Armin Laschet, as head of the North Rhine-Westphalia state, is a conservative politician having a history of no interest in local environmental matters. Against all common sense, he agreed with a local energy giant, RWE, to allow its continuing operating an enormous lignite, open-cast mine until 2038.
As potential successor to Angela Merkel, many who have seen all their close-knit hamlets/villages razed to the ground will not be voting for him.
A sudden about-turn, declaring his support for all matters 'environmental', together with lack of tact when visiting the disastrous flood areas has seen some in his party withdraw assistance to his cause.
Many simply cannot envisage his replacing 'Angie' in Berlin.
If he were to pull it off, drawing comparisons with his political counter-part in the U.K. would be inevitable. Perish the thought.