Election 2011 - General

Thing that is bugging me more and more is this line being pedalled by the government about the crisis being "unprecedented". Even leaving aside the fact they created it - it is irrelavent if it is unprecedented or not. Its the governments job to show leadership regardless of the circumstance. Shows their attitude to government. Happy to take the perks and the prestige but cant deal with the actual responsibility.

The other thing is this line being pedalled that we gave up our sovereignty when we signed Rome/Maastricht etc.....Like that makes turning the country into a basketcase economy alright? Taxes are being used to pay for PR people to come up with this weak rubbish!

I love that all talk about the government has disappeared overnight, it's IMF this and ECB that, but not a peep about Biffo and his so-called opposers.

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Originally Posted by Macy

Only of late? I had thought the worm had turned earlier in the week, but RTE were well and truely back in Pravda mode yesterday, that's for sure. Apart from Brawn, the last few weeks I've been relying on BBC and Channel 4 to find out what's happening in Ireland.

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Likewise. Rte are a joke and full of FFers. After Cowen's press conference they went straight to Davin Power when finished who said it was a good speech!!!! WTF - it was rubbish, the usual monotone Cowen waffling and as Vincent B would say -"Robotic"

Have you read the Plan?
www.budget.gov.ie
Page 13, 14 and 80 are hilarious.

God... remember this odious cnut?

And people still vote for this party.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8T0Q...eature=related


Delicious... VB is just tearing through Pat Carey now. Ah this is going to be a good hour... Oh look who's beside Pat Carey only Pat Rabbitte.

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Originally Posted by bennocelt

Rte are a joke and full of FFers.

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Sean O'Rourke spinning himself into knots trying discredit Gilmore on News at One today - insisted that he was contradicting what he'd said on The Late Late, insisted on playing the clip, and it was virtually word for word the same answer, only difference (imo) was that Turbidy kept interrupting Gilmore at the start of the reply so "No" became a statement rather than a start of a sentence. EDIT - maybe I'm more bias than I thought, as I went to politics.ie after posting this and apparently Sean O'Rourke "tore Gilmore a new one"!

politics.ie is a weird site, and unusable because of all the crap they wrap around the content. Ditto askaboutmoney, useful for particular things but there's some loony-toons right-wing nutjobs on there too.

Some eejit on there today was suggesting that we put the likes of Denis O'Brien and Michael O'Leary in charge, which was the dumbest idea I've heard until George Hook suggested them AND Tony O'Reilly on the radio earlier. Tony O'Reilly! I hate to break my own rules, but jesus f*cking christ like, can you imagine what they'd do to the country?

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Originally Posted by Macy

Sean O'Rourke spinning himself into knots trying discredit Gilmore on News at One today - insisted that he was contradicting what he'd said on The Late Late, insisted on playing the clip, and it was virtually word for word the same answer, only difference (imo) was that Turbidy kept interrupting Gilmore at the start of the reply so "No" became a statement rather than a start of a sentence. EDIT - maybe I'm more bias than I thought, as I went to politics.ie after posting this and apparently Sean O'Rourke "tore Gilmore a new one"!

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Funny you should say that. I was thinking that about O'Rourke today however I do also think that Gilmore was brutal and yet again showed what a sham, he is.
Trying to follow anything on P.ie is insane. the amount of trolling is very annoying too.

Oh and dahamsta, no I don't even want to consider that scenario.

Tentative results from Donegal SW:

Doherty 33% O'Domhnaill 21% McBrearty19% O'Neill 18% Pringle 8%

On those numbers it's Doherty's seat with McBrearty to come in second I'd say.

Yep.

Just up now...


Anglo chief: Opposition must pass budget
The Chairman of Anglo Irish Bank stated today that opposition parties have no option but to pass the budget.

Alan Dukes has said the need to get the deficit down by 2014 can only be done in so many ways, with the budget being an important component of that plan.

Mr Dukes also believes the Opposition will have to agree to the economic plan in order to stabilise the country's finances.

Speaking to Bloomberg, Mr. Dukes said any changes made would have to be compensated elsewhere.

