Ben Rhodes

Yeah, yeah.

Yeah, yeah.

Yeah, yeah.

It's crazy. I loved it. I didn't know that either. I was totally nerding out on it. On the election result itself, look, it's bad. The AFD did well. I mean, I saw some people on social media being like, oh, look, they failed. Nobody thought they were going to win. But they got about 20%, which is about... It's a fifth of the population. Yeah, it's a fifth of the population. That's bad.

It's crazy. I loved it. I didn't know that either. I was totally nerding out on it. On the election result itself, look, it's bad. The AFD did well. I mean, I saw some people on social media being like, oh, look, they failed. Nobody thought they were going to win. But they got about 20%, which is about... It's a fifth of the population. Yeah, it's a fifth of the population. That's bad.

It's crazy. I loved it. I didn't know that either. I was totally nerding out on it. On the election result itself, look, it's bad. The AFD did well. I mean, I saw some people on social media being like, oh, look, they failed. Nobody thought they were going to win. But they got about 20%, which is about... It's a fifth of the population. Yeah, it's a fifth of the population. That's bad.

And it's about where they've been polling. The good news is the J.D. Vance, Elon Musk interventions did nothing to help them. So they were polling there before Elon started weighing in. So it is a bit of a rebuke to those guys because they were clearly trying to pump up the AFD. That didn't happen. So that's one takeaway. I think the second thing is now...

And it's about where they've been polling. The good news is the J.D. Vance, Elon Musk interventions did nothing to help them. So they were polling there before Elon started weighing in. So it is a bit of a rebuke to those guys because they were clearly trying to pump up the AFD. That didn't happen. So that's one takeaway. I think the second thing is now...

And it's about where they've been polling. The good news is the J.D. Vance, Elon Musk interventions did nothing to help them. So they were polling there before Elon started weighing in. So it is a bit of a rebuke to those guys because they were clearly trying to pump up the AFD. That didn't happen. So that's one takeaway. I think the second thing is now...

Mertz's victory, this moves into the coalition formation, and we'll just have to see if that goes okay. They did, as we talked about last week, move so far right on immigration and some other things that that might make it difficult, but I think in the end you would expect that the threat of the AFD somehow getting into the government will compel.

Mertz's victory, this moves into the coalition formation, and we'll just have to see if that goes okay. They did, as we talked about last week, move so far right on immigration and some other things that that might make it difficult, but I think in the end you would expect that the threat of the AFD somehow getting into the government will compel.

Mertz's victory, this moves into the coalition formation, and we'll just have to see if that goes okay. They did, as we talked about last week, move so far right on immigration and some other things that that might make it difficult, but I think in the end you would expect that the threat of the AFD somehow getting into the government will compel.

I hope so, because hopefully Mertz moves a little bit too to make that easier to happen. It's not like he has a massive mandate. He had under 30% of the vote. The only other things that stand out to me This left-wing surge is good. And notably, actually, the Libertarian Party that blew up the coalition didn't even make it to 5%. So, you know, nice, well played there, guys.

I hope so, because hopefully Mertz moves a little bit too to make that easier to happen. It's not like he has a massive mandate. He had under 30% of the vote. The only other things that stand out to me This left-wing surge is good. And notably, actually, the Libertarian Party that blew up the coalition didn't even make it to 5%. So, you know, nice, well played there, guys.

I hope so, because hopefully Mertz moves a little bit too to make that easier to happen. It's not like he has a massive mandate. He had under 30% of the vote. The only other things that stand out to me This left-wing surge is good. And notably, actually, the Libertarian Party that blew up the coalition didn't even make it to 5%. So, you know, nice, well played there, guys.

I will say, like, she proves that maybe standing up on principle, like, attracts some people your way because they got the late-breaking vote and messaged to people. It's not even like a left-wing.

I will say, like, she proves that maybe standing up on principle, like, attracts some people your way because they got the late-breaking vote and messaged to people. It's not even like a left-wing.

I will say, like, she proves that maybe standing up on principle, like, attracts some people your way because they got the late-breaking vote and messaged to people. It's not even like a left-wing.

center thing it's just like speaking with some conviction appeals to people and i'm glad she's going to clearly be a voice and maybe she can be the oppositionist who can gather some intensity so it's not just afd so what you don't want is that there's a big coalition government and all the energy of opposition goes to the right right maybe she can capture some of that on the left that'd be good the last thing we should talk about though is that mertz in that interview

center thing it's just like speaking with some conviction appeals to people and i'm glad she's going to clearly be a voice and maybe she can be the oppositionist who can gather some intensity so it's not just afd so what you don't want is that there's a big coalition government and all the energy of opposition goes to the right right maybe she can capture some of that on the left that'd be good the last thing we should talk about though is that mertz in that interview