Exit poll results for key elections in Saarland, Thuringia and Saxony, showing Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservatives had suffered strong setbacks surfaced on the microblogging site around 90 minutes before officially due.
Berlin — German politicians warned Monday democracy had been damaged after exit polls for state elections were leaked on Twitter before voting ended, the second time results have recently appeared prematurely.
Exit poll results for key elections in Saarland, Thuringia and Saxony, showing Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservatives had suffered strong setbacks surfaced on the microblogging site around 90 minutes before officially due.
The deputy parliamentary head of Merkel’s Christian Union bloc, Wolfgang Bosbach, said the leaking of the results “damaged democracy.”
Is that BUSH twittering Chancellor Angela Merkel’s neck??
Looks painful.
Well, I guess they are saving “damaging to Western Civilization” for the anti-Muslim comments to come.
Is noname German?
/and a shit dipped politician?
# 3 Sister Mary Hand Grenade of Quiet Reflection,
Be berry berry quiet…Im hunting wabbits!!!
Are they afraid Democracy will fall apart if power is put in the hands of the people? You gotta laugh.
Ill say one thing for Twitter, its pretty good at disseminating information super quick.
You know Bush hit that, an hit it hard!! He showed her who was the Fuhrer that night I tell ya!
Is this anything like how President Obama gave his victory speech an hour before the polls closed in Alaska?
# 7 Kanjy,
Yeah, I can see why your conspiracy inspired mind thinks ALASKA with it’s 3 Electoral Votes matters in a Obama/Biden 365 McCain/Palin 173 victory.
Face it RePUCKaTons lost, and lost BIG!!!!
I think John the reason Germany has that law is the politicians understand that people who don’t know better (read as those who don’t know who the people they are voting for, or what they stand for) will vote for the popular person. If it is found out who most people are voting for, the others will also vote for that person. I recall a study that was done that showed evidence of this, but I cannot recall anything other than the finding. This does not mean I agree with keeping the data private until voting is closed, but I can understand why the law was passed. (after all, politicians write the laws, so of course they will write them in their favor)
Why didn’t she just declare a cybersecurity emergency and shut ’em down?
I think Germany’s lack of free speech, thought, and association would be a bigger threat to Democracy than Twitter’s leaks.
# 11 Jimbo,
Yeah right, where do you find DUMBYA “free speech zones” in our constitution??
Germany has more free speech, thought, and association then the U.S.A. When DUMBYA invaded IRAQ, Germans protested vigorously and freely marched and denounced the folly of the act.
Compare that to DUMBYA “free speech zones”, police video recording and arresting demonstrators ….
DUMBYA legacy is “THIS IT AIN’T AMERICA NO MO’!”
It is obvious that a lot of people here don’t know shit about Germany. They have a higher voter turnout than we do consistently.
This issue is the same issue we deal with every year when the networks want to declare the winner in the first hour.
You can’t disclose poll results prematurely, don’t any of you idiots get it? How stupid do you ant me to think you are, anyway?
#13 smartalix
They weren’t poll results that were twittered, they were exit poll results. Merkel was worried that voters see her party as losers and not vote for them during the last hour or so.
15,
Prior to announced results, what’s the difference between “real” results and what people say they have voted? Why should any of that information be released while the polls are open?
This is not a “German” or “American” issue. it is an information management issue that we must resolve one way or the other. Incomplete amd mis-pitched information does no one any good.
#16 – the difference between the “real” results and an exit poll is that the “real” results are what is counted.
Some people lie on exit polls. Many people refuse to answer exit polls. Why should it be illegal to walk up to people (after they voted), ask them how they voted and then report the results?
The politicians seem to think we’re children, and we can’t be trusted to vote without being influenced by the results of an exit poll.
# 17 chuck said,”…politicians seem to think we’re children, and we can’t be trusted to vote without being influenced by the results of an exit poll.”
Uh, well, we can’t. I don’t have the info at my fingertips but you can google the psych studies as well as I can and, anyway, it’s just common sense: People want to be on the winning side. It is human nature. If you’re on the way to the polls and you hear predictions that Schlomo will win, you are more likely to vote for Schlomo even if he is not your preferred candidate.
#18 – um, well I can. You may consider yourself too childish and immature to vote without being influenced by a desire to vote for the “winning team”. I, on the other hand, am quite capable of voting for the candidate I want to represent me.
When I walk to the polling station, I will often see the election signs of many candidates (on the lawns of neighbors, etc). Do you think that if I see more signs for one candidate, that I will be influenced to vote for that candidate?
Ok, free will may be an illusion. But I believe in the illusion.
Chuck, I wasn’t talking about you personally or even myself (I vote absentee). Just commenting on the human psyche. By the way, it’s not the number of signs you see: it’s the one that makes a mark in your memory. It got to be interesting when the Afghans were having their first election a few years ago. Since most people couldn’t read, they each chose a symbol. So you could go to the polls and vote for Mr Camel Apple or Ms Sheep Chair. Or better yet, the double impact symbols: Mr Camel Camel. My theory was: the most interesting symbol would win. Too bad sexual images were not allowed. I’d have voted for Ms Boobs Boobs.
This is a common policy, which is put in place for democracy-promoting reasons.
We have similar rules in the US.
It’s trivial, because it is obvious, to comment that the violation of this policy is democracy-harming.
#21 Bob
I think John is right. Its about the political parties losing CONTROL during the election. This doest affect Democracy as much as it affects how elections are stage managed.