Election 2007 [Archive]

Shelsman

26/04/2007, 8:06 AM

Fine. I feel if left the other option more people would select it than any other. As it stands they just pick the party that individual is from.

OK, I see your point though the idea was that it would highlight users who have no preference for a party whatsoever and are driven purely by the candidates available rather than the policies and performance of the party the candidates are in.

BohsPartisan

26/04/2007, 12:57 PM

OK, I see your point though the idea was that it would highlight users who have no preference for a party whatsoever and are driven purely by the candidates available rather than the policies and performance of the party the candidates are in.

Maybe that should be a whole other thread.

dahamsta

26/04/2007, 2:38 PM

Early days yet I know, but I'm surprised to see Labour in front. I think the last time we ran a poll here Sinn Fein led it from the off. We must've shaken off a few thicks and gullibles.

adam

Conor H

26/04/2007, 2:42 PM

Early days yet I know, but I'm surprised to see Labour in front. I think the last time we ran a poll here Sinn Fein led it from the off. We must've shaken off a few thicks and gullibles.

adam

That's a fairly sweeping statement.Are you suggesting all those who support SF are moronic?Or is the stigma that the majority of them are Celtic heads with a dying hatred of Britain?

I'm not a SF man myself but i'd give them my vote ahead Fine Gael or the Greens.

Am undecided about Labour and the PD's.

At the moment i'll be voting Fianna Fail.

Dodge

26/04/2007, 2:48 PM

Should we have a poll on whether to include individials or not? And another poll on whther to include not going to vote or not?

Conor H

26/04/2007, 2:49 PM

I've a feeling apathy will decide the Election.....resulting in Fianna Fail maintaining power.

Dodge...good idea.

dahamsta

26/04/2007, 2:50 PM

Are you suggesting all those who support SF are moronic?Absolutely not, please quote from my posts accurately or not at all.

I'm suggesting that all those who support SF are either moronic or gullible.

It's Fianna Failure voters that are 100% moronic.

adam

Conor H

26/04/2007, 2:52 PM

Absolutely not, please quote from my posts accurately or not at all.

I'm suggesting that all those who support SF are either moronic or gullible.

adam

You said...

We must've shaken off a few thicks and gullibles.To me that suggests you were implying that SF supporters are both thick and gullible......or at best thick or gullible.

Either one is offensive IMO.
I stand to be corrected though....

It's Fianna Failure voters that are 100% moronic.

adam

Care to elaborate as to why?

dahamsta

26/04/2007, 2:57 PM

God no. It's blatantly obvious to anyone with a brain in their head.

Conor H

26/04/2007, 3:00 PM

Well if you look at the policies the alternative Govt. offer then i think it's a case of the best of the worst really.

Fine Gael/Labour coallition would be a disaster.

Also they're not going to sort out the problems in the Hospitals,Housing Industry,Roads etc any quicker than FF.

Schumi

26/04/2007, 3:04 PM

Undecided. I always give my first preference to a random no-hoper and I don't know who any of them are yet.

Dodge

26/04/2007, 3:11 PM

Conor am I right in presuming you're voting for FF (maybe after SF)?

Is the best argument for voting for them that FG/Lab won't be abe to sort out the mess already in place?

Conor H

26/04/2007, 3:48 PM

Conor am I right in presuming you're voting for FF (maybe after SF)?

Is the best argument for voting for them that FG/Lab won't be abe to sort out the mess already in place?

Yes and No.

Firstly i won't be giving SF a vote...just thought Dahamsta's comment was taring all SF voters unfairly with the same brush.

I'm still undecided about who i'll be voting for but at the moment yes it would be FF and largely because i don't see the alternative Govt. options making headway at all and i stronlgy disgaree with some of FG's policies,particularily on the abolition of the Irish language as a a cumpulsory subject at LC level.
Also Enda Kenny is a complete gombean.
Yesterday in the Dail "The people of galway are sick of having their daily showers in colloporidium"-There's so many things wrong with that statement i don't know where to begin.

FF are no great shakes but they're the best option IMO.However i'm intrigued by Labour and am very much willing to be persuaded by them but not if they're insistent on a coallition with FG.

