In the absence of any other candidate, what's wrong with Dana?

GospelGroupie

Mention Dana and all the lefty pinkos among you are going to go berzerk, I just know it. Dana dana dana dana dana dana dana dana dana dana dana dana. Doe's it make ye mad?
Now, seriously, if we must have a challanger to Mary McAleese, and for the sake of democracy we must, you would do far worse than to elect Dana Rosemarie Scallon as President.
She proved herself a worthy candidate seven years ago, I don't know why she should have to go through the same nonsense again. Certainly I understand how there should be the restrictions that exist on being nominated initially, but why you should have to go through all that for the second or subsequent elections baffles me.
Anyway, I digress, Dana was an excellent MEP and representitive for not just her own constituency of North/West but for all of Ireland in the European Parliment. Her knowledge of the legislative process is excellent, her passion for detail is astounding. From the legal aspect of the role of President, she fits the bill.
As for the ambassadorial role, she has the poise, sincerity and style expected from a President, friendly and responsive.
Dana would be an excellent choice, if only we were given such choice.

Brian

Cork

I voted for Dana in the last Presidential election. She cracked open the office of President & I think this country owes her a debt for this.

I disagreed with the stance She took during the last abortion vote.

She is an honest and honourable lady & If She wishes to run - no obstacles should be put in her way.

I think She would should run in the next general election. She has a fair level of supporters and they deserve a voice in our national parliament.

But - Dana running for President? why not.

Hobbes

Didn't she only get 13% of the vote for MEP? and 3% when running for government?

As for the ambassadorial role, she has the poise, sincerity and style expected from a President, friendly and responsive.

She is also very anti-abortion (more then the catholic church afair).

BuffyBot

She cracked open the office of President & I think this country owes her a debt for this.

Ehhh...how?

spongebob

I voted against her in 4 elections in the last 7 years but the Bitch is an infestation rather than a candidate and simply won't feck off outta here for good , I have seen off multiple resistant cockroaches faster than her .

M

Sparks

As uneasy as a defaulted election makes me, putting in a right-wing religious nutjob whose only qualification is being able to carry a tune, doesn't strike me as a good alternative...

Nuttzz

If she was such a good MEP, why didnt they re-elect her? I agree with sparks, a right wing nutjob with all those opus dea connections is not what the country needs to represent it on the international stage

Cork

Dana used the County Council route to get the Presidental nomination the last time. She took this route which allowed to run for the highest office in this state. She opened up the office.

She even came 3rd in the last Presidental election out polling the Labour Party canidate.

Many people voted for her in the EU elections & Dana represents their views.

While I am not a Dana supporter - I admire her as a campaigner.

In the absence of any political party putting forward a canidate - I can't see councillers giving Dana the nod to run.

The whole nomination process needs reform - to be taken out of the hands of politicians & a facility should exist to allow people who get a certain number of signatures to run.

This may be open to abuse - but some sort of mechanisim could be developed.

cleareyed

What's right with Dana? She should sing "the way we were" and leave it at that. And don't start me on Mary McAleese. Past time we got a decent male President again who would play golf and keep off the feckin streets with his entourage.

simu

Well, she's too religious, that would give Ireland an undeservedly backwards image abroad (and the Presidency is just a big PR job for the most part).

Not that McAleese is all that great - they had quotes from her in the Examiner sometime last week, one of which stated that abortion for rape victims was a primitive revenge on the unborn foetus or words to that effect. How sympathetic.


Suddenly that Ryan guy doesn't seem so bad after all.

oscarBravo

I'm reminded of those callers to phone-in radio shows over the last few days who ostensibly wish to criticise Mary McAleese, but whose agenda quickly turns out to be shameless Dana promotion.

GospelGroupie wrote:

Now, seriously, if we must have a challanger to Mary McAleese, and for the sake of democracy we must, you would do far worse than to elect Dana Rosemarie Scallon as President.

I'm at a loss to think of a potential candidate that would be "far worse" than Dana.

GospelGroupie wrote:

She proved herself a worthy candidate seven years ago, I don't know why she should have to go through the same nonsense again.

