Last but not least: giving problem peers the middle finger
Chancellor candidate Steinbrück's approval ratings are slowly picking up steam. In the latest issue of SZ Magazine, he is seen giving the interviewer the middle finger on the cover.
The Süddeutsche Zeitung Magazin has an interview section called «Don't say anything right now». The name says it all: Responses are given not with words, but with photographed gestures. Chancellor candidate Peer Steinbrück is a guest in Friday's latest issue.
When asked, «Peer the Flopper, Peer the Problem, Peerlusconi—you don’t have to worry about getting any nice nicknames, do you?» Steinbrück responded by flipping the camera the middle finger. This was likely a reaction to the media’s months-long fixation on his gaffes. Our current “Affengate” scandal seems downright tame by comparison. His direct, dry, and at times almost brusque manner has led the SPD candidate to put his foot in his mouth on more than one occasion in the past and once made him, prematurely, a hopeless challenger to Angela Merkel. However, the fact that he doesn’t worry about rubbing people the wrong way—unlike Merkel, who never ventures out on a limb—also earns him sympathy, and as a result, his poll numbers have been rising steadily in recent weeks. He comes across as authentic because he seems to say what he thinks at all times—image be damned.
Like Süddeutsche.de According to reports, his spokesperson, Rolf Kleine, wanted to prevent the middle-finger photo from appearing on the front page. In his opinion, his protégé had reacted «a little too spontaneously» to that question. But Steinbrück approved the photo, saying, «No, that’s fine.» And—at least at first glance—he’s receiving a lot of positive feedback, particularly in the blogging community and on social media. (hae)