I think the PD's is a wasted vote.

SF-What have they got to offer?

Greens-:rolleyes:

anto1208

26/04/2007, 3:57 PM

Im debating whether to vote for the greens or just not bother voting at all , A vote for the greens is probably a waste but i couldnt bring myself to vote for any other of the parties .

pete

26/04/2007, 4:03 PM

Seen this article (http://www.finfacts.com/irelandbusinessnews/publish/article_10008480.shtml) today which reminder me what a mess the current incumbents are. Sums up a lot of my opinions.

Its debatable whether the alternatives will be better but hard to see them being more disorganised.

Poor Student

26/04/2007, 4:10 PM

pete

26/04/2007, 10:29 PM

Lim till i die

27/04/2007, 9:13 AM

Will most likely vote for whichever random independant far left guy runs in Limerick

The "Labour" representatives in this town have been riding Jim Kemmys corpse to the Dail for far too long now and are worthy of nothing but contempt

Tim O'Malley is a worm, infact all PDs in general could be categorised such. Vile, heartless, snobs the lot of them

Don't think the Greens are running in Limerick but even if they are I won't touch off them. Dangerous party

Sinn Fein won't be getting a vote due to their pathetic scrambling away from the left as they become more popular and "mainstream". Also for having some of their policies written in crayon

Fianna Fail need booting IMO so I will probably give a preference to the Fine Gael lads, Michael Noonan being a decent politician on local issues :eek:

Although as sure as I'm sitting here the next government will be Fianna Fail/Labour

Also they're not going to sort out the problems in the Hospitals,Housing Industry,Roads etc any quicker than FF.

Any backing for this or is it just plucked out of the air??

dahamsta

27/04/2007, 9:51 AM

Im debating whether to vote for the greens or just not bother voting at all , A vote for the greens is probably a waste but i couldnt bring myself to vote for any other of the parties .I feel the same way - albeit not about the Greens - but I'll vote anyway. At the very least you can vote for the least worst, and prevent transfers to incompetent morons (http://www.martincullen.ie/).

I've noticed many MEPs running for Dail seats. I am sure they will say they will drop the MEP seat if elected to the Dail but a lot of them seemed to do u-turns.I don't think they can do that any more. It's one or the other from this election on.

Would you vote for sitting MEP?I'll have to, Coveney's my MEP, and although he bugs me on some things, he's better than most and deserves to be somewhere on my ballot card.

adam

superfrank

27/04/2007, 10:36 AM

Just after walking up the town and good ol' Bertie was on the Main Street visting Joe Behan. They had an announcer and music playing over speakers. When Bertie arrived the announcer asked for everyone there to give him a "Bray welcome". :rolleyes:

Makes me regret throwing those rotten eggs in the bin yesterday.

I myself will give my number to Sinn Féin, 2 & 3 (pos. 4) to Labour, the rest to Greens, Socialists, People B4 Profit (a local party of Labour rejects that my father has joined) and then Independents.

Only then will I vote for FG or FF, if at all.

BohsPartisan

27/04/2007, 10:40 AM

to give him a "Bray welcome". :rolleyes:

Hope he got a Fassaroe welcome! ;)

superfrank

27/04/2007, 10:42 AM

Hope he got a Fassaroe welcome! ;)
Unfortunately, no. It was just a couple of aul dears and a few Gardaí clapping.

Clifford

27/04/2007, 11:18 AM

I can say with absolute certainty that I won't be giving my first preference to the PDs. Frank McNamara is their representative in my contituency. Now I know we've seen some odd nominations but that takes the biscuit. I nearly keel over laughing when I spot one of his large election posters.

Heard him on Newstalk on Saturday morning, they did a q and a type interview for 3 mins. He didn't know the party mandate, the thoughts on education, the name of the campaign manager in the South or about 5 other things. He actually only joined the party 4 weeks ago cos fatty harney asked him to. Unbelievable indeed, lucky you being in that constituency.

bennocelt

27/04/2007, 11:45 AM

Dodge

27/04/2007, 11:47 AM

way to prove him wrong bennocelt...

