'Digging Dirt'

Kevster

Why do they (politicians) persistently try to dig dirt on each other? I am eligible to vote but there's never anybody worth voting for in my opinion. If I was to vote, it would be for the politician who emphasises his policies and seems confidant in taking the country forward; instead of taking down his opponents.

The best example of this is my opinion on Hillary Clinton: I was in full support of her a few months ago but, after all of the recent 'dirt digging' on Obama, I simply have lost my will to see her as president. Why can't she just focus on what she would like to do for the country? The same goes, of course, for Obama, [Enda] Kenny, and that knob over in the UK (David Cameron).

Kevin.

jonny72

Most politicians are in it for power over policies. Ruthlessness, spin, mud-slinging are all part of the game and will always be. The minority might spot these traits but its the majority that counts.

jmayo

Kevster wrote: »

Why do they (politicians) persistently try to dig dirt on each other? I am eligible to vote but there's never anybody worth voting for in my opinion. If I was to vote, it would be for the politician who emphasises his policies and seems confidant in taking the country forward; instead of taking down his opponents.

The best example of this is my opinion on Hillary Clinton: I was in full support of her a few months ago but, after all of the recent 'dirt digging' on Obama, I simply have lost my will to see her as president. Why can't she just focus on what she would like to do for the country? The same goes, of course, for Obama, [Enda] Kenny, and that knob over in the UK (David Cameron).

Kevin.

So if everyone adopts that attitude then nobody would bother voting and you suddenly slide into an apathetic state where the biggest despotic corrupt shister is running the place.
What or rather who are you waiting for to turn up on your doorstep before you will deem them good enough for your vote?
Mother Theresea, Ghandi, JFK or maybe even Our Lord ?
Why not vote for the best candidate that does not represent a party that has been ruling us for years, affectively giving us the two fingers by rewarding themsleves with huge salaries and that have been wasting our taxes.

I know it is the old cliche but look how many Irish men and women died so that you did have the priviledge to vote for the government of your country.
Don't you think that the Tibetans would like that priviledge or don't you think the Zimbabweans would really like the ability to vote in a fair election ?

BTW it is the purpose of oposition to get at the ruling party, that is their function.
And if there is what you would term mud slinging by our current opposition parties they have a damm good reason for it.
Take a look at the behaviour of our current ruler(s).
Politics can be a dirty, backstabbing business but so are a lot of things in life.

Take a look at the policitcs of top class sport.
How do you think China or Britain got the Olympics.
Take a look at FIFA or UEFA.
Their carryon makes what is going on in US elections or here look like a scout jamboree.

Now that my Saturday monring rant is out of the way I can go out in the pouring rain

Kevster

How nice of you to take it [your rant] out on me. That's sarcasm, by the way. Also, by the way, I never wanted my countrymen to regain control of this country. I am of the opinion that we would be better-off still under the control of the United Kingdom. You or I will never know if that is true or not, however.

Kevin.

Tipsy Mac

Kevster wrote: »

Why do they (politicians) persistently try to dig dirt on each other? I am eligible to vote but there's never anybody worth voting for in my opinion. If I was to vote

You havn't used your right to vote, as such a person you have no right whatsoever to comment on any political issue in the country

Kevster

Tipsy Mac wrote:

You havn't used your right to vote, as such a person you have no right whatsoever to comment on any political issue in the country

That's the most illogical thing I have heard all day.

bagels

Kevster wrote: »

Why do they (politicians) persistently try to dig dirt on each other? I am eligible to vote but there's never anybody worth voting for in my opinion. If I was to vote, it would be for the politician who emphasises his policies and seems confidant in taking the country forward; instead of taking down his opponents.

The best example of this is my opinion on Hillary Clinton: I was in full support of her a few months ago but, after all of the recent 'dirt digging' on Obama, I simply have lost my will to see her as president. Why can't she just focus on what she would like to do for the country? The same goes, of course, for Obama, [Enda] Kenny, and that knob over in the UK (David Cameron).

Kevin.

i know its a cliché but perhaps you should enter politics yourself;
the only way to change the system is if enough principled people participate;
however, nobody wants to rock the boat and draw trouble upon oneself;
putting your neck on the line for politics might not be worth it;
that being said, i'm confident that there are some really decent politicians out there, although some of them may have had to do some very nasty deeds to succeed;
the ends sometimes have to justify the means;
anyway, i wish you the very best of luck if you do decide to give it a go!