Um, because those are the rules?

GospelGroupie wrote:

Certainly I understand how there should be the restrictions that exist on being nominated initially, but why you should have to go through all that for the second or subsequent elections baffles me.

What, a nomination should be a nomination for life? Carte blanche to contest every subsequent presidential election in perpetuity? No thanks.

GospelGroupie wrote:

Anyway, I digress, Dana was an excellent MEP and representitive for not just her own constituency of North/West but for all of Ireland in the European Parliment.

The only aspect of her MEPship I can clearly remember is her vehement support for software patents. I didn't see sight nor light of her in Connaught/Ulster between elections. Maybe she was here, but she sure as hell kept a low profile.

GospelGroupie wrote:

Her knowledge of the legislative process is excellent, her passion for detail is astounding. From the legal aspect of the role of President, she fits the bill.

She's a singer and televangelist. Remind me how, exactly, this qualifies her for political office?

GospelGroupie wrote:

As for the ambassadorial role, she has the poise, sincerity and style expected from a President, friendly and responsive.

I remain unconvinced of her sincerity. The little I've heard from her in recent times - notably in the European Election canvasses - portrayed her as a rather vicious, narrow-minded sniper.

GospelGroupie wrote:

Dana would be an excellent choice, if only we were given such choice.

She lost her European seat - shows the impression she made on her constituents. What's the presidency, a consolation prize?

KevIRL

Sure while we're at it..


Chris for President. 7 years for 7 points

http://www.freewebs.com/montanac/index.htm

flogen

I have a problem with allowing an ultra-catholic right winger and openly euro-sceptic candidate run for president.
She'd go into office with an agenda, in the next 7 years we are bound to have a referendum ratifying the EU constitution, and she'd be likely to do her best to stop it (whatever that may be as a president). Its not the presidents job to give opinons, its their job to be objective.
And as simu says, she'd make the country look like it was from the 1950's. Does an extremely catholic right winger euro-sceptic really reflect the views of all the people of Ireland? No, not in the least.

Saying that, if she gets the votes, then fair enough, but there is little she could offer to get my support.

flogen

Beruthiel

Dana would be perfect
if this was 100 years ago when we still lived under the thumb of the church

she's a throw back and I would like to think we have grown beyond that.

chill

Beruthiel wrote:

Dana would be perfect
if this was 100 years ago when we still lived under the thumb of the church

she's a throw back and I would like to think we have grown beyond that.

Right on the money.

And her lack of support thankfully seems to bear this out - at last !!

Cork

chill wrote:

Right on the money.

And her lack of support thankfully seems to bear this out - at last !!

What lack of support?

She got more votes than the Labour Party at the Last Presidental election.
She got elected as MEP and subsequently lost her seat.
But She got a pretty decent share of the vote.

She may still get a Presidental nomination. It will be a test of the independence of our politicians at local level. I wish Dana well.

I admire her determination and her bottle. She decided that She wants the job and She is doing her best to get a nomination.

Fair play to her. I am not a supporter but I admire her determination.

Her determination to run for office while established political partys are not is a breath of fresh air.

While I am not a supporter - I admire this.

spongebob

Let her run in Munster next time , you lot are welcome to her Cork.

M

therecklessone

oscarBravo wrote:

I'm at a loss to think of a potential candidate that would be "far worse" than Dana.

Justin Barrett?

gandalf

Beruthiel wrote:

Dana would be perfect
if this was 100 years ago when we still lived under the thumb of the church

she's a throw back and I would like to think we have grown beyond that.

I agree 100% with Ruthie on this one. Dana is a fossil from another age and I wish someone would put her in a museum where she belongs. The ghost of Ireland past!!

therecklessone

GospelGroupie wrote:

Mention Dana and all the lefty pinkos among you are going to go berzerk, I just know it.

Great way to start a debate, insult half the posters... :rolleyes:

GospelGroupie wrote:

Now, seriously, if we must have a challanger to Mary McAleese, and for the sake of democracy we must, you would do far worse than to elect Dana Rosemarie Scallon as President.