Conor H

27/04/2007, 11:54 AM

way to prove him wrong bennocelt...

:D :D

Lim till i die

27/04/2007, 12:00 PM

way to prove him wrong bennocelt...

Indeed :D

Although I must add since I'm getting ready to leave for the Shels game I am wearing a blue shirt :eek: :rolleyes:

dahamsta

27/04/2007, 12:32 PM

tAKE off the blueshirt there will yaVoting for a Fine Gael member doesn't make you a member or follower of the party. My politics have been clearly stated previously on the forum, if you use the search function you might find them, and look a little less like a... SF voter.

adam

bennocelt

27/04/2007, 12:39 PM

way to prove him wrong bennocelt...

oh Dodge............is there no end to your wit:rolleyes:

and whats with you and the limerick posse;)

pete

27/04/2007, 1:02 PM

I used to think bad selection of candidates in Cork South Central until I moved to Dublin.

Horrible options for Dublin Central:

Last election:
- Bertie Ahern. FF <yawn>
- Tony Gregory - Ind - I wouldn't agree with some of his policies but an honest politician so will get something from me,
- Joe Costello - Lab - I have never heard or seen him locally or in the media before the last or since the last election.
- Dermot Fitzpatrick - FF - Bertie dragged him in on transfers last time & anonymous since. He standing down (seems like he did this 5 years ago) & daughter trying to get in on name recognition.

Shinners only just lost out last time but have parachuted Mary Lou MacDonald in this time & I would think unfortunately very likely to get a seat. I would guess at expense of FF. No PD candidate & Greens (Patricia McKenna) would need large increase to get seat. FG have no chance & probably only building for the future.

crc

27/04/2007, 2:57 PM

I've noticed many MEPs running for Dail seats. I am sure they will say they will drop the MEP seat if elected to the Dail but a lot of them seemed to do u-turns. Getting elected as an MEP & then dumping when getting something better doesn't say much for their credibility.

I don't think they can do that any more. It's one or the other from this election on.
MEPs cannot hold a double mandate, but that doesn't prevent them from seeking other elected offices. Every MEP (in the Rep. of Ireland at least) has a list of replacements in case they gain election to another post (or die), which is known at the time of the European elections (therefore you don't get by-elections to the European Parliament).

Would you vote for sitting MEP?
So do you think (former) MEPs should just twiddle their thumbs in the couple of years between Dáil and European elections? Its perfectly legitimate to move between one and the other (in either direction), and from the politician's point of view Dáil Éireann is more important than the EP.

Schumi

27/04/2007, 2:58 PM

If they're forced to give up their seat, I have no problem with voting for an MEP. If they could keep both, I wouldn't.

dahamsta

27/04/2007, 3:16 PM

MEPs cannot hold a double mandate, but that doesn't prevent them from seeking other elected offices.Eh? A stupid question I'd imagine, but what's the difference?

So do you think (former) MEPs should just twiddle their thumbs in the couple of years between Dáil and European elections?I think pete's point was probably that some pols can't seem to make their mind up whether they want to serve their constituency, their country, or Europe. Or themselves, which seems to be the common choice.

adam

Schumi

27/04/2007, 3:20 PM

Eh? A stupid question I'd imagine, but what's the difference?They can't hold two positions at the same time but they can go up for election for the Dáil under the condition that they resign their European seat if elected to the Dáil.

Dodge

27/04/2007, 3:21 PM

Eh? A stupid question I'd imagine, but what's the difference?

They can enter the election but if elected must give up their MEP seat.

dahamsta

27/04/2007, 4:00 PM

That's exactly what I was saying. Jesus, I thought I was pedantic!

monutdfc

27/04/2007, 4:04 PM

- Joe Costello - Lab - I have never heard or seen him locally or in the media before the last or since the last election.
Joe is a regular at Dalymount

crc

27/04/2007, 5:53 PM

That's exactly what I was saying. Jesus, I thought I was pedantic!
Sorry, I wasn't clear originally. When I was quoting you, I wasn't contradicting what you said, just elaborating.

