Election 2011 - Polling Day Announcement Poll

[dahamsta]

Given the current mess, I thought another poll was appropriate at this juncture. Again, this is first preference only. Personally I'd prefer a public ballot, but we didn't decide on this the last time we discussed it, so I've left it private. Here's (http://foot.ie/threads/142190-Election-2011-First-Pre-Election-Poll) the last poll.

[Lim till i die]

Surely the beauty of having your own forum is you don't have to worry about pesky democracy adam?? :)

Make it public, people having to explain their choices will make for livlier debate and that.

EDIT: Especially in the case of that Green!! :eek: :p

[Dodge]

make one public, one private and compare the differences

[Red Army]

Vote early and vote often.

[Mr A]

I'll be voting Labour as they're the closest fit to my own views (essentially centre left). Some of the stuff they come out with annoys me but some of it is very good.

Plus they voted against the bank guarantee- the biggest call made in this country in decades and they got it right. Not sure where I'll give my preferences but FF may actually have done enough to beat SF to bottom spot.

[Battery Rover]

I will be voting Independent as I have a friend running. He was Fianna Fail until about 2 weeks ago when he resigned from the party which in no way bothered me as he was getting my number 1 anyways.

I will be keeping the rest of my preferences within the Athlone electoral area.

[jebus]

Eitehr Labour or ULA for me. Haven't done enough reading on ULA to see if they are the Socialists by another name so I voted Undecided for now

[Lim till i die]

If you're still voting in Limerick the ULA candidate is that little youngfella with the glasses from the Socialist Party who do be selling The Socialist outside BoI.

Jan "bin charges" O'Sullivan and Joe "1000 euro sean nos lessons" Leddin are your "Labour" candidates :rolleyes:

[Kingdom]

I've voted Fine Gael, whereas in the previous poll I've voted Labour. I'm in Biffo's constituency, voting Enright and Flanagan 1&2 respectively.
I was going to vote Labour 1, followed by Fine Gael 2, but our Labour candidate, John Whelan had some slightly worrying things to say in the local paper recently, during a new years day walk in his local area. Something about using "a walking stick, well actually more of a talking stick, given to me by the Rainbow Travellers during my stay with them in the slieve bloom's back in the early 90's".

[passinginterest]

I'll vote Labour, like Mr. A I think they most closely resemble my own political outlook. I'll probably vote Socialist next then Fine Gael after a closer look at the cadidates. Still don't think it'd feel right to vote for a Sinn Fein canditate, so they'll join Fianna Fail and the Greens with no preference beside them.

[jebus]

If you're still voting in Limerick the ULA candidate is that little youngfella with the glasses from the Socialist Party who do be selling The Socialist outside BoI.

Jan "bin charges" O'Sullivan and Joe "1000 euro sean nos lessons" Leddin are your "Labour" candidates :rolleyes:

Nah I'm registered in Dublin now. I'll look into them though but Specs being on-board as the Limerick candidate isn't a great start for me

[Billsthoughts]

Voted undecided.... would never vote fianna fail...of that list have only ever heard of Gogarty and Fitzgerald neither of which I would be too keen on...will see over the next few weeks..

Fianna Fáil John Curran
Fine Gael Frances Fitzgerald
Fine Gael Derek Keating
Green Party Paul Gogarty
Labour Party Robert Dowds
Labour Party Joanna Tuffy
Sinn Féin Eoin Ó Broin
United Left Alliance Gino Kenny
United Left Alliance Robert Connolly

[Lim till i die]

I'll vote Labour, like Mr. A I think they most closely resemble my own political outlook. I'll probably vote Socialist next then Fine Gael after a closer look at the cadidates. Still don't think it'd feel right to vote for a Sinn Fein canditate, so they'll join Fianna Fail and the Greens with no preference beside them.

Any reason for Fine Gael preference out of curiosity?? It's just tis a bit of a leap from Labour to Socialist to Fine Gael. Not criticising just wondering.

[Lim till i die]

Voted undecided.... would never vote fianna fail...of that list have only ever heard of Gogarty and Fitzgerald neither of which I would be too keen on...will see over the next few weeks..

Fianna Fáil John Curran
Fine Gael Frances Fitzgerald
Fine Gael Derek Keating
Green Party Paul Gogarty
Labour Party Robert Dowds
Labour Party Joanna Tuffy
Sinn Féin Eoin Ó Broin
United Left Alliance Gino Kenny
United Left Alliance Robert Connolly

Where's that and why are the ULA running two candidates?? :bulgy:

[Kingdom]

Voted undecided.... would never vote fianna fail...of that list have only ever heard of Gogarty and Fitzgerald neither of which I would be too keen on...will see over the next few weeks..

