What a difference a slant makes.

This is what I thought after reading the article below.

Another example of what happens when a party wins on a principled platform then later through compromise and the need to form alliances to stay in power can lose its focus and the voters who put them in power.
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http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,4082759,00.html?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf
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In other words Merkel has her hands full. Her government is about to collapse. That is what I based the next conclusions on.

In Britain the Conservatives with a strong conservative message are still gaining ground, so it begs the question of whether the difference is the lack of focus on the message or whether just the act of being in power is what is to blame for Merkel’s loss of popularity.

I think it’s probably a combination of both. I would like to think that had Merkel straight off kept to her message and put in strong reforms that the crisis in Germany would have been mitigated enough to help her out. If she makes a major move now the results will not show up in time, but the action, if she can capture the peoples imagination with some forward looking radical reforms may be enough.

I noticed upon a closer reading of the article, it looks like the poll numbers were only down 1 and 2%. That sounds like a fixable thing. An understandable thing in these troubling times. The competition is still lagging behind. Unless I see worse numbers I would say she is safe for now. My estimation is that the media in Germany is as slanted as it is here.

If those numbers are only down 1or 2% I would say she is holding up rather well under the circumstances. I think Gordon Brown the ruling Liberal party leader and Prime Minister of England would be happy with those same numbers.

I guess the main conclusions I draw from this is that the Conservative movement is alive and well worldwide and ready to make its comeback here in the good old USA.

Upon further research, I just found this about the same poll.
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http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2009/03/04/europe/EU-Germany-Politics.php
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This article I tend to put more faith in as it gives us more facts from which we can judge the credibility of the story. Merkel’s numbers are still far and away better than her nearest opponent. The problem is who she will have to make a coalition with in order to push through her agenda. She needs a coalition in order to govern at all. To do that is the rub. The ones in the cat seat as far as making or breaking her coalition is the Center Left party. I wonder how close they would be with our “Country Club” Republicans?

I don’t have the knowledge to make that call. I just hope she can keep to her agenda. All parts of the country are in her favor. I wish her luck on leveraging her popularity and political skills to force her agenda through. Conservatives worldwide could use an example of how in times of financial crisis a conservative can handle things.

The press has already castigated her for not following Obama’s lead with massive stimulus packages. Though she did a multibillion dollar one. Seems it wasn’t big enough for the liberal press over there.

With some further digging I found the next link which shows that the conservative ideas are the only ones that gained in the polls. That is the FDU which is a conservative party of pro business people. The German people it looks like to me, are starting to think that business people may know something the others don’t about economic matters.
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http://www.france24.com/en/20090209-merkel-political-crisis-economy-minister-resigns
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Check this quote out from the article above.
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The big winners from the crisis are likely to be the FDP, which saw its popularity soar during a recent state election in Hessen and whose poll numbers are ever improving -- the party gained three percentage points in the ARD poll.
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The article explains the complicated way the coalitions are formed. With my limited knowledge she sounds like she is being forced to join the FDP. It also sounds like the article said it was her “preferred choice.
I’ve learned a lot In the last year about Euro politics but I see I have just started learning. Any way the next quote I liked.
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The latest opinion polls show Merkel is still likely to win September's election and form a coalition with her preferred partner, the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP).
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Why didn't they just say that to start with?

The poll margin in her favor is relatively huge for her to win but the governing ability is what seems to be in question, that is if I have a handle on their politics.

Perhaps, the confusion stems from a distorted and sometimes not too bright media over there.

Well, even if their media is screwed up: it’s nice to see it is at least consistent on each side of the Atlantic. Then again if the confusion’s mine at least I’ll admit it.

Regards, Live Dangerously Be A Conservative.