Replies to post #262538 on Tornado Alley (PROG)

[StephanieVanbryce]

Austria just decisively rejected the far-right’s presidential candidate

by Zack Beauchamp Dec 4, 2016, 1:50pm EST


An anti-Hofer rally in Vienna. The signs read “No Nazi in the Hofburg,” referring to the Vienna’s Hofburg Palace (the building where the Austrian president’s office and residence are located). (Alex Domanski/Getty Images)

The results aren’t even fully counted in Austria’s presidential election. Yet the far-right Freedom Party’s candidate, Norbert Hofer, has already conceded defeat due to crushing early returns — a result that stunned political observers and gives hope that the far-right wave sweeping the West can be stopped.

The polls closed at 5 p.m. Vienna time (11 a.m. EST) on Sunday. Projections based on early returns showed Hofer’s opponent — the left-wing independent candidate Alexander Van der Bellen — with a seven point lead (53.6 percent to 46.4p percent). While the exact numbers are liable to change after each vote is counted, Van der Bellen ‘s lead is so wide that Hofer cannot hope to overcome it (the margin of error on the early projections is 1.6 percent).

“You have supported me so magnificently and I am infinitely sad that it did not work out,” Hofer wrote in a short Facebook message to his supporters. “I congratulate Alexander Van der Bellen on his success.”

Austrian polls completely missed this. Virtually all of them predicted a close election [ http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-38198694 ] an expert on far-right politics at the University of Georgia, tweeted after the results came in. “First time I love to be wrong in 2016!”

“WOW!,” Cas Mudde, [ https://twitter.com/CasMudde/status/805464326882623488 ] an expert on far-right politics at the University of Georgia, tweeted after the results came in. “First time I love to be wrong in 2016!”


Anyway, This is EXCELLENT and heart warming.. TONS of embedded links - and MUCH MUCH MORE on the two Men ... ;) What a wonderful thing to read about this morning .. the defeat of this nazilike dump! defeated by a Man who reasons somewhat as Obama does! ..;) darn I just looked again ... CRIPES there is TONS more of this article .. .. so sorry.. go see if you are interested
http://www.vox.com/world/2016/12/4/13833796/austria-presidential-election-2016-hofer-van-der-bellen