Something tells me you're a fan...

Anyway, you could do worse than Dana but thats not the point.

Should Dana be allowed run? By all means, as long as she can attract the necessary support to be nominated. The rules are the rules are the rules. Just because she was nominated last time around doesn't mean she should automatically get a shot this time. She may have revealed some aspect of her character that suggests she would not make a worthy presidential candidate in the last 7 years, so its right that she has toget herself nominated again.

Personally I think she'd make an appaling President. I don't welcome her religion or her social views, and I feel she would use the position to advance her social agenda (contrary to the non-political nature of the Presidency). That would be extremely divisive, the last thing we need is a President making abortion a battle ground.

DeVore

Bonkers right-wing pyscho bitch. Whats she going to do for us internationally?
Sing Combya-m'Lord for world peace?

DeV.

Moriarty

She's like some sort of loopy cross between the pope, US AG John Ashcroft, Bush and a generic Shinner. It's remarkable in it's implausibility.



Can you tell I dislike her?

Tommy Vercetti

The only person I can think of who could possibly be more stupid than Dana as prez would have to be Ronan Keating.

Eurorunner

If your not over 75, you do not have a permit to vote for this woman.

We do not have any place here for her brand of neo-conservative outlook. This woman would have Bible Belt ideologies enforced upon us - that is her agenda. And she is well financed from US Bible Belt sources.

During the last election campaign, I passed by some people erecting posters for her campaign and felt like getting out of the car and shaking them - then finding out what the hell they were thinking of in assisting this woman.

Surely we are trying to build a more progressive society - not go backwards!

Oh, and if there is ever a mandate here for this woman, it will be time for me to emigrate again...and i will.

PH01

Dana gives me the creeps

Nuttzz

All together now.... ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh


http://www.unison.ie/irish_independent/stories.php3?ca=9&si=1253940&issue_id=11445

DANA Rosemary Scallon's bid for the presidency took a dramatic downward turn last night when the Fine Gael national leadership issued a directive to councillors not to support her.

Last evening Dana was almost assured of her first nomination from Fine Gael councillors on Longford County Council, who meet for their monthly meeting today.

Several councillors had confirmed that they would be supporting her bid.

However, in a heated meeting last night, which lasted until almost midnight, Fine Gael councillors were told in no uncertain terms that they were not allowed to support her candidacy.

Councillors said a directive had been issued from headquarters ordering them not to back her. Several councillors confirmed the story to the Irish Independent last night.

A number of councillors expressed anger at the meeting; however sources said that it would be unlikely that they would break the party whip on the issue.

Earlier in the day, the deputy mayor of Longford, Fine Gael Cllr Martin Farrell, said that the party, with 11 seats out of 21, was going to back Ms Scallon.

"We are only doing it in the interests of democracy. It doesn't mean we will vote for her later," he said.

The fact that the Fine Gael party leadership has issued the directive not to support Ms Scallon must signal the end for her campaign. The party is in control of a majority of councils in the country, and with support not likely to come from Fianna Fail, she now faces the prospect of not receiving one single nomination from a county council.

Just hours earlier, senior strategists in her organisation had expressed growing confidence of landing nominations. However, they also accepted that if she failed to win a nomination in the next 24 hours, her local authority campaign could be damaged beyond repair. This now seems increasingly likely.

Should it fail to get the necessary council support, the Dana camp is considering two options.

She has begun "preliminaries" on a possible legal challenge to the manner in which the election was called. Her supporters claim that failure by Environment Minister Martin Cullen to speedily sign a necessary order made it impossible for some councils to vote on time.

This week she will begin testing opinion among TDs and Senators about her chances of securing their support. Twenty backers would get her on the ballot.

Her campaign manager, John Brown, claimed that Dana had the support of three senators and up to four TDs. However, it is known that one of the senators is from Fianna Fail and had told colleagues he would have no difficulties in nominating Dana. Last week, FG frontbencher Michael Ring said he supported Dana's right to appear on the ballot.

