let's take another look at alan posener's contention that american populism is fun. let's remind ourselves how much fun donald trump's messages. >> donald trump speeches are often over-the-top. he rails against the political elite or mexican immigrants. >> they are bringing drugsthey are bringing crime, they are rapists. >> he tries to polarize voters. >> the hatred. the hatred. and what it is his establishment because i am not taking anybody's money. they don't control me. i doing what is right for you. >> he seems to believe that voters will get him -- let him get away with just about anything. middleuld stand in the of fifth avenue and shoot somebody and i wouldn't lose any voters, ok? >> how long will the bandwagon continue? if i listenchbaum to that it is a lot less about fun than fear. who is he appealing to? >> he appeals to the undereducated people who have lost, people on the fringes, rednecks, he really appeals to that element of white america that feels like they are not represented. he has really struck a chord with them. .hese people don't usually vote h

alan posener is an author and commentator for the berlin daily. he says thanks to the two-party system, populists never get into the white house. and erik kirschbaum has worked for reuters and is currently a correspondent for the los angeles times. he says it is alarming trend do soringe candidates well but it is still early days. do we still need to worry about the trump factor? dozen iowa signal the beginning of the end? but this is such a crazy election that it is tough to make elections -- predictions. he is popular with people who do not vote. there is a big block of voters who do not usually vote. there could be a lot of disappointing results. they have nothing to lose. it is entertainment. it keeps the networks happy. he will probably be around for a while. warchest asgreat well that doesn't rely on donors. say trumprmann you will have no chance in the general election but many commentators predicted his demise months ago. >> every prediction can be wrong. trump is really very, very extreme. you cannot be more extreme than an purity if he s

posener, a regular commentator "die e berlin-based daily welt." he says merkel is paying the bill for her arrogance. a warm welcome also to constanze stelzenmuller who normally works out of washington where she's an expert on foreign and security policy at the brookings institution think tank. this is not the end of merkel, constanze argues but to win over germany and its neighbors she'll have to start making big compromises. and greetings to anna, with another berlin paper, "der tagesspiegel: and also writes regularly for the "new york times." she says angela merkel used to stand for a strong middle ground in politic bus now we see a time of division. let's begin with you, anna. i mentioned you wright for "the new york times" and your most recent piece was much quoted, most talked about. controversial, i might say. the end of the merkel era. no question mark, interestingly. what was your message? anna: i didn't make the headline, evidently. but how i view it is, i was focusing first of all on the german side of the problem, that i think we alread

it is a pleasure to welcome alan posener back to the show, he says you can find stupid people anywhere in europe. the really dangerous people are the intellectuals who use the mob for their own purposes. and finally we're happy to welcome an expert from migration and diversity at the foundation here in berlin. he says the main stream politicians talk of a flood of refugees, of upper limits, and islamization. all of that is fuel on the fire of right wing extremism. so take us to saxony if you would. what is behind the violence there? who is this mob? >> it's difficult to say really. at the moment they are still investigating into who exactly is behind this, these incidents but it leads to the core of our discussion i think. there is a whole scale of explanations who these people are. it's from extremist right wing radicalized almost terroristical people toward angry, normal citizens. and somewhere in between these poles you have to search for those people. what we do know is it was about a hundred people that surrounded this bus and a smaller group for example where the refugee shelter