"I don't think they (Opposition) have any option, but to agree to the budgetary plan and to the four-year plan," he said.

"If indeed, they find themselves in Government in the early part of next year which seems likely…they could pick holes in some of the details of those two sets of measures, but it is clear that if they want to make any changes then they would have to compensate for any changes they make by corresponding adjustments elsewhere."

Read more: http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/a...#ixzz16L6Y6RSw

Never liked the man and now I have to say I hate the man.

Anyone in Anglo that opens their mouth at this stage needs their head seeing too. He'll have his house burned down if he's not careful. (I don't mean that as a threat or a suggestion, but a reality.)

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Originally Posted by dahamsta

Anyone in Anglo that opens their mouth at this stage needs their head seeing too. He'll have his house burned down if he's not careful. (I don't mean that as a threat or a suggestion, but a reality.)

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I guess you missed his name - this is Dukes, the former FG minister and party leader who was placed in Anglo by the government to handle the mess; he didn't make it. Not that that'd stop some cretins from setting fire to his home, but he has as much right to comment as anyone, and I presume his opinion still carries at least a little weight in FG.

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Originally Posted by John83

I guess you missed his name - this is Dukes, the former FG minister and party leader who was placed in Anglo by the government to handle the mess; he didn't make it. Not that that'd stop some cretins from setting fire to his home, but he has as much right to comment as anyone, and I presume his opinion still carries at least a little weight in FG.

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I don't think he did.
Everything he's said and done since being put in this position has been just going along with the FF line. He couldn't give a monkey's at this stage just once his job is secure.

I'm taking it from the "Anyone at Anglo..." bit BonnieShels. I'm sure if Adam meant to criticise him for his statements over the past year or two, he'd have done so (and might yet).

Ack aye. Just think though that he said it sweepingly. I'm sure he'll let us know either way.

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Originally Posted by John83

I guess you missed his name - this is Dukes, the former FG minister and party leader who was placed in Anglo by the government to handle the mess; he didn't make it. Not that that'd stop some cretins from setting fire to his home, but he has as much right to comment as anyone, and I presume his opinion still carries at least a little weight in FG.

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Have you not followed his statements from the last two years!!! Pretty much along the lines of "Anglo is fine, dont worry, blah blah blah". He is a creep, and wasnt much good during the 80's either.

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Originally Posted by John83

I guess you missed his name - this is Dukes, the former FG minister and party leader who was placed in Anglo by the government to handle the mess; he didn't make it.

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He's been there 2 years as a "public interest" nominee? How's that worked out for the public? He's just towed the Government line at every opportunity...

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Originally Posted by BonnieShels

Funny you should say that. I was thinking that about O'Rourke today however I do also think that Gilmore was brutal and yet again showed what a sham, he is.

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Not sure I totally agree - he wasn't really showed up imo as he said the same bloody thing. Definitely not one of his best performances though, but I wouldn't be surprised if he was taken aback by O'Rourkes approach tbh. Incidentally, next item O'Rourke started claiming he couldn't make editorial comment, he had to remain independent or something like that!

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Originally Posted by BonnieShels

Trying to follow anything on P.ie is insane. the amount of trolling is very annoying too.

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It's good for breaking news, but after page one of a thread you know it's been hijacked by the usual suspects. It's really been a victim of it's own success.

I think this performance was somewhere between our two opinions.
I think the phrase Sean used was Statute barred under the broadcasting act.

I know who Dukes is, I maintain that anyone working in Anglo, no matter what their position, is mad to be making comments like this. There's incredible anger out there, and it'll only take a very small push to direct it with incredible force.

Macy, it's "toe the line", as in put your toe up against it and don't step over.

its tow the line when you're being dragged to hell by the FF juggernaut...

I was going to make that joke, but I thought it was very weak... ;)

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Originally Posted by dahamsta

I was going to make that joke, but I thought it was very weak... ;)

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Thinly veiled "damn, I wish I had thought of that..."