Fianna Fáil John Curran
Fine Gael Frances Fitzgerald
Fine Gael Derek Keating
Green Party Paul Gogarty
Labour Party Robert Dowds
Labour Party Joanna Tuffy
Sinn Féin Eoin Ó Broin
United Left Alliance Gino Kenny
United Left Alliance Robert Connolly

Isn't this Dublin West? Lenihan's patch?

[Billsthoughts]

Dublin Mid West..
not sure why...probably because contains clondalkin but didnt go that way in last election....Labour only got the fourth seat...
Or maybe they were independents previously...no idea really...
Be interesting to see who benefits from Harneys personal vote.

[Macy]

Labour and then left down the ticket with final preferences to and stopping at FG (just because that could keep an FFer out). I haven't given up hope of leftist coalition, even if Labour are ruling it out.

The way things are going, I'm still not convinced it'll be FG-Labour. Todays implosion has to push FG up enough to open up other opportunities, not least FF. (Labour - FF just won't have the numbers regardless!)

[bennocelt]

Sf for me, gave up on labour a long time ago. Also any independents and Socialist party will get a tick

[Dodge]

Voted undecided.... would never vote fianna fail...of that list have only ever heard of Gogarty and Fitzgerald neither of which I would be too keen on...will see over the next few weeks..

Fianna Fáil John Curran
Fine Gael Frances Fitzgerald
Fine Gael Derek Keating
Green Party Paul Gogarty
Labour Party Robert Dowds
Labour Party Joanna Tuffy
Sinn Féin Eoin Ó Broin
United Left Alliance Gino Kenny
United Left Alliance Robert Connolly

Same constituency,. Tuffy is the sitting labour TD. She's OK. Dowds topped poll in Clondlakin local elections. Keating ran as Indy last time (He's a pats fan from Lucan) while Fitzgerald nearly got the seat last time.

My guess is that Tuffy and Ftzgerald will get first 2. Big fight then between Dowds, Curran, Gogarty and the Shinner for the last 2.

Yeah the ULA peopel couldn't agree. Kenny is ex WP and PbP and a current councillor

[jebus]

anyone have any info on John Lyons? he's the ULA candidate for my area

[superfrank]

At the moment, I'm undecided. I probably won't decide until the day.

It'll be between Labour and Fine Gael for me.


Not sure where I'll give my preferences but FF may actually have done enough to beat SF to bottom spot.
From what you post on here, I get the impression you don't like FF at all. Out of curiosity, why do you give any preference, no matter how low, to them?

[BonnieShels]

Voted undecided.... would never vote fianna fail...of that list have only ever heard of Gogarty and Fitzgerald neither of which I would be too keen on...will see over the next few weeks..

Fianna Fáil John Curran
Fine Gael Frances Fitzgerald
Fine Gael Derek Keating
Green Party Paul Gogarty
Labour Party Robert Dowds
Labour Party Joanna Tuffy
Sinn Féin Eoin Ó Broin
United Left Alliance Gino Kenny
United Left Alliance Robert Connolly

You've never heard of Tuffy? or her da Eamo? She's up there with Harney or Bacik for her visual appeal and up there with Burton for her vocal ineptitude.

Fitzgerald, Keating and Ó Broin (to help stem the Labour tide [though v. unlikely] for me.


Same constituency,. Tuffy is the sitting labour TD. She's OK. Dowds topped poll in Clondlakin local elections. Keating ran as Indy last time (He's a pats fan from Lucan) while Fitzgerald nearly got the seat last time.

My guess is that Tuffy and Ftzgerald will get first 2. Big fight then between Dowds, Curran, Gogarty and the Shinner for the last 2.

Yeah the ULA peopel couldn't agree. Kenny is ex WP and PbP and a current councillor

Connolly is ex-SP... apparently going around saying he's "approved by Joe Higgins"! :)

[bluemovie]

I like the lovely colouredy graph and I'm hoping we never see what colour is assigned to FF (black to match their souls?). I would have voted for Brian O'Shea (Labour), but he quit last week so my number one vote will go to an independent I trust. I'll be going right down the list too. As it stands, I'd probably vote Independent, Independent, Labour, Labour, Fine Gael, Workers Party, Fine Gael, Sinn Fein.

[Macy]

Big fight then between Dowds, Curran, Gogarty and the Shinner for the last 2.
Gogarty will hardly be in the running will he?

[BonnieShels]

Gogarty will hardly be in the running will he?

No chance. He put up posters on all the a bus stops there in the last month.

