WENN POLITIKER REDEN
Präsident hält Grundsatzrede zur Lage der Nation = the president will come before Congress to hold the state–of-the-nation/state- of-the-Union address/speech
Präsident stellt seinen Plan zur Sanierung der Staatsfinanzen vor = president sells/pitches his turnaround economic plan/road map to the audience
die Rede des jungen Präsidenten war tadellos = the young president gave his speech without missing a beat
mit dieser Rede hat er seine Reifeprüfung als etablierter Politiker bestanden = the speech was his coming of age/rite of passage in the political arena; as a politician he has really glowed up
in seiner Weihnachtsansprache weist der Bundespräsident die Bevölkerung auf ihre Pflichten hin = in his Christmas address President raises awareness/conciousness about social issues; he also brings home/drives home the importance of ethics to the nations’ citizens; in a sermon-like speech the PM exhorted all the country’s inhabitants to become more sensitive to the impact of climate changes
Gesundheitsminister/Parteivorsitzender hält leidenschaftliche/emotionale Rede = the Minister for Health delivered/gave a big-time speech/glowing speech/uttered high octane lines; the party leader roared to life with a passionate and uplifting speech
seine/ihre Rede ist sehr gut angekommen = his speech was spot-on and resonated/ registered well with the press; his proposition came across as just and fair; her performance resonated/went over/down well with the public
es ist immer hilfreich, bei einer Rede einen Spickzettel dabei zu haben = it always helps to read from a cue card/have a quick glance at a cheat sheet
in einer Pressekonferenz werden Eingeweihte zunächst vorab informiert = the government’s press secretary hosted a briefing ahead of an official announcement/a major update to a selected group of journalists
seine Rede war zu verklausuliert = his speech was riddled with inconsistencies; he kept dancing around/tip toeing around/pussyfooting around the same questions
es gibt zu viel Kakophonie in der Politik = one always hears a lot of gobbledygook /gibberish/rubbish/baloney when politicians speak
Politiker setzen sich nicht immer für Transparenz ein = politicians are not always upfront with their intentions
er/sie ist ein Politiker, der/die lieber Sprüche klopft als Fakten darstellt = he/she is one of those politicians who would rather bang out slogans than state real facts
manche Politiker treiben schon wieder die nächste Sau durchs Dorf (d.h. sie können sich geschickt von wichtigen Themen drücken) = some politicians are very skilled at diverting/deflecting/distracting attention from major problems; hyping up that minor issue is another good example of the tail wagging the dog; the tail keeps wagging the dog as long as some politicians sort of always find a way to spin/ deceive the public
dies war ein verzweifelter Versuch, eine populistische Rede zu halten = his impassioned speech was a desperate attempt at populism
zwei Sätze, die man oft hört bei Redebeginn eines Politikers: “ich bin überzeugt, dass” und “ ich möchte es in aller Deutlichkeit sagen” = two expressions, which are frequently heard at the beginning of a politician’s address: “ it is my conviction, that …”; “let me state this plainly/clearly”
Populismus, sei es von rechts oder links, mit seinen einfachen Antworten auf komplexe Fragen, funktioniert nicht = populism, be it of the left or the right, is a political style offering unworkably over-simplistic solutions to complex problems
für die Medien war das Vorgehen des Kanzlers Aktionismus/Alarmismus/eine Kurzschlussreaktion = the prime-minister’s attitude was a knee-jerk reaction/response; PM is pilloried as alarmist by the media; politicians should avoid overreaching/knee-jerk reactions/responses
Politiker wiederholen ihre Phrasen gebetsmühlenartig = politicians worshipfully keep rolling out/trotting out the same old mantras/buzzwords/ credos/catchcries
Politiker erzählen immer das gleiche Blabla = politician recites the usual/same song and dance/just goes through the motions; some politicians reinvent the wheel/use their familiar playbook every now and then