Donegal tallies with most votes counted:

DOHERTY (SF) 39.7%

MCBREARTY (Lab) 10.2%

O'DOMHNAILL (FF) 21.2%

O'NEILL (FG) 18.4%

PRINGLE (Ind) 10.1%

Read more: http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/a...#ixzz16OFzNZyZ

Good performance by Pringle. The big Labour vote did not materialize compared to the poll indications. Still 4 to 5 times bigger than in the general election though. Very hard to know what to make of things when there could be a fair bit of tactical voting going on.

Who's Pringle BTW? haven't really been keeping an eye on it. Single issue guy? Former main party member?

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Originally Posted by Dodge

Who's Pringle BTW? haven't really been keeping an eye on it. Single issue guy? Former main party member?

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Former Shinner I think.

Yeah, former Shinner from Killybegs. Would expect a lot of his votes to go to Doherty.

Final tally results:

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Final tally results, with all boxes opened, show the Sinn Féin candidate on 39.7 per cent, Fianna Fáil candidate Senator Brian Ó Domhnaill on 21.2 per cent and Fine Gael's Barry O'Neill on 18.4 per cent.

The Labour Party's Frank McBrearty is on 10.2 per cent and Independent Thomas Pringle is on 10.1 per cent.

Hotelier Ann Sweeney withdrew from the race on Tuesday but her name remained on the ballot paper along with those of the other five candidates. She received 0.4 of all votes cast.

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http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/...breaking4.html

When you refer to a poll Mr A, was that one specific to Donegal or the general one?

Donegal SW ones in this case. They seemed to show McBrearty level with or slightly ahead of O'Neill.

So roughly one in five people in Donegal South West think that Fianna Fail or Frank McBrearty are the answer. :bulgy:

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Originally Posted by Lim till i die

So roughly one in five people in Donegal South West think that Fianna Fail or Frank McBrearty are the answer. :bulgy:

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More than that. FF are on 20% and Labour on 10%.

I was being nice and taking into account the people who didn't bother voting bless them.

They have 30% of the 60% who turned out, that's like what, 18 or 19 percent of the total population??

Sorry, the oul maths wouldn't be great these days :)

Either way I stand over my :bulgy:

The FF figures might suggest the "shy Tory" effect isn't as much in evidence as some thought (and FF hoped). What's the labour vote up from in the last General Election? I wouldn't think Labour ever had this down as a win (even before the candidate selection!), even in the general election tbh.

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Originally Posted by Macy

He's been there 2 years as a "public interest" nominee? How's that worked out for the public? He's just towed the Government line at every opportunity...

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I really don't think there was anything he could do - all of the key decisions were Lenihan's. I can't really defend his public statements, mind.

@Dahamsta, yeah okay, I see what you mean.

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Originally Posted by Macy

What's the labour vote up from in the last General Election?

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I think I heard 2.5% on the radio this morning.

Edit: 2.79%: http://electionsireland.org/result.c...n=2007&cons=74

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Originally Posted by Lim till i die

I was being nice and taking into account the people who didn't bother voting bless them.

They have 30% of the 60% who turned out, that's like what, 18 or 19 percent of the total population??

Sorry, the oul maths wouldn't be great these days :)

Either way I stand over my :bulgy:

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I thought turnout was much lower than that, but RTE says 56%. Where are you getting 30% from though? Do you mean the combined LAB/FF vote?

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Originally Posted by John83

Where are you getting 30% from though? Do you mean the combined LAB/FF vote?

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He can speak for himself obviously, but year thats what he said

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people in Donegal South West think that Fianna Fail or Frank McBrearty are the answer

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Newstalk were projecting that Fianna Fáil would have 28 seats next year if that performance was repeated nationwide, Labour's vote did rise but they would struggle to make any impact even if McBrearty is by far their worst candidate. Also, how did Fine Gael contrive to actually lose votes compared with '07?

I think you have to be careful extrapolating these figures nationally. SF were always going to win this seat. FG Aren't exactly transfer friendly in either direction with SF so it figures that they would be down in such a constituency.
They'll finish second and I think that that is a great result for them.

What has being transfer friendly got to do with getting less first preference votes in an election where their main rival plummets?