Tom Felle and Senan Molony

PH01

Nuttzz wrote:

Her campaign manager, John Brown, claimed that Dana had the support of three senators and up to four TDs. However, it is known that one of the senators is from Fianna Fail and had told colleagues he would have no difficulties in nominating Dana. Last week, FG frontbencher Michael Ring said he supported Dana's right to appear on the ballot.

Has she tried asking Labour? They're giving away support at the moment

FatherTed

This will probably sound sexist, but do men run for president anymore, ever since Brian Lenihen was trumped by Mrs Mna Na hEirinn?

gnu

What's wrong with Dana? Everything, all kinds of everything (sorry, I just had to)
Seriously tho, I think her views represent those of a dwindling minority and anything that encourages religion to be used in state decision-making is a bad idea. But still, you've got to give her credit for trying

chewy

one of the people defending our national monumetns from corrupt politicians, i whole heartedly support the carrickminds campaign, and this is just a publicity stunt by this guy nothing more nothing less, but i dunno sometimes publicity stunts work sometimes they backfire.... i reckon this will backfire


http://breakingnews.ie/2004/09/20/story167306.html

chewy

is there anything else to be voted on that day the 22nd of cotober?

how will they get the numbers out? if there is a vote to be taken

when's the vote on the eu constitution coming?

dogs

Dana's views may represent those of a dwindling minority of the population but that's for democratically held presidential elections to decide; not the Fine Gael chief whip.

Once a candidate is someway reasonable, say with 5 nominations by any combination of TDs and senators, they should be put forward for the people to decide their suitability for the role.

And her make-up scares me.

Tommy Vercetti

FatherTed wrote:

This will probably sound sexist, but do men run for president anymore, ever since Brian Lenihen was trumped by Mrs Mna Na hEirinn?

No, the novelty of having a bitch in the áras hasn't worn off yet.

gandalf

dogs wrote:

Dana's views may represent those of a dwindling minority of the population but that's for democratically held presidential elections to decide; not the Fine Gael chief whip.

Once a candidate is someway reasonable, say with 5 nominations by any combination of TDs and senators, they should be put forward for the people to decide their suitability for the role.

And her make-up scares me.

Well I have no major love for FG but at least they are sticking to their guns.

Edna Kenny said they wouldn't put a candidate up against "the bridge builder" back in Jan and they haven't.

Why not blame FF or Labour for her not getting nominated.

In my opinion I would rather burn €15 million than give that woman a platform to peddle her outdated ideas.

TomF

Dana is a real example of moral courage in a political landscape that sees people dive for cover if some eedjit calls him/her "right-wing" or a "religious nut" or a "fundamentalist whacko". She says what she thinks and she calmly stands her ground even in the face of hair-dryer type screamers like those who, it seems, regularly post on this board (some of you people - and you know who you are - really need to get out in the fresh air more often).

I would love to see Dana as President of Ireland. It is obvious that most of Ireland's Catholic bishops are now afraid to say "boo" for fear of the above-mentioned screamers, but not Dana. Ireland has swung wildly to the wrong wing in recent years, and it needs a Dana to correct the swing without it swinging wildly the other way.

That all said, I doubt that Mary McAleese's clamp on the Presidency can be loosened. She's in for another 7 years no matter what the Fine Gael party forbids or permits.

McAleese is certainly a great improvement over Mary Robinson, who couldn't even be bothered to finish her term, with the prospects of scrambling up the financial and prestige ladder beckoning.

And agreeing with other posters, I think the Presidency of Ireland has been a a females-only need apply job since Mary Robinson won.

Sleipnir

I think she's an awful idiot.
She does not speak for the people of Ireland, generally.
If shehad been around to run in the sixties maybe, but not now.

She is a religious nut and basically

"No thanks Dana, we already have a good President. Why would we replace a good one with a bad one?"

MickFarr

Tommy Vercetti wrote:

The only person I can think of who could possibly be more stupid than Dana as prez would have to be Ronan Keating.