das war die übliche olle Kamelle, nichts Neues, oder? = the minister gave/delivered the usual speech/his patented/familiar script; her address inspired a sense of déjà vu; he keeps telling the same old lies; his speech was just a word salad designed to confuse and gaslight the audience; we/I have seen this movie before, but this time around the ending could be different
Politiker sagt deutlich, was er/sie vorhat und wie er seine Vorstellungen umsetzen möchte = a politician’s job is to clearly express his/her position and how he/she will work to achieve results/outcomes; promise less, deliver more is her/his mantra; she/he has a reputation of being a plainspoken politician who is very direct and straightforward in the manner she/he communicates
beeinflussbare Wähler werden von Politiker mit Unwahrheiten/Fake News abgespeist = fake news/misinformation to gullible voters appears to be the politician’s stock-in–trade; a lot of voters fell for the politician’s lies hook, line and sinker; slippery leaders produce/ spread a lot of BS (i.e. bullshit)
Politiker verdrehen/stellen Fakten/Daten dar, wie es ihnen passt = politicians cherry pick facts/stats (eg about the pandemic) to suit/push their own/personal agendas
was Politiker in der Vergangenheit schon von sich gegeben/gesagt haben, wird in den Medien wieder aufgetischt = TV channel rolls the tape on key politicians (i.e. things they said in the past, which are on record/tape, are revisited)
seine Rede war mal wieder mit abgedroschenen Sätzen gespickt = his speech was awash with cliché-riddled responses/platitudes
der Minister hat nichts mehr hinzuzufügen = the minister is done with giving/providing any more details/explanation on the matter; that’t all there is to it
Rede wies große Kluft zwischen Rhetorik und Realität auf = there was a wide gap/divide between rhetoric and reality
wie diese Kluft überbrückt/geschlossen werden soll, bleibt eine offene Frage = how this gap should be bridged/closed remains an open question
Politiker drücken sich zu verschachtelt aus = politicians sometimes waste too much time equivocating/prevaricating/waffling/ floundering
Wähler haben es manchmal satt, wenn Politiker zu viel reden/etwas zerreden/daher reden = voters sometimes get tired of too much gobbledygook/doublespeak by politicians; weasel words, window dressing and smokescreens seem to abound in politics nowadays; some politicians always want to hog/relish hogging the floor
manchmal benutzen Politiker nur schlaue Worte/Ausdrücke, die zu elitär/intellektuell rüber kommen, als würde man über Kunst/ Literatur reden = sometimes politicians use many highfalutin/stilted words/expressions, which come across as too overblown/pretentious as if they were speaking about some exquisite art/literature topic
was ein Politiker sagt ist nicht unbedingt was er tut = how he acts/what he practices is not necessarily what he says/preaches
bei Wahlversprechen ist Politiker einfach Spitze = politician is masterclass/top of the class//at the head of the-class in doublespeak
manchmal müssen Politiker einen Spagat machen = on certain controversial issues politicians work both sides of the street, i.e. they don’t say which side/policy they support; the Finance Minister faces a tough juggling/balancing act on whether he keeps the budget stable or boosts government spending
bei der Klimawende sitzt Minister noch zwischen zwei Stuhlen = minister is still sitting on the fence on many aspects/facets of the climate change issue
Politiker können sich sehr gut verstellen und dabei sehr überzeugend wirken = politicians are very skilled in the art of plausible deniability behind a veneer of respectability
Politiker haben ihre Lieblingssprüche = politicians have their favorite catchphrases
dieser großmäulige Politiker hat eine große Klappe aber da ist/steckt nichts dahinter = the smooth-talking/big mouth politician is heavy on rhetoric but light on substance; all we get to hear from him is hot air/smoke and mirrors; he/she loves to lay it on thick/to engage in exaggeration
große Klappe, nichts dahinter = big talk, no action; some politicians are often big on rhetoric, but a large gap yawns between their words and actions
mit seiner Rede stieß der Kandidat den konservativen Parteiflügel/einige Wähler vor den Kopf = the candidate ruffled puritanical feathers/upset party puritans with his speech; with his smug/odd/snarky/in-your-face remarks the prime minister did more harm than goog/dissed some of his voters; he took a casual swipe at his electorate; however, many supporters appear to show show little discomfort with the candidate’s abrasive style
