At a time when the U.S. is in need of widespread public support on the Afghan mission, the administration's tone on Afghan governance is feeble.Germany's electoral map has many colors in comparison to the red and blue of America, yet on both sides of the Atlantic, battleground state elections can portend change on the national level.Very few Americans volunteered trade as one of the “most important problems” facing the United States in this election year. To put this into perspective: more Americans believe in space aliens than in the dangers of the trade imbalance.