She appeals to the German brain, if not the German heart. She doesn't inspire strong emotions. But she does inspire strong thinking about what is truly best for the nation.

She has a cool personality. She does not easily express her emotions. That may explain why people have difficulty identifying with her.

She is a stranger to most Germans. Many East Germans think of her as a West German, while West Germans think she is an East German.

Angela Merkel believes fiercely that Germany needs a freer, more individualistic society, and more market-oriented economy, precisely because she grew up in the very opposite -- in the communist east.

She was not a resistance fighter, yet she was skeptical of socialism; but then she went ahead and joined the Communist youth party. She's not open about her life's choices.

People see Merkel as an alternative out of their desperation. She may not be, but that's how they see her now.