Politiker ducken sich weg/mauern/geben ausweichende Antworten/gaukeln den Wählern etwas vor = politicians use obstructive tactics to dodge and weave questions; the opposition constantly filibusters/stonewalls/runs the clock down in a bid to delay motions they don’t support; they often give/offer evasive/deceitful/shifty answers; very often it’s hard to get a straight answer from a politician; politician has proved that he can dodge responsibility on big issues; sometimes too much indignity and outrage comes from politicians' words or actions; sometimes it takes ages to break the filibuster; when not in power politicians (from opposing parties) have a tendency to be/become obstructive; some politicians stonewall/delay discussions by talking a lot or refusing to answer questions
Politiker umgehen Fragen zu delikaten/heiklen Themen = politicians skirt/deflect questions about thorny issues; they still keep dancing around/tip toeing around/pussyfooting around the same questions; time for dissembling and shimmying is over; it’s just hollow talk and no action; sometimes they pay lip service to a proposal but do not walk the talk; the deputy prime minister stonewalled successfully on the Prime Minister’s behalf
als der radikale Politiker die Bühne betrat, haben viele Anwesenden aus Protest den Raum verlassen = when the radical politician took to the stage many people voted with their feet by exiting the premises
wenn er was sagt, dann passiert meistens auch etwas = when he talks, he usually backs it up; sometimes politicians do walk/talk the talk; “I've been around long enough to know his intentions, so I know he’ll back them up", the journalist said; he/she is the kind of politician who never sits on the fence
Politiker können sich geschickt winden/wegducken/der Presse etwas vorgaukeln = the governor spent the day dancing around reporters’ questions; politicians engage in evasions, deflections and distortions/indulge in political posturing; sometimes politicians pretend emotions they do not really feel/make claims (or state facts) that are nor true/genuine
das Ergebnis bleibt gleich, egal wie die Politiker es darstellen = the outcome remains the same, no matter how some politicians slice and dice it/crunch the numbers; some politicians use averages, others use specifics
das wahr eine Rede für die Ewigkeit (ironisch): sie bestand nur aus vier Wörtern = that was a speech for the ages (jocular): he only said four words
Politiker tun alles, wenn es darum geht, ihre Mandate nicht zu verlieren = those talented speakers/public performers weave and bob/ duck and jive on an issue in order to keep seats
Bitte nicht mehr herumeiern = “enough with the back-and-forth, the posturing and politicking”, she said; Let’s get it over with, OK?; quit tip-toeing around the issue/subject and get to the point/cut to the chase
Politiker sollen nicht geschwollen reden = just stick to the plain talk, don’t dress it up
Alt-Kanzler möchte keine Ratschläge von der Seitenlinie geben (d.h. nicht besserwisserisch klingen) = former PM doesn’t want to be a backseat driver (i.e. not give unwanted advice)
Politiker spielen manchmal den Guten oder den Bösen = politicians sometimes play the good cop or the bad cop/bully
die Ränkespiele um persönliche Vorteile zu erlangen, setzen sich hinter den Kulissen fort = the rhetoric with the aim of gaining personal political advantages behind the scenes continues
der Minister hat sich politisch korrekt ausgedrückt = comments by the minister were politically expedient/correct
die Rede des Parteivorsitzenden war fast nur politisches Geplänkel = the party boss’s speech reeked of political posturing
die Politik in unserem Land plätschert dahin = politics in this country is just meandering along/limping along/bumbling along;
there is a lot of obfuscation, equivocation and muddling going on
es ist dringend notwendig, die Politik des Landes neu zu gestalten, da es seit langem in politischer Lähmung versunken ist = there is a strong need to reshape the politics of the country as it has been mired in political paralysis for a long time; "we have to unite for change", is a phrase, which is often repeated in speeches
