Meaning

[Dany]

Hello everybody,

could you please explain to me the meaning of the headlined senteces?

Few political transformations have been so quick-or so complete. For years the leader of Germany's Christian Demoscrats (CDU), Angela Merkel, was rubbished as dowdy easterner with little experience and less charisma. Her campaign last summer against the more impressive Gerhard Schroeder, the Social Democratic (SPD) chancellor, was calamitous, as she frittered away a 20-point opion-poll lead to finish with a smaller share of the vote than the losing centre-right candidate, Edmund Stoiber, leader of the CDU´s Bavarian sister party, took in 2002. Immediately after the September 18th election, there was even talk of dumping her as chancellor-candidate in favour of an up-and-coming CDU state premier.

Thanks a lot for your assistance
Dany

[Tdol]

fritter- waste, so she was 20 points ahead and lost that lead wastefully
2 After the election, some wnated to get rid of her (dump) and replace her with a state premier who is acquiring a good reputation and popularity (up-and-coming)

[Dany]

Thanks a lot Tdol