Now on to ensure Merkel wins in September!

[hlthe2b]

BBC Breaking News
(@BBCBreaking)
German Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman: Macron win is a "victory for a strong united Europe" #frenchelection bbc.in/2qPKFVB

[DemocratSinceBirth]

1. Her Social Democratic opponent is good on NATO and EU, and to her left.

I'm sticking with Merkel because she has opposed the nationalists from the jump in a position with high visibility.

[dsc]

4. Her refusal to permit marriage equality

is a big problem for me. I would be going for the Social Democrats over that.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

6. Hopefully she does an Obama-Clinton and comes around.

I am legitimately torn. She has been battling the nativists by herself.

[fun n serious]

2. Merkel is awesome!

One classy, brilliant woman!

[roamer65]

3. Hopefully the CDU and SPD pummel the AfD.

Voting either CDU or SPD is a vote for liberal democracy.

[Blaukraut]

5. I'd much prefer Martin Schulz and an SPD/Green coalition

Barring that, anything is better than AfD.

[hlthe2b]

7. I understand your points, but I can not imagine a better counter to Trump than Merkel..

It is very clear that she really gets under his skin and relishes doing so. That gives her a big leg up (pardon the pun) on Trump tactically, I think.

[Blaukraut]

8. Schulz would be a new face, to be sure

However, in terms of what is ultimately better for Germany itself, there is no doubt that the CDU is not it. They are the (much more moderate) equivalent of the Republicans here in the US, and have done their fair share dismantling substantial parts of Germany's social justice system.

[MoonRiver]

9. Yes!

[enid602]

10. Nuremburg

Germany has never been considered at risk for the tRump/LePin/Putin sort of takeover, given its unique history, and the fact that the Allies subjected them to the Nuremburg Trials at the end of WWII, which effectively weeded the evil out of their society. We need something similar to weed out the lingering ills that have plagued us since the founding of our Republic.