I think pete's point was probably that some pols can't seem to make their mind up whether they want to serve their constituency, their country, or Europe.
Rightly or wrongly, the EP is seen as a stepping stone to national politics just like local councils (but maybe more important than councils!). I don't think there's any conflict between them. In the course of a political career, someone might represent Douglas, then Cork South-Central, then Munster (now called 'South') in different assemblies. Do you think they should only be allowed to identify with/represent one of these geographical areas?

Or themselves, which seems to be the common choice
True enough.

dahamsta

27/04/2007, 8:34 PM

Rightly or wrongly, the EP is seen as a stepping stone to national politics just like local councils (but maybe more important than councils!). I don't think there's any conflict between them. In the course of a political career, someone might represent Douglas, then Cork South-Central, then Munster (now called 'South') in different assemblies. Do you think they should only be allowed to identify with/represent one of these geographical areas?Absolutely not, however I do think they should decide on a track and stick with it. I'm thinking of people like Simon Coveney when I say this. The only reason Coveney's come back to national politics is because he thinks he has a shot at party leader, maybe Taoiseach. However he always had that shot, and imho the European job wasn't about representing Munster at a European level as much as it was about representing Simon at a European level. Even from a practical point of view, he would have had more visibility as a TD.

I should add that I'm not singling out Simon here, he's far from the only one at it, and he's definitely not the worst of them. He's just an example i'm aware of.

adam

Lionel Ritchie

28/04/2007, 9:19 AM

I've never put a mark in a box next to Fianna Fáil or Sinn Féin and won't be breaking the habit of a lifetime this time 'round either.

I have no faith that Fine Gael would be one jot better than Fianna Fail. They should just merge at this stage as all they truly have to divide them is a near century old, utterly irrelevant civil war issue.

pete

28/04/2007, 11:58 AM

I know loads of politicians have done it in the past & I have possibly voted fot them in the past but if an MEP runs for the Dail & gets elected he/she will have to resign the MEP seat. European doesn't seem to be particularly important but it does seem like the politician is breaking an MEP contract & then end up with sum mug representing is who would never have got elected initially.

jebus

28/04/2007, 1:53 PM

Sinn Fein will never get a vote off of me, Fianna Fail need to be ripped apart as a party, or at least be given a warning that we won't stand for their corrupt ways anymore (any failure to do so in the upcoming election will see the end of me having any pride in this country), the PDs :rolleyes: , Labour need to get themselves sorted out, don't know if I'd trust a socialist or green led country (as in I don't think either party would be capable of running a country on their own * and yes I know its not even an option with either party), can't be bothered with independents, and have no interest in Enda Kenny as a leader of this country, so with all that said I'll be voting...

Fine Gael, because Fianna Fail have raped this country for too much money, so as their Dublin friends can live an even more comfortable lifestyle, and quite simply they need to be booted out

pete

28/04/2007, 2:10 PM

Sinn Fein will never get a vote off of me.

Same here. I will usually go right down past 10th preference but SF won't get any. Any party who is fascist or Marxist depending on their mood doesn't need my vote.

BohsPartisan

28/04/2007, 3:08 PM

Same here. I will usually go right down past 10th preference but SF won't get any. Any party who is fascist or Marxist depending on their mood doesn't need my vote.

They won't get one off me either but they are neither Fascist or marxist. Come on, these guys are pimping themselves to FF as potential governmental partners.

pete

28/04/2007, 3:36 PM

Come on, these guys are pimping themselves to FF as potential governmental partners.

Might explain why its hard to find any policies on their website without reading through long essays.

Does not matter if I agree or not but I think the Labour 5 promises thing is clever as at least they do cost the items...

dahamsta

28/04/2007, 3:58 PM

Fine Gael, because Fianna Fail have raped this country for too much money, so as their Dublin friends can live an even more comfortable lifestyle, and quite simply they need to be booted outBetter you vote Fine Gael than Fianna Failures if just for the latter reason, but on the former point do you not think Fine Gael will do just the same? They're Fine Fail II, essentially. Any semblence they had to an alternative disappeared even before Kenny. I've actually read their policy documents, and they're simply rubbish.

adam