2011 Presidential Election- Start of Campaign Poll

**BonnieShels** · 27/10/2011, 12:27 PM

Originally Posted by Macy

Only broadcast media, regulated by the BAI. All the paper's running with stuff. Examiner have that photo!

What photo?

**Macy** · 27/10/2011, 1:07 PM

Originally Posted by BonnieShels

What photo?

Hugh Morgan and Biffo, at the €5,000 a head dinner that has Gallagher busted.

http://www.irishexaminer.com/racetot...es-172028.html

**Dodge** · 27/10/2011, 1:35 PM

Originally Posted by Macy

Hugh Morgan and Biffo, at the €5,000 a head dinner that has Gallagher busted.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/...?ts=1319674584

**Kingdom** · 27/10/2011, 2:12 PM

Originally Posted by Dodge

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/...?ts=1319674584

What a country!

**BonnieShels** · 27/10/2011, 2:25 PM

The beautiful people, the beautiful people.

**Magicme** · 27/10/2011, 5:05 PM

Monaghan and Cavan polling above the average at 6pm this evening with both counties in and around 30%.

**culloty82** · 27/10/2011, 8:05 PM

Galway and Dublin also reporting high turnouts, so swings and roundabouts, it seems.

**geysir** · 27/10/2011, 8:27 PM

Originally Posted by Magicme

Monaghan and Cavan polling above the average at 6pm this evening with both counties in and around 30%.

Cross border traffic

**mypost** · 28/10/2011, 1:11 AM

Originally Posted by Real ale Madrid

The moratorium is only for radio and TV afaik - anyone know why there is a moratorium anyway ?

Tradition.

Of course it was brought in decades ago, when everyone voted on the same day. Now that isn't the case, for the islanders that vote ahead of everyone else. It should be scrapped altogether on those grounds.

**Macy** · 28/10/2011, 7:58 AM

Originally Posted by mypost

Of course it was brought in decades ago, when everyone voted on the same day. Now that isn't the case, for the islanders that vote ahead of everyone else. It should be scrapped altogether on those grounds.

I'm surprised it's a relatively recent phenomenon that the islanders vote early, given it's to make sure their votes get back to the mainland. When did they first vote early?

Anyone regulated by the BAI has to observe the moratorium - it's a regulatory requirement, not a tradition. According to the BAI...

The moratorium has two objectives:-
It is an additional mechanism to ensure that fairness, objectivity and impartiality are achieved by the broadcast media during this critical period in the polling process, and;
It allows voters a period for reflection in the final stages of an election campaign.

Our media has so many agenda's (Witness newstalk doing budget broadcasts), that I don't have that much of a problem with it. Maybe if the BAI got their act together on all broadcasters it could be looked at, but as things stand the BAI only seem interested in RTE in my opinion (never enforcing TV3's licence conditions, the recent mess they've made of RTE's DTT proposals (especially who they accepted submissions from!), allowing communicorp to sow up the national commercial stations). And to bring that back to the presidential election - how long has Mary Davis been on the BAI board?

**bennocelt** · 28/10/2011, 8:56 AM

Early news feed from rte -0951 With all seven boxes tallied in Sean Gallagher's home town of Blackrock in Louth - the predictions are that Michael D Higgins is beating him 2:1

So even in his own hometown, wow that's interesting

**Spudulika** · 28/10/2011, 10:04 AM

Very disappointed with what I witnessed yesterday and almost wonder if it was planned by the meeja (and whoever they've chosen to win) to take the wind from voters. I got home, went in to vote and from my family was the only person to do so - my Dad and Mam never miss a vote, but they both were going for Gallagher but said (both of them) that they were disillusioned. Not one of my former colleagues voted, of 20-30 others I asked, even back at the airport, nobody voted. I was lucky to be able to vote 4 times (By-election, 2 referenda and the Presidential election). It just felt depressing - not even all the Christmas sales and decorations could make me feel good.

(but after waking up and listening to the Aussies get a thumping, I feel a little better)

**pineapple stu** · 28/10/2011, 10:10 AM

So you reckon it's the media's fault your family and friends didn't vote? Interesting theory.