It's gonna be 1 FG, 1 Lab, 1 FF and then a toss-up for the last seat with FG and SF.

[Mr A]

At the moment, I'm undecided. I probably won't decide until the day.

It'll be between Labour and Fine Gael for me.


From what you post on here, I get the impression you don't like FF at all. Out of curiosity, why do you give any preference, no matter how low, to them?

I tend to go the whole way down the ballot paper going through the parties in order of like/dislike. As a general rule SF have been my least favourite party due to their ambivalent line on criminality.

[Schumi]

I tend to go the whole way down the ballot paper going through the parties in order of like/dislike. As a general rule SF have been my least favourite party due to their ambivalent line on criminality.

I'm the same. I even gave a PD my number 10 or 11 or something in one of the last couple of elections. It's hugely unlikely to ever count but you never know.

[Dodge]

Gogarty will hardly be in the running will he?

Wouldn't count him out. Fairly active. Even though I think he's a gob****e doesn't mean I'd be confident everyone thinks that.

You another Dublin Midwest Bonnie?

[BonnieShels]

Wouldn't count him out. Fairly active. Even though I think he's a gob****e doesn't mean I'd be confident everyone thinks that.

You another Dublin Midwest Bonnie?

I am.
Lucan for me sins.

I don't think that Gogo will get back in to be honest. I think he's so transparent to the people around here that there's next to no chance of the Greens having a strong vote here.

Frances Fitzgerald losing it in the Seanad on Oireachtas report. Ah the joy of joys.

My grandad was a rabid anti-FFer in his day and he died on January 20th 1997... finally his wish has come true!

[passinginterest]

Any reason for Fine Gael preference out of curiosity?? It's just tis a bit of a leap from Labour to Socialist to Fine Gael. Not criticising just wondering.

It's a dose of realism I suppose. We're most likely looking at a FG/Labour coalition. If it's a tight race I'd rather have a transfer going to FG than FF (even if it is still fairly marginal despite the utter corruption of FF, which says a lot about how rubbish FG are).

[culloty82]

Notice the difference between this and the political beliefs thread: "Your guilty conscience may move you to vote Democrat, but deep down you long for a cold-hearted Republican to lower taxes, brutalise criminals and rule you like a king".

[Dodge]

I think macy said as much in that thread too.

[backstothewall]

I don't have a vote, but I ticked the SF box in the poll anyway. A nordie ticking the SF box is probably no surprise, but I would probably be closer to FF than anyone else in the normal way of things.

But FF are toast, and they deserve to be.

But looking at the rest, they aren't an alternative. Fine Gael would probably have driven into all the same cul-de-sacs FF did in the last few years, and I just can't see Taoiseach Enda Kenny pulling off a hardball renegotiation of the bailout. They seem a bit like a different Leopard with the same spots.

Labour would be better, but they seem committed to going into coalition with FG. I don't know who thought 'Vote Labour, still get Enda' was a good plan, but it isn't as far as I'm concerned.

The only votes that offer the chance of keeping the 2 civil war parties out of government are for the ULA or SF, in the hope that some kind of leftist coalition can be put together. Its probably not terribly likely, but even if it doesn't work, and a FG-Lab coalition goes into government, if SF have a good election, there is a chance they will be the biggest opposition party (and more importantly, FF won't).

In that event I would imagine the exodus from FF would be like rats from a sinking ship, and there's just a chance normal left-right politics might break out

[Poor Student]

I'll probably vote Fine Gael. I've no fondness for them but they're the only party right of centre aside from FF. I'm hoping they'll take an overall majority but it seems a gap too large to bridge.

[ArdeeBhoy]

Sf for me, gave up on labour a long time ago. Also any independents and Socialist party will get a tick

What he said.

[BonnieShels]

The yellows holding press conference now.
Today FM and Sinn Féin reporting that they grew a pair and are pulling out.

live on www.rte.ie

Edit: Greens have pulled out.

Celebrate good times come on.

[ArdeeBhoy]

I tend to go the whole way down the ballot paper going through the parties in order of like/dislike. As a general rule SF have been my least favourite party due to their ambivalent line on criminality.

As opposed to all the other parties, especially FF/FG, whose local corruption has of course been beyond reproach.

[Mr A]

Slightly different level of criminality there. You don't see FF or FG hanging around with murderers of Gardai etc etc.

[bennocelt]

Slightly different level of criminality there. You don't see FF or FG hanging around with murders of Gardai etc etc.

Or FG/lab supporting a FF finance bill?

