Pop politics

German politicians looked on enviously during the last US election campaign as then-presidential-hopeful Barack Obama managed to mobilize the youth vote.

It was primarily his use of the Internet and social networking sites that helped him reach the blasé young people who in this generation have shown little interest in politics. But media-savvy appearances on TV talk shows also helped propel Obama into the forefront of popular culture.

In March, he became the first sitting president to appear on a late-night talk show when he dropped by "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno."

Rolling with the punches

The strategy has clearly been noticed in Germany - where the hope is that young voters will not only help sway the current, close election, but will stay true to their parties for life.

So politicians are starting to spread their wings.

Appearing on established topical chat shows aired by public broadcasters and hosted by high-minded hosts such as Anne Will and Maybrit Illner are obviously nothing new.

But as parliamentary elections loom this weekend, a slew of Berlin heavyweights, from the ever-slick Economics Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg to the loquacious Left Party candidate Gregor Gysi, have decided to take their cues from Obama and appear on prime-time private broadcaster ProSieben.

Joining them for an election-night panel on a Saturday night show will be Social Democrat chairman Franz Muentefering, while liberal Free Democrats and the Green Party are sending their respective frontrunner candidates Guido Westerwelle and Juergen Trittin.

The show’s host is none other than Stefan Raab, enfant terrible of late-night viewing. As a TV personality, he's famous for making his interviewees squirm - and a lot more used to grilling guests such as Germany's next top model and Kylie Minogue than political leaders.

Over exposure

Still, he won't be the only one treading new ground. A turn on a show as anchored in youth culture as "TV Total Bundestagswahl 2009" certainly marks a departure for senior politicians.

But it is likely to be a canny move. When an election show hosted by Raab aired on the eve of the vote four years ago, it snagged a 29 percent market share of the 14 -29 age group category.

Obviously, politicians have decided to do whatever it takes to galvanize young voters out of their living rooms and into the polling stations come Sunday, and if that means subjecting themselves to Raab's punishing wit, they're willing to roll with the punches.

After all, the duller-than-dishwater debate between Chancellor Angela Merkel and her challenger, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, which aired a week ahead of the vote on Germany's first public broadcaster ARD, did little to tickle the public's interest - let alone attract the younger generation.

With the two rivals remaining civil and measured throughout, it could hardly even be termed a debate. And in terms of ratings, it was a resounding flop: 7 million fewer viewers tuned in than did four years ago, and with 7,86 million watching, it attracted a market share of only 23,4 percent.

But Merkel probably feels as though she currently has enough exposure in popular culture, now that a YouTube video featuring her getting heckled by a "flash mob" at an election rally in Hamburg has been watched by more than a quarter of a million people in the last week.

Participants shouted "Yeaahh" at every sentence spoken by the conservative leader, and waved placards with the words: "All together: Yeaahh."

"This is our political message and the political meaning of this flash mob - we won't swallow election campaign messages anymore and we'll throw Merkel's rubbish back at her with a ironic 'Yeaahh'," wrote Rene Walter on the nerdcore.de blog, according to news agency AFP.

Serious co-host

Barring an unexpected appearance, both Merkel and Steinmeier will be conspicuous in their absence on the Raab show, but their colleagues can expect questions on topics chosen to appeal to a younger audience, such as education, youth unemployment and the Internet.

Co-hosting with Raab will be experienced political journalist Peter Limbourg, who was quoted in the daily Tagesspiegel as saying that he "expects some tough talking."

"The point is to get as many people as possible to vote," he said.

Author: Jane Paulick

Editor: Jennifer Abramsohn