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fiogf49gjkf0d The Local
“America may not see it, but Obama’s a visionary”Published: 5 Nov 12 11:56 CETWith most Germans hoping US President Barack Obama will be re-elected, the country is to see what happens on Tuesday. In a special-edition Zeitgeist, The Local asked what Berliners thought.David, 33, Berlin
“I really think that Obama has the best policies, which also correspond to my own values. I think the vote would affect Germany only if he wasn’t elected.”
Anja, 36, Berlin
“I am hoping that Obama will win. For me, it’s about his character. I see him more as a visionary, even though the Americans don’t understand this or try to stand in his way. But I think he’s more visionary for the future.”
Marian, 65 and Peter, 65, from Kassel
Marian: “Obama is more humane and more social. I have my fingers crossed for him.”
Peter: “If I were American, I would rather vote for Obama rather than for this millionaire.* I don’t know if millionaires make the greatest politicians, but there are a lot of them.”
Gabriel, 28, Frankfurt
“I would vote for Obama. I watched the presidential debates and didn’t agree with Romney’s policies on taxation, the environment and so on. But then again, TV debates are so superficial, they really are just a show. It’s also amazing how much attention they (the elections) have had in Germany. It’s an even bigger deal than our own elections.”
Thomas, 28, Frankfurt
“Obama, because he’s more liberal than Mitt Romney, and because Mitt Romney still lives in the 1950s.** It depends on who gets named as Secretary of State as to whether the outcome would affect Germany. If Romney picked some radical conservative then it would be really bad.” The love affair between Germany and Obama has been a very public one since 2008, when 200,000 people turned up to see him talk in Berlin during the election campaign.
Obama speaks to the basic German attitude of social responsibility within a capitalist market — and crucially in the 2008 election, he was not George W. Bush, who was wildly unpopular in Germany by the end of his second presidency.
A recent survey showed 85 percent of Germans would vote for Obama if they had the option, while just four percent told pollsters YouGov they supported Republican challenger Mitt Romney. Twice this share thought he had a good chance of beating Obama though.
Of the 1,051 people asked, 60 percent felt that Obama’s policies were generally positive — perhaps thanks to the new healthcare bill, which made the American medical system more accessible.
His decision to pour money into the country’s auto industry in the wake of the economic crash is something many Germans can support in principle, while his less confrontational attitude to foreign policy is also more in tune with German thinking.
The Local hit the streets in Berlin to get a taste of what Germans had to say about Tuesday's election, and whether they thought it would affect them.
* Peter seems unaware that Obama is a millionaire.
** Thomas seems unaware of Romney's record as MA governor.
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