrorists attacked us was because they hate our way of life.” Don’t bother about the background story…
Silly me. What was I thinking.
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