Kevster

I have considered becoming a politician but I don't know how exactly. My uncle is a Fianna Fáil TD for a county that I'm not going to name. I'm also sure that there are decent politicians out there but they certainly aren't at the top (or aren't in the limelight).

bagels

Kevster wrote: »

I have considered becoming a politician but I don't know how exactly. My uncle is a Fianna Fáil TD for a county that I'm not going to name. I'm also sure that there are decent politicians out there but they certainly aren't at the top (or aren't in the limelight).

i'm the wrong person to give you advice on which party to join, if any;
therefore i won't;
i live in co galway but my political idol is former td joe higgins of the socialist party;
in my opinion, he is a man of principle who has done a great deal of good and is punching far above his weight;
for 20 years i voted for ff but the exposing of cjh persuaded me to take my support elsewhere;
i didn't however switch to fg as i don't have any time for their local td;
now though i feel pressurised to vote for fg in order to unseat bertie;
ff, in my opinion, will eventually pay a very, very high price electorally for standing by bertie at the moment;
if i could trust ff i would vote for them again, but the rot does not seem to have all gone away with the demise of cjh;
anyway, best of luck whatever you decide.

duggie-89

well i think the problem is that if all politicans do that then its simply the best candidate will win and what we know as politics will not happen. i know of a few parties who have great policies but they dont concentrate on them because if they were then the other parties would focus on them and slig mud and it will stick. we see that in the south a while ago with the whole northen bank robbery where sf was being slagged all the time. and the people believe some of it and so the masses have a say. if only people ie the majority of people could see though all shades of dirt digging politics would be som much better.



edit - yea i had alot of time for joe higgins and what do you call the other man who has the white berad and has a very proper accent, he speaks his mind and calls a spade a spade.

i would personally never vote for FF because i honestly think that when it comes to policies they may have one or two good ones but there mainly in it for themselves.

jmayo

Kevster wrote: »

How nice of you to take it [your rant] out on me. That's sarcasm, by the way. Also, by the way, I never wanted my countrymen to regain control of this country. I am of the opinion that we would be better-off still under the control of the United Kingdom. You or I will never know if that is true or not, however.

Kevin.

Sorry for taking my wet saturday morning rant out on you, but it angers me when people complain about politicans and either they have not bothered voting or they have actually voted for that same party that is now in power.
Lots of people now complaining about bertie voted for his party's local TD and now they wonder why he is in power :mad:

The oposition parties have to try and chip away at the encumbents but we still are not as bad as some countries. We are sadkly beginning to copy our American friends more and more and are basing our elections on personalities.

Vote for the opposition and see if they can do any better. They can't be any worse and they might be grateful of the opportunity and actaully make an effort to something for us the voters and not for their friends as the current shower seem to do.

Two politicans I would have a lot of time for are sadly no longer in the Dail.
Joe Higgins who at least stands by his convictions and Jim Higgins who helped the McBerattys expose the Gardai in Donegal when no one but himself and Brendan Howlin would touch them.

Like I said politics is dirty and it is not just in the political business that there is this dirt digging and dirt slinging. Check out FIFA and their power man in the Caribean and you will find someone that would be at home in our current Dail.

God, if I had only known you had an uncle a FF TD then maybe I would have slagged you even more
BTW sometimes I think you may have point we might have been off under UK. At least we might have transport infrastructure now.

Liam Byrne

It's amazing how politics operates (I won't say "works", because it doesn't).

To me, it depends on how relevant the dirt is.

Particularly in the U.S., where there's no logic in it whatsoever.....whatever your personal views on infidelity, etc, the major part of that is between the two (three?) people involved and their families......yes, it has an impact into how trustworthy someone might be, but in the overall picture it's relatively unimportant.

So Bill Clinton has an affair with an intern, and gets caught, but his wife forgives him and stands by him. But he gets sacked because of it.

George Bush makes up reasons for invading Iraq, does it, is proven to be wrong, and no-one looks to get him deposed.

Compare that to Ireland, where someone does allegedly dodgy things that would have a direct impact on his job as Minister for Finance (tax-related issues and undeclared income) and, by relating it to his personal life and marraige break-up, gets a sympathy vote and gets away with it....

Strange world.....

Kevster

jmayo wrote:

Sorry for taking my wet saturday morning rant out on you, but it angers me when people complain about politicans and either they have not bothered voting or they have actually voted for that same party that is now in power.
Lots of people now complaining about bertie voted for his party's local TD and now they wonder why he is in power :mad:

Don't worry about it because I was actually in a bad mood too before I read your reply to my original post. I don't support my uncle because he just seems like your bog-standard regular politician; and I don't follow any particular party either.

I don't vote because:

1) No-one seems worth voting for
2) I'm shy
3) I get very stressed-out in my day-'job' and never feel like going to a polling station


I think Bertie has done a good job but a third term is too much. I supported Fine Gael in that last election, merely for the change that they would have brought.

Change is good.

Kevin.