People are agitated, and it’s because of the cardboard. They wanted to innocently visit Heidelberg Castle on a Saturday morning in beautiful weather, perhaps even struggled up the roughly 300 steps to the castle hill, it’s not that warm yet, and then there they are, those two candidates for the U.S. presidential election in November. Although Kamala Harris is not as interesting. Donald Trump stands out much more. Many unflattering words are directed at him; but most often, the tourists simply state who is in front of them, as if that curse word is enough: “Trump!” A man in painter’s pants walks by: “Are they still alive?”
These two here have surely never lived, as they are made of cardboard, albeit life-sized. Trump stands there satisfied and with spread legs, his hair and skin slightly paler than usual, but with the obligatory thumbs-up. Harris is smiling in heels, reaching out her hand to the air. Our little experiment revolves around the question of whom Americans want to vote for on November 5th and why – and for an (entirely unrepresentative) opinion poll, we’ve come to Heidelberg Castle, where many of them tend to roam during vacation time.
Posing with the Cardboard Figures
First of all, the presence of Trump and Harris causes some disturbance; most tourists point at the cardboard and laugh out loud. A Pole and some Chinese don’t say a word and quickly pose privately with Trump, smiling shyly and not bothering with the two journalists standing nearby.
A tour guide straightforwardly incorporates the cardboard candidates into his talk and instructs his audience about Trump’s German roots (Palatinate) and Harris’ vice candidate Tim Walz (Baden). The figures keep tipping over onto the cobblestones, which seem simply not suited for a dignified appearance.
The security personnel and staff of Heidelberg Castle aren’t initially sure how to react. But since the cardboard candidates shouldn’t seem too disruptive and the administration is not reachable on a Saturday, both move a bit further away from the castle. Even here, they find that Americans are not typically shy, and some actually do express their preferences and pose with their chosen cardboard figure.
“I can’t look at him”
Many find it interesting that Germans are even interested in the U.S. election. Some prefer to turn Harris or Trump around before posing next to their favorite. “I can’t look at him,” says Kirsten van der Ciel from New York City.
Almost everyone has a clear opinion, and almost everyone associates hope with their candidate: The Trump voters yearn for an improvement in the economic situation, while the Harris voters want a woman in office who cares about people, not herself.
Only Evelyn and Paul Celio from Texas have pretty much written off this election – they prefer to pose without candidates. Trump is crazy, Harris incompetent, says Evelyn: “I think you could throw a potato into a crowd, hit someone, and they would be a better candidate.” She tries not to follow the election campaign. “I have to keep my pulse low.”
Jeff Haden from California is out with his Irish girlfriend, who would never vote for Trump, unlike him. “Eventually, she’ll understand,” he says. But they both respect each other’s opinions, the Irishwoman says as well. Haden is looking forward to the television debate between Trump and Harris next week, on September 10. He believes Trump will once again emerge victorious, just like against Biden. But he also says perhaps the most conciliatory words of the day: “May the debate be fair, and good luck to both!”