Bavaria’s prime minister has recently noticed gaps in his memory when it comes to colleagues from the opposition. Is it on purpose when he calls the SPD leader “Florian von Dings”? Oh, Markus Thomas Theodor Söder is far too polite for that. Or?
Name jokes don’t work at all no games with names, a polite person like Markus Thomas Theodor Söder naturally sticks to that. Yes, the CSU boss is really called that, three first names. Meanwhile, the Bavarian SPD leader has only two first names: Florian Bolko von Brunn. If Söder were rude, he would have joked long ago that Brunn, of all people, has a middle name that sounds a bit like Dobermann. Instead, the CSU leader certainly wanted to say something nice about the SPD leader when he recently gave a speech at the Munich CSU. But then, stupid as hell, he forgot his name. “Florian von Dings,” said Söder.
Again, the prime minister stands out with gaps in his memory. Only two weeks ago, when visiting the CSU party youth, the name Thomas von Sarnowski slipped his mind, and it wasn’t even enough for a “von thing”. Incidentally, Sarnowski is also party leader, state chairman of the Greens. What a coincidence. If Söder weren’t such a polite person, you could almost think he was doing it on purpose.
Here Söder, whom everyone knows, there the Brunns, Sarnowskis, Hartmanns and Hagens, whose biggest competitive disadvantage is that their names are comparatively unknown. Of course, Söder would never wantonly help to keep it that way, for example by playing memory gaps, that would be mean, especially in the election campaign. The way he dealt with Hubert Aiwanger also shows that this does not correspond to his style. The free voter boss is practically the only one who can keep up with Söder in the popularity rankings. A serious competitor, even though the prime minister is conspicuously cuddling his deputy. Not least because of his commitment to continue the coalition with the Free Voters.
If you were to put forward the erroneous thesis that Söder only wants to wrap up his rival Aiwanger, you would find evidence that the cuddle strategy is working. Anyway, Aiwanger cuddles back. He also wants to “remain a partner of the CSU” and anyone who listens to his anti-traffic light bashing has the impression that he would like to merge with Söder. Own contours, like over long stretches of the pandemic? Only faintly recognizable. If this continues, all competitors will soon be invisible – and the polite Mr. Söder will be unrivaled in the election campaign. Without any insidious action.