[shantykelly]

Slightly different level of criminality there. You don't see FF or FG hanging around with murderers of Gardai etc etc.


slightly off topic, but at some point those people have to come in from the cold. bear in mind the origins of the major parties in the state; whether you like it or not, whether you agree with it or not, the current incarnation of sinn fein has similar origins, albeit slightly more recent in vintage.

i think sinn fein will increase their share of the vote, although mainly in urban areas. actions like donegal south west can at the very very worst have no effect. when coupled with the fact that they are actually working in power sharing in the north with the dup, and the constituency ground work they do, if managed correctly, they can paint themselves as a credible 'republican' alternative to FF and pick up disaffected FF and maybe labour voters. not all of them can be stupid, can they?

[Magicme]

I chose Labour but its unlikely that there will be a labour candidate in the Cavan/Monaghan area this time around. I give everyone a tick too in the same hope that my transfers might just influence something but forever FF have gotten my last. I even put SF ahead of them coz even though it kills me from a "blood on their hands" type stand point, Caomhingh O'Caolain is a decent guy whom I worked closely with in regard to refugee issues and he does his best for us.

[Mr A]

Or FG/lab supporting a FF finance bill?

They're not supporting it. They'll vote against the parts of it they don't support and introduce amendments etc. What has happened is that the parties have wiped other business from the agenda and debate this bill only.

Oh, and don't forget that SF voted for the bank guarantee.

[Spudulika]

Magicme, you're right about Kevin, he's a good guy who is good locally, but even better nationally. He was, when there were debates about the bail out, one of the only ones who had done his homework. I have great time for the man and he is widely respected. I gave (and will give) my first preference to Sinn Fein because the most likely candidate in my area (I'll be coming home to vote) is a man who is genuinely good. Unless Mary Lou comes in again, which would make sense but she's probably not going to. Anything to get rid of Lenihan the bluffer, Varadkar the idiot and maybe get Joe Higgins back in. It'd be a miracle to have a 1-2-3 of Donnelly, Higgins and Burton. The latter pairing would add genuine debate to the Dail, while Donnelly would be positive. But the halfwits will turn out in force and it'll be Lenihan, Varadkar and Burton. Nobody will learn, we all will lose.

[bennocelt]

They're not supporting it. They'll vote against the parts of it they don't support and introduce amendments etc. What has happened is that the parties have wiped other business from the agenda and debate this bill only.

Oh, and don't forget that SF voted for the bank guarantee.

Are you sure about that, always seem against these kind of things?

[Mr A]

Yes, I'm sure about that. Only Labour opposed it.

Apparently this actually came up on the Frontline last night and while Mary Lou McDonald denied it, the programmes researchers checked the Dail record and proved that they had.

Edit: Dail record for the vote record for the vote: http://debates.oireachtas.ie/dail/2008/10/01/00029.asp#N263

[Macy]

Yes, I'm sure about that. Only Labour opposed it.
And never forget that about half of our supposed current deficit is bloody interest for the bank bailout caused by the guarantee, and was the direct cause of the IMF intervention, for all the "living beyond our means" guff. We were, and are, doing ok at getting spending and income balanced if you take associated bank bailout interest out of the equation. The blanket guarantee is what sank us.

[Billsthoughts]

Have to say still undecided after listening to a lot of the parties various spokespeople. Would be worried by Gilmore coming out in support of the Croke Park deal so dont think I will vote Labour. FG seem to be just the "not" Fianna Fail party. will see...

[Macy]

Would be worried by Gilmore coming out in support of the Croke Park deal so dont think I will vote Labour.
Why, the IMF seem happy with it? Problem is this Government not bothering to implement it rather than the deal itself.

[dahamsta]

John Mulvihill, the Labour candidate from Cork South has already taken himself off my ballot card, because of the banner he's installed on an overpass on the Midleton road. Obviously he doesn't read the newspapers or listen to the radio. He'll be reported to Cork County Council for littering later today.

[Billsthoughts]

Why, the IMF seem happy with it? Problem is this Government not bothering to implement it rather than the deal itself.

Was it not the unions that needed to implement the changes and reforms and didnt? If I am wrong aplogogies. Either way I think its a bad deal as if my company was losing money hand over fist there would be downsizing. Its happened already with 20 per cent headcount reductions. that includes natural attrition and reallocating resources from where they arent needed to where they are.(which is the proper way to do it) .

Am not anti public sector at all. If people have good pay and conditions good luck to them. contrary to the myth thats out there most public sector bodies are a lot better to deal with than private sector ones. But I think a deal which rules out certain options for a set period of time is a bad one in a recession where the government needs to save money. If Labour see it different then I dont agree with them and wont vote with them eventho I would be naturally more inclined to vote for them over anyone else.