He'd get more votes !

sliabh

TomF wrote:

Dana is a real example of moral courage in a political landscape that sees people dive for cover if some eedjit calls him/her "right-wing" or a "religious nut" or a "fundamentalist whacko".

I think there are only 3 politicians in that class in the country. Dana, Justin Barrett and Aine Ni Chonaill (not to say they are all equivalent or even looking for the same thing). And each of them is pretty unappologetic about their views and could not be described as "diving for cover".

TomF wrote:

Ireland has swung wildly to the wrong wing in recent years, and it needs a Dana to correct the swing without it swinging wildly the other way.

I presume you mean too far to the right, but most people would regard Dana's constituency as being on the right as they favour reduced personal freedoms.

Hobbes

chewy wrote:

is there anything else to be voted on that day the 22nd of cotober?

They should do what the ESB does. Offer a free car raffle if you put your vote in. Or tie it in with the lotto someway.

bonkey

TomF wrote:

hair-dryer type screamers like those who, it seems, regularly post on this board (some of you people - and you know who you are - really need to get out in the fresh air more often).

If you can't post without instulting other posters, then don't.

jc

bonkey

TomF wrote:

hair-dryer type screamers like those who, it seems, regularly post on this board (some of you people - and you know who you are - really need to get out in the fresh air more often).

If you can't post without insulting other posters, then don't.

jc

delly

Shes not all there imho, and if she costs the taxpayer by running, i won't be happy.

And as for that anti-M50 fella who thinks he's in with a shot, I know what type of shot i'd give him..........SNIPER SNIPER

Mighty_Mouse

political landscape that sees people dive for cover if some eedjit calls him/her "right-wing" or a "religious nut" or a "fundamentalist whacko".

Yes those right-wing fundamentalists religious nuts just can't take a slaggin at all!

Oh! How I wish....................

FatherTed

If Labour, Fine Gael don't want to put up a candidate and if people like Dana cannot get on the ballot, why even bother to have an "election? At that, why even bother to have the office of the President if the opposition parties don't even bother to nominate a candiate?

TwoShedsJackson

Beruthiel wrote:

Dana would be perfect
if this was 100 years ago when we still lived under the thumb of the church

she's a throw back and I would like to think we have grown beyond that.

Keep 'em in the kitchen, barefoot and pregnant!!!

I can't find the exact quote right now, but I think an idea of Dana's potential Presidential skills could be illustrated by what she said last time she ran: 'if elected I would ensure the divorce referendum would be re-run until we get the right result'.

Says lots about what she thinks of democracy, and indeed that she has no clue what the President is supposed to actually (not) do.

If Labour, Fine Gael don't want to put up a candidate and if people like Dana cannot get on the ballot, why even bother to have an "election?

errr, there won't be one??...

LegacyUser

I think it would be good if she ran again, and even better if she wins, but the cream on the cake would be that she performs as badly as you all think she would, it might make those who actually can make decisions more important than the brand of toilet role they use to realise the position should be abolished. Its a shameless waste of public money that could be better spent elsewhere.

elivsvonchiaing

Beruthiel wrote:

Dana would be perfect
if this was 100 years ago when we still lived under the thumb of the church

she's a throw back and I would like to think we have grown beyond that.

The truth of this is in fifties she would still have been the "whore of babylon" - in the sixties "a contender" - but we are talking time machines here...

Catholic Ireland was a lot more oppressive than people care to remember...

The Magdelaine Sisters - there are still some old-dears who are so institutionalized they are still there - how horrible is that

We have grown beyond that as is apparent in Dana's populality!

Chorus please: "Praise Sanity - Hallelujiah!"

mycroft

GospelGroupie wrote:

Mention Dana and all the lefty pinkos among you are going to go berzerk, I just know it. Dana dana dana dana dana dana dana dana dana dana dana dana. Doe's it make ye mad?

Secular division between church n state, Divorce, Marriage between Same sex couples, Equal rights for same sex couples, Equal rights for couples who arent married, stem cell research, sex education in schools, erosion of the catholic churchs infulence.........

Hey look two can play at this game!