Der Spiegel Annoints McCain as US President

For weeks the US correspondent Gabor Steingart has been trashing the campaign of Senator Barack Obama. When Obama scored his big win at the Iowa caucus, Steingart wrote that it was a "fluke" that would not be repeated. Yesterday again Steingart called the nationwide surge in support for Obama "deceptive" (trügerisch):

Die Begeisterung der demokratischen Parteibasis für Obama ist daher trügerisch. Die schweigende Mehrheit des Landes verhält sich abwartend bis ablehnend.

The fact that the Democrats are fielding two strong candidates who have energized the party and resulted in record numbers coming out to vote Steingart sees as a fatal weakness which opens the door to ...John McCain:

Derweil auf der Hütte der Demokraten noch Unklarheit herrscht, haben die Republikaner einen Gipfel weiter ihre Entscheidung offenbar getroffen. Sie bieten den ältesten, erfahrensten und zähesten Führer an, der sich auftreiben ließ. Er heißt John McCain, ist 71 Jahre alt, schrullig bis sperrig. Er hat in den sechziger Jahren gegen den Vietcong gekämpft und später gegen George W. Bush und dessen Steuerpolitik votiert. Er ist ein Folteropfer und ein Foltergegner, den Irak-Krieg hält er für gewinnbar. "No surrender" (nicht aufgeben) lautet sein Schlachtruf.

Today Der Spiegel has another pro-McCain headline: Republikaner-Favorit McCain Alptraum-Gegner für die Demokraten (Republican Favorite McCain is the Democrats' Nightmare Opponent), while Steingart  scoffs at Barack Obama's Super Tuesday victories across the country: for him they are further evidence of his collapsing campaign.

Der Spiegel has already decided: Hillary will win the Democratic nomination and then be defeated by war-hero McCain in November.

For more on Hillary, read Der Spiegelfechter: Mama Warbucks

Comments

[Hattie]

What if McCain runs with Huckabee?
Take a good look around you before you conclude that Americans would not be dumb enough to vote for that ticket.

[Scott Kern]

Yeah that opinion piece is heavy on speculation/intuition and short on factual evidence. Certainly there is a case to be made that McCain will benefit from the coming struggle--Steingart doesn't make that case.

Steingart also doesn't explain why so many Independents came out for Obama, and why he won so many states in the heartland, while Clinton has had to rely on a more traditional Democratic constituency. Nor does Steingart get into the fact that Obama is converting Republicans and Independents to his cause--this would get in the way of pigeonholing Obama as a sort of brainless New Left phenomenon.

Speaking as an Obama supporter, Clinton has many strenghts- experience, progressive health care and education policies, and an accessible and folksy demeanor. But before last night I thought the best argument for her was her electibility. Clinton is a proven commodity and is viewed as experienced. Many older white folks (still the majority of voters alas) of my aquaintance (many of whom voted Bush last go around) have displayed sympathy towards Clinton and suspicion towards Obama, who is a new face after all.

However, the record Democratic turnout seems to have much to do with Obama and what people see in Obama. The yearning for Obama seems to go beyond young liberals and African Americans. One can hope that much of the passion stems from Obama being the closest thing to an anti-war candidate, but a lot of his support also seems to be bandwagonism or identity politics (he's definitely won over Southern blacks--look at the victory margins in SC, GA, and AL).

Personally I'm going to vote on policy rather than electability, so I lean towards Obama. But electability is going to be a big topic in the coming weeks, and unfortunately this discussion will likely reinforce the media's inane obsession with race and gender.

[Remove the biased news channel Spiegel.de from bookmarks and feeds]

I was wondering the whole time why is one of the major online news media in Germany obviously tell lies and propaganda when it comes to reporting about Obama. It is not a one time event but is going now for weeks. The reporting is so biased that i REMOVED spiegel.de from my BOOKMARKS and FEEDS. Sorry it reminds me of a dictators wishful propaganda about the world outside.