Austrian Elections & Politics 2.0 (Presidential runoff re-vote: 4 Dec. 2016)

[Tender Branson]

The satiric newspaper "Tagespresse" once again made my day:

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http://dietagespresse.com/samsung-galaxy-note-7-ist-ok-fpoe-doch-fuer-gratis-handys-fuer-fluechtlinge

[Tender Branson]

FPÖ hits 40% (!) in a new Vienna state election poll, conducted for NEOS:



http://www.krone.at/wien/nur-27-prozent-bei-umfrage-grossalarm-fuer-wiens-spoe-fpoe-40-prozent-gruene-15-prozent-story-534979

[Tender Branson]

Austria's right-wing presidential candidate says disputed book OK

VIENNA –  The right-wing candidate for Austrian president is standing by a book he published that endorsed arcane gender roles and warns that foreigners will destroy the country.

But in a television interview to be broadcast Monday, Norbert Hofer acknowledges that "some passages" in the book — "For a Free Austria" — are "a mistake."



Written by a fellow Freedom Party member, the book warns that immigration will result in a "violent process of displacement in which we invite those after our scalps to accomplish this from the inside like a wasp larvae that slowly devours the grub."

It also says men yearn for women whose "brood-care instinct exceeds imposed ambitions of self-realization."

Hofer said he's not a right-wing extremist and that he hates National Socialism.

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2016/10/17/austria-right-wing-presidential-hope-says-disputed-book-ok.html

[Tender Branson]

The new Gallup poll (n=800, Oct. 18-20, MoE = +/- 4.5%, online and phone) shows Hofer back with a 1-point lead (although it remains virtually tied).

This could be because of CETA. Austrians want a referendum of this trade treaty by a 47-37 margin and would vote against it 71-29 if there were a referendum ...

[Tender Branson]

Hofer duelled himself with Barroso at a university in Geneva (Switzerland) yesterday:



The audience was a very unfair lot though (mostly students, who held up signs and constantly booed Hofer whenever he talked).

Then, at one point Barroso even called Hofer a Nazi who wants to re-establish WW2 concentration camps (instead, Hofer said he prefers camps in Northern Africa or in the migrants' African home countries, in which the migrants can file for asylum before doing so in Europe).

[Tender Branson]

Hofer (FPÖ) out with new campaign posters:

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[Mike88]

Hofer duelled himself with Barroso at a university in Geneva (Switzerland) yesterday:



The audience was a very unfair lot though (mostly students, who held up signs and constantly booed Hofer whenever he talked).

Then, at one point Barroso even called Hofer a Nazi who wants to re-establish WW2 concentration camps (instead, Hofer said he prefers camps in Northern Africa or in the migrants' African home countries, in which the migrants can file for asylum before doing so in Europe).

Cherne, cherne... oh my dear cherne. He always puts himself in akward situations.

[Tender Branson]

The Evangelical Church of Austria has come out to criticize Hofer's use of "So help me God" on his new campaign posters (see above), saying it violates the 2nd of the 10 Commandments.

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

Hofer (FPÖ) out with new campaign posters:

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[Tender Branson]

Van der Bellen out with the final poster campaign:

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[Tender Branson]

This happened over the past week:

* Chancellor Kern (SPÖ) was caught on camera while driving through a 80kmh (50 mph) zone with 150kmh (95 mph) by another driver's dashcam. This won't have any consequences though, because the Chancellor was not driving himself. And a video is not enough for a fine. Still, a bad image.

* HC Strache (FPÖ-leader) talked about an impending "civil war" in Austria because of the recent mass immigration. He also posted a controversial poem on his Facebook page on Austria's National Holiday on Wednesday, from a Austrian writer most active in the 1920s who also wrote the "Swastika Poem" for a local Nazi group back then.

[Tender Branson]

Hofer (FPÖ) will visit Serbia and their President Nikolic next Tuesday:

https://kurier.at/politik/inland/hofburg-wahl-heinz-christian-strache-wirbt-laut-serbischer-zeitung-um-stimmen-von-serben-fuer-norbert-hofer/228.395.980

Obviously, this is to get the votes of the Serbs living in Austria and it continues Hofer's travels abroad for broader international ties (he visited virtually all of the Balkan states in recent months, the Czech Republic, Germany, Switzerland and Israel).

He also hosted Steve King (R-Iowa) in Vienna recently.

[DavidB.]

* HC Strache (FPÖ-leader) (...) also posted a controversial poem on his Facebook page on Austria's National Holiday on Wednesday, from a Austrian writer most active in the 1920s who also wrote the "Swastika Poem" for a local Nazi group back then.

Classy.

[Tender Branson]

New Akonsult poll, conducted for the Austrian county newspapers:







http://www.meinbezirk.at/land-oesterreich/politik/donald-trump-unten-durch-norbert-hofer-und-fpoe-oben-auf-d1919869.html

[rob in cal]

   Tender, when will postal ballots be sent out, and more importantly will they have the right glue this time?

[Tender Branson]

   Tender, when will postal ballots be sent out, and more importantly will they have the right glue this time?

The ballots and envelopes are already printed and they will be sent out starting next week.

This time, the Interior Ministry used a state-owned company (the State Printery), which prints all kind of state documents - instead of the private company which printed the "glue-gate" ballots.

There were heavy quality controls this time, so everything should be fine with the envelopes this time.

