If this is the reason that Angela Merkel failed to win a majority in Germany, Germany deserves its continuing descent into economic mediocrity.
It is ultimately hard to establish to what extent the fact that Mrs Merkel is a woman from the East contributed to the CDU’s disappointing showing.
But one poll at least suggests 9% of voters – the difference between a majority and a hung parliament – would have voted differently if the conservative candidate had been a man from the West.
I don’t get it. I won’t vote for national candidates just because they’re from Virginia. Is this really so important for people that it can impact an election? Are people really so devoid of common sense that being from the wrong side of the tracks and having one too few “Y” chromosomes are more important than ideas?