Election 2011 - Polling Day Announcement Poll

**superfrank** · 20/01/2011, 8:01 PM

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

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

Originally Posted by Mr A

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** · 20/01/2011, 8:35 PM

Originally Posted by 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

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.

Originally Posted by Dodge

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** · 20/01/2011, 9:48 PM

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** · 20/01/2011, 10:34 PM

Originally Posted by Dodge

Big fight then between Dowds, Curran, Gogarty and the Shinner for the last 2.

Gogarty will hardly be in the running will he?

**BonnieShels** · 20/01/2011, 10:40 PM

Originally Posted by Macy

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** · 20/01/2011, 11:38 PM

Originally Posted by 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.

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** · 20/01/2011, 11:43 PM

Originally Posted by Mr A

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** · 20/01/2011, 11:43 PM

Originally Posted by Macy

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** · 20/01/2011, 11:47 PM

Originally Posted by Dodge

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** · 21/01/2011, 8:57 AM

Originally Posted by Lim till i die

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** · 21/01/2011, 12:50 PM

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** · 21/01/2011, 12:51 PM

I think macy said as much in that thread too.

**backstothewall** · 21/01/2011, 7:48 PM

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** · 22/01/2011, 8:08 PM

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** · 22/01/2011, 11:08 PM

Originally Posted by bennocelt

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** · 23/01/2011, 2:34 PM

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** · 23/01/2011, 3:16 PM

Originally Posted by Mr A

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** · 23/01/2011, 5:04 PM

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

**bennocelt** · 23/01/2011, 5:14 PM

Originally Posted by Mr A

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** · 23/01/2011, 10:57 PM

Originally Posted by Mr A

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?