Obama's popularity in Germany plummets

[Middle-aged Europe]

Approval of Barack Obama in Germany
Nov. '13: 43%
Sept. '12: 75%
Aug. '11: 69%
Apr. '10: 88%

Which countries are trustworthy partners for Germany
France 80%
United Kingdom 50%
United States 35%
Russia 20%

United States is a trustworthy partner for Germany
Nov. 13': 35%
July '13: 49%
Dec. '11: 65%
Nov. '09: 76%

United Kingdom is a trustworthy partner for Germany
Nov. '13: 50%
July '13: 63%
Dec. '11: 70%
Nov. '09: 80%

Would US intelligence agencies stop the surveillance in the wake of a "no-spy agreement"?
Yes 6%
No 92%

Edward Snowden: Hero or criminal?
Hero 60%
Criminal 14%
Both 5%
Neither 17%

Edward Snowden is a hero, breakdown by party
Green voters 71%
Left voters 69%
SPD voters 63%
CDU/CSU voters 55%

Should Edward Snowden be granted asylum in Germany?
Yes 46% (+11 from July)
No 48% (-10 from July)

Source: ARD-DeutschlandTrend/Infratest dimap, Nov. 7

http://www.tagesschau.de/inland/deutschlandtrend2094.html

[Franzl]

Hardly surprising.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Looks like the person who is least pissed off about all this is Angela Merkel.

[Swedish Rainbow Capitalist Cheese]

Looks like the person who is least pissed off about all this is Angela Merkel.

She's from DDR, so she's used to being spied on.

[ingemann]

Looks like the person who is least pissed off about all this is Angela Merkel.

She's from DDR, so she's used to being spied on.

...and more important she used to not show whether she's angry about it.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Looks like the person who is least pissed off about all this is Angela Merkel.

She's from DDR, so she's used to being spied on.

...and more important she used to not show whether she's angry about it.

Plus it's easier to be nonchalant about this when you know you didn't say anything interesting in the first place.

[minionofmidas]

Looks like the person who is least pissed off about all this is Angela Merkel.

She's from DDR, so she's used to being spied on.

...and more important she used to not show whether she's angry about it.

The really important thing is that she liked the fact that the government was protecting her from bad people by spying on her back then, and never had the time (thanks to her perfectly serendipitous entry into politics in the winter of 89-90) or the temperament to question her beliefs even after they changed, so why should she dislike it now?

[Lief 🗽]

I'm sure Obama is absolutely heart-broken by the news.

[Middle-aged Europe]

I'm sure Obama is absolutely heart-broken by the news.

Nobody expects him to be heart-broken. Personally, I hope he's at least a bit concerned though.

[Franzl]

I'm sure Obama is absolutely heart-broken by the news.

Nobody expects him to be heart-broken. Personally, I hope he's at least a bit concerned though.

Well, to be quite honest, why should he be? The US can afford to be as arrogant as it wants, nobody will (or can) do anything about it.

[Middle-aged Europe]

I'm sure Obama is absolutely heart-broken by the news.

Nobody expects him to be heart-broken. Personally, I hope he's at least a bit concerned though.

Well, to be quite honest, why should he be? The US can afford to be as arrogant as it wants, nobody will (or can) do anything about it.

Yeah, that's what the arrogant usually assume... but it never works forever.

[TheDeadFlagBlues]

I'd probably have more sympathy for Germany if it wasn't pillaging southern Europe. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[Franzl]

I'd probably have more sympathy for Germany if it wasn't pillaging southern Europe. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

This isn't only a German issue. The US has access to pretty much everything everywhere. (Not to mention that I really don't see the relevance of disagreements on economic policy when discussing this?)

[TheDeadFlagBlues]

I'd probably have more sympathy for Germany if it wasn't pillaging southern Europe. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

This isn't only a German issue. The US has access to pretty much everything everywhere. (Not to mention that I really don't see the relevance of disagreements on economic policy when discussing this?)

I'm aware, I just don't have much sympathy for Merkel in particular on this issue. I do deplore the NSA's actions in general though. Sorry Lief and fellow mainstream liberal, Obama-supporting comrades.

[Middle-aged Europe]

I'm aware, I just don't have much sympathy for Merkel in particular on this issue.

I think we're in agreement on this one, since she's almost as guilty as Obama here. Merkel alone isn't the issue though, or at least she shouldn't be.

Our interior minister Hans-Peter Friedrich personifies the hypocrisy pretty well, since he's outraged over the wiretapping of Merkel, while at the same time he wishes that someone would him grant him the same wiretapping powers over the German populace as the NSA has.

The German government isn't outraged because of what the United States is doing, the German government is outraged that United States doesn't let them be a part of it.

That being said, I'm still glad that the wiretapping of Merkel helped to resurrect the issue.

[Rocky Rockefeller]

Gee, I ever-so wonder why?

[Smid]

I guess there go Obama's re-election chances if Germany's Electoral College votes are out of reach...

[Lincoln Republican]

And to think at one time Obama was worshiped  by these people. 

How he mighty have fallen.

Amazing what a few million phone taps can do to one's popularity.

[Tender Branson]

Not only the NSA is a reason ...

There's been steady reporting about Obamacare here and how the implementation flopped:

You must be logged in to read this quote.

"Obamacare crashes and burns: President Obama's prestige project turns into a debacle."

http://kurier.at/politik/ausland/bruchlandung-fuer-obamacare/35.031.625

Probably the same way of reporting in recent weeks in Germany too ...

[minionofmidas]

No.

[Tender Branson]

No.

?

You must be logged in to read this quote.

http://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/obamacare-gesundheitsministerin-sebelius-entschuldigt-sich-a-930894.html

[minionofmidas]

So? It's not newspaper frontline news, it's not web frontline news, it's not tv news, it might as well not have happened.

[Oakvale]

Not only the NSA is a reason ...

There's been steady reporting about Obamacare here and how the implementation flopped:

You must be logged in to read this quote.

"Obamacare crashes and burns: President Obama's prestige project turns into a debacle."

http://kurier.at/politik/ausland/bruchlandung-fuer-obamacare/35.031.625

Probably the same way of reporting in recent weeks in Germany too ...

Eh I'm pretty sure that's nonsense. Even if it were major news how many people are going to A) read it and B) care enough for it to impact Obama's popularity in Germany? This is all because of the overblown NSA thing.

[minionofmidas]

I guess there go Obama's re-election chances if Germany's Electoral College votes are out of reach...

Not against a Republican they aren't.

[Tender Branson]

Not only the NSA is a reason ...

There's been steady reporting about Obamacare here and how the implementation flopped:

You must be logged in to read this quote.

"Obamacare crashes and burns: President Obama's prestige project turns into a debacle."

http://kurier.at/politik/ausland/bruchlandung-fuer-obamacare/35.031.625

Probably the same way of reporting in recent weeks in Germany too ...

Eh I'm pretty sure that's nonsense. Even if it were major news how many people are going to A) read it and B) care enough for it to impact Obama's popularity in Germany? This is all because of the overblown NSA thing.

The NSA thing is certainly the soup, but the Obamacare f**kup is the flavour in it ...