I turned down the chance to vote twice yesterday, but I wonder how many were in the same boat as me. Could vote in my constituency and my parents'. Wonder how many were in the same boat?

Edit - to follow on from bennocelt's post, this is on Aertel -

Early tallies indicate that Miche�l D Higgins is set to top the poll and become the next President.

Independent Se�n Gallagher is leading in only a handful of constituencies.

Mr Higgins will top the poll in the vast majority, and should easily be elected on transfers.

So is it the case that, in the pre-election polls, Higgins' votes were from the reliable grey vote, while Gallagher's supporters just didn't bother?

Aertel goes on -

Martin McGuinness looks set to come in a strong third, and will most likely be followed by David Norris.

But it is a dismal day for Fine Gael's Gay Mitchell, whose vote has collapsed, and for Mary Davis and Dana Rosemary Scallon.

Very early indications suggest the referendum on Oireachtas Inquiries may be defeated

Link here, but it'll change over the course of the day.

**Macy** · 28/10/2011, 10:23 AM

Originally Posted by Spudulika

Very disappointed with what I witnessed yesterday and almost wonder if it was planned by the meeja (and whoever they've chosen to win) to take the wind from voters. I got home, went in to vote and from my family was the only person to do so - my Dad and Mam never miss a vote, but they both were going for Gallagher but said (both of them) that they were disillusioned.

Voter apathy is not the media's fault - if anything they give this election undue attention given the role it plays. If they're disillusioned with what happened the last few days, then you should blame Gallagher.

As it happens, turnout is up on the last presidential election, so if apathy was the intention, that was a major fail by the media.

Originally Posted by pineapple stu

So is it the case that, in the pre-election polls, Higgins' votes were from the reliable grey vote, while Gallagher's supporters just didn't bother?

Well there was a lot of talk in my work place, about who exactly was voting for Gallagher, as out of 10-15 people only one knew someone admitting to it. So I'd have to question the reliability of the polls, certainly in identifying those that really intended to vote. I'm sure he lost some, as witnessed above, but whether he was ever that high I'm not sure.

**Dodge** · 28/10/2011, 10:34 AM

Originally Posted by Spudulika

Very disappointed with what I witnessed yesterday and almost wonder if it was planned by the meeja (and whoever they've chosen to win) to take the wind from voters.

What were some of the planned actions which you believe helped 'take the wind from voters'?

I got home, went in to vote and from my family was the only person to do so - my Dad and Mam never miss a vote, but they both were going for Gallagher but said (both of them) that they were disillusioned.

Disillusioned with gallagher or the media?

**bennocelt** · 28/10/2011, 10:47 AM

Saying on news feed that the referendum bill on oireachtas bill might be defeated, wow, thats great
1129 David McCullagh: Very early indications suggest the referendum on Oireachtas inquiries may be defeated

**Macy** · 28/10/2011, 10:50 AM

Originally Posted by bennocelt

Saying on news feed that the referendum bill on oireachtas bill might be defeated, wow, thats great
1129 David McCullagh: Very early indications suggest the referendum on Oireachtas inquiries may be defeated

Bankers (including Sutherland and Gleeson) and former politicians (including McDowell) can breath a bit easier. For the time being at least.

**Dodge** · 28/10/2011, 11:00 AM

Originally Posted by Macy

Bankers (including Sutherland and Gleeson) and former politicians (including McDowell) can breath a bit easier. For the time being at least.

Only one man to blame for it, the guy who drafted the bill and tried to get it through without any sort of debate on it. In most countries Shatter would have to resign for his handling of this.

**Macy** · 28/10/2011, 11:05 AM

Originally Posted by Dodge

Only one man to blame for it, the guy who drafted the bill and tried to get it through without any sort of debate on it. In most countries Shatter would have to resign for his handling of this.

Whilst he certainly didn't help matters with his reactionary commentary (on anything and everything), the one thing he was he was right on was the AG's letter and that's what he seems to be blamed most for. No surprise he seemed to be parked, and Howlin took over the media responsibilities in the final few days.