Petanque in politics

The prior post led me to an old story, about the 2005 elections in Germany.

The CDU party of Angela Merkel produced a television ad depicting a boule rolling across a (long!) table and crashing into everything in its path. Meanwhile the voice in the background dramatically sums up all the economic problems Germany is facing, until Frau Merkel stops the boule.
Click on the image to watch the MPG file.

SPD, the party of incumbent Gerhard Schröder, made a parody ad showing a woman tossing a boule back & forth from one hand to the other, until... she drops it. While the commentator reels off a list of Mrs Merkel's alleged flip-flops on issues.
Positively a satin finish Obut boule, a #2 pattern.
Click on the image to watch the WMV file.

There is a twist to the story however: it seems that the SPD was aware that CDU's ad would be coming out and managed to broadcast the parody before the original. FT.com explains.

I can't wait for the day our presidential candidates start using petanque balls in their ads!