[aross]

PARLIAMENT IS LITERALLY ON FIRE!



they've extinguished it now but hahaha metaphors intensify

[Omega21]

New Poll by Gallup is out.

Hofer keeps the lead with 51%, the OVP hits a new low and continues losing voters to other Parties.

FPO again at 35%.





http://www.oe24.at/oesterreich/politik/Umfrage-Schwarz-stuerzt-ab/257385904

[Tender Branson]

I just ordered my postal ballot, so I can swiftly vote for VdB (... again).

[Tender Branson]

The "Kurier" newspaper has an article about VdB and Hofer today ("This is how I see America"):

https://kurier.at/politik/inland/van-der-bellen-hofer-so-sehe-ich-amerika/229.092.482

VdB wants a Hillary win on Tuesday and links Hofer to Trump.

Hofer says that American voters are mature enough to make their own decision in the election, but he'd invite and talk with any winner.

Another interesting fact: One of Hofer's grandfathers is a US citizen (his great-grandparents emigrated to the Chicago area and his grandfather was already born in the US).

[Omega21]

Today, Israeli Secret Service (Mossad) legend, agent Rafi Eitan who captured Adolf Eichmann 56 years ago, came out and supported the anti Immigration platform of the FPO.

During his visit to the FPO in Wien he has sent out the following messages: "Stop Immigration","Lock your borders", and other things relating to the reduction of the flow of Illegals into the country.

The FPO has stated that they are happy to host such an important guest from Israel and that they want to continue making closer ties.

I think that this is a good think, and that the FPO needs to clear it's image of being an Extreme-right anti Semitic party.

[Tender Branson]

We'll get the updated number of eligible voters this week, because today the voter list will be finalized.

Citizens who got 16 over the past months will be added, while people who died will be removed.

Experts said that the number of eligible voters will rise by about a net 5.000 people.

[Tender Branson]

Hofer (FPÖ) congratulated Trump on his victory in the US presidential election and said he's confident that the (economic) ties between the two countries can be deepened. He also said that he won't change his campaign style and become more agressive because of the Trump-win, because his strength is that he's authentic.

VdB (Greens) said that the Trump win is a wake-up call for the runoff on Dec. 4 to put the respectful "living together" into the spotlight rather than divison. He also said: "The majority of Americans have elected Trump as their President. This has to be respected." (and while he didn't congratulate him for the win, he said he "wishes him the prudence and emotional awareness to fulfill the job.")

http://www.vienna.at/norbert-hofer-gratuliert-trump-zu-wahlsieg-van-der-bellen-sieht-weckruf/5004025

[Omega21]

Hofer (FPÖ) congratulated Trump on his victory in the US presidential election and said he's confident that the (economic) ties between the two countries can be deepened. He also said that he won't change his campaign style and become more agressive because of the Trump-win, because his strength is that he's authentic.

VdB (Greens) said that the Trump win is a wake-up call for the runoff on Dec. 4 to put the respectful "living together" into the spotlight rather than divison. He also said: "The majority of Americans have elected Trump as their President. This has to be respected." (and while he didn't congratulate him for the win, he said he "wishes him the prudence and emotional awareness to fulfill the job.")

http://www.vienna.at/norbert-hofer-gratuliert-trump-zu-wahlsieg-van-der-bellen-sieht-weckruf/5004025

I actually think that this could help Vdb and wake up some Voters that are scared of the "austrian trump"..

Even though Trump makes Hofer look like a Leftie..

[Tender Branson]

Hofer (FPÖ) congratulated Trump on his victory in the US presidential election and said he's confident that the (economic) ties between the two countries can be deepened. He also said that he won't change his campaign style and become more agressive because of the Trump-win, because his strength is that he's authentic.

VdB (Greens) said that the Trump win is a wake-up call for the runoff on Dec. 4 to put the respectful "living together" into the spotlight rather than divison. He also said: "The majority of Americans have elected Trump as their President. This has to be respected." (and while he didn't congratulate him for the win, he said he "wishes him the prudence and emotional awareness to fulfill the job.")

http://www.vienna.at/norbert-hofer-gratuliert-trump-zu-wahlsieg-van-der-bellen-sieht-weckruf/5004025

I actually think that this could help Vdb and wake up some Voters that are scared of the "austrian trump"..

Even though Trump makes Hofer look like a Leftie..

I think VdB now has a good chance to win (again), but that doesn't have to do with Trump's win.

I think Hofer has a mobilisation problem regarding his voters: I talked to many of my co-workers and (extended) family members, and not few of them voted for Hofer in the actual runoff. But the recent delay of the re-vote because of the glue-problems made many say that they are now not voting anymore on December 4, beause they are "sick and tired of all this sh*t" (their words).

VdB-voters (many of them consisting of Green Party, SPÖ, ÖVP and NEOS voters) usually tend to be more unimpressed by this and generally vote in higher numbers (FPÖ-voters are sometimes hard to mobilise).

Also: VdB is still extremely present with his poster campaign in my district. Every town now has at least 10-20 posters along the roads, whereas there were only a few before the initial runoff. VdB's team has increased his presence in the rural areas significantly. In Zell am See, I have spotted easily 50 campaign posters for VdB, but only about 10 or so for Hofer.

I might be totally wrong (like the Hillary-supporters), but his organisation looks pretty good this time.