So Mary Lou Knocked on My Door.....

population

.........and in fairness answered every single qs I asked her

Qs I asked were not particularly comfortable for a Sinn Fein member to have to deal with but in fairness she answered them all and even had figures and costings which is more than I can say for Joan Burtons shambolic performance on Vincent Browne.

Still dont know if they would get my vote per se but she did really well.

mikemac

Didn't she run for Dublin Central and not even live there?
I'm sure she's a good candidate, it wouldn't have helped though

dresden8

mikemac wrote: »

Didn't she run for Dublin Central and not even live there?
I'm sure she's a good candidate, it wouldn't have helped though

A lot of representatives don't live in their constituencies, or only move there after getting elected.

mikemac

Maybe so in cities, I don't doubt you

I'm more familiar with rural constituencies and realy, Mary Lou was the first example of this that I'd heard of this. I'd can't think it's ever happened in my own constituency.
I did hear the "parachute candidate" line used by opponents.

Anyway, hope I'm not dragging this thread offtopic

JonathanAnon

I have always found her an impressive performer, for one who had very little experience when she was first thrown into the position of basically being the face of Sinn Fein down South. She's a good speaker, and speaks with clarity.

I am no fan of Joan Burton (as will have read from my previous post this week), and I feel that she is a real weakness in any attempt will have to take power. She should be boosting Labour's profile with all the air time she gets, but doesnt perform well when having to offer a suggestions as what to do (as opposed to just criticizing what the government are doing).

LordSutch

JonathanAnon wrote: »

I have always found her an impressive performer, for one who had very little experience when she was first thrown into the position of basically being the face of Sinn Fein down South. She's a good speaker, and speaks with clarity.

I have listened to her in many TV & Radio debates over the last few years, and I have found her to be one of the most intellectually lacking & 'vacuous' performers I have ever witnessed (admittedly in a clear voice)!

The woman never actually says anything, she predominantly talks in 'SF soundbites', and once you take out all of this 'SF' window dressing you are left with . . . "Let me be perfectly clear about this" > "We are for all the people all of the time" > "My vote is no more important than your vote" > "We demand equality for all the people of Ireland" etc etc etc :rolleyes:

Loads of the bleedin obvious, with absolutely no bleedin content at all, and if she was the last so called politician on the Planet I still wouldn't vote for her.

population

Camelot wrote: »

I have listened to her in many TV & Radio debates over the last few years, and I have found her to be one of the most intellectually lacking & 'vacuous' performers I have ever witnessed (admittedly in a clear voice)!

The woman never actually says anything, she predominantly talks in 'SF soundbites', and once you take out all of this 'SF' window dressing you are left with . . . "Let me be perfectly clear about this" > "We are for all the people all of the time" > "My vote is no more important than your vote" > "We demand equality for all the people of Ireland" etc etc etc :rolleyes:

Loads of the bleedin obvious, with absolutely no bleedin content at all, and if she was the last so called politician on the Planet I still wouldn't vote for her.

I would have had the same opinion but I asked her about what she would do to raise the 5 billion and she actually had figures as opposed to soundbites. Also she said to me she was not opposed to laying off underperforming PS workers. Labour just will not say these things for fear of losing their new found tags as darlings of the electorate.

wilson10

population wrote: »

.........and in fairness answered every single qs I asked her

Qs I asked were not particularly comfortable for a Sinn Fein member to have to deal with but in fairness she answered them all and even had figures and costings which is more than I can say for Joan Burtons shambolic performance on Vincent Browne.

Still dont know if they would get my vote per se but she did really well.

Did you ask her for the whereabouts of the missing.

population

Good point

I asked her was this a genuine departure for Sinn Fein from the days of old, I asked her detailed qs about their current funding and I asked her if hypothetically they got in on my vote, would I eventually have some nasty surprises to deal with.

She acknowledged where I was coming from, took it on the chin and answered the questions (from what I can tell at least!) honestly....

wilson10

I've been around for a long time so no matter what they do or how hard they try, they carry too much nasty baggage from the past to get me to even listen.

They wouldn't even condemn Omagh at the time, though they may since have said it was wrong or unfortunate.

population

Unfortunate is such a cop out.

I remember Lenihan saying that about Sean Fitzpatricks part in the decimation of this country.

I take your point without quibble

nesf

Honestly, she's a politician, if she can't sell herself to you on the doorstep she's in the wrong business. Don't ever be too impressed when one spouts figures on your doorstep because unless you work in the area you'll have no idea if it's they're lies, half-truths or actually true.

Godge

wilson10 wrote: »

I've been around for a long time so no matter what they do or how hard they try, they carry too much nasty baggage from the past to get me to even listen.

They wouldn't even condemn Omagh at the time, though they may since have said it was wrong or unfortunate.

Agreed. I could never bring myself to vote for them. In fact, if there was a serious possibility of them getting in to Government, I would vote for the party least likely to enter coalition with them and carry on my preferences in that order.

Trotter

I'd love to have asked her if they were still selling IRA tshirts on their website.

Nodin

Trotter wrote: »

I'd love to have asked her if they were still selling IRA tshirts on their website.

......glad to see you've the real issues to the fore there.

Tabnabs

Trotter wrote: »

I'd love to have asked her if they were still selling IRA tshirts on their website.

Yup

guinnessdrinker

Anytime I have seen her on a tv debate she always seems well able to handle any question thrown at her. She is just a good debator imo as opposed to many politicians these days.

Agent Smith

Nodin wrote: »

......glad to see you've the real issues to the fore there.

I couldnt see myself voting for a Party that sells teddybears that say "Tiocfaidh ar Lá"





Nor would i really want them representing me.

dlofnep

wilson10 wrote: »

They wouldn't even condemn Omagh at the time, though they may since have said it was wrong or unfortunate.

Wrong.

"I am totally horrified by this action. I condemn it without any equivocation whatsoever."

-Gerry Adams.

blinding

Pretty much every political party of substance on this island has emerged from a violent past. If people did not decide that this violent past was behind these other parties then these parties could not have moved on.

Each individual has to decide if Sinn Féin has moved on from its violent past. I myself am convinced that the republicans that make up Sinn Féin have moved on from violence and will not return to it.

I have two reasons for believing this and they are that they do not believe that there is enough support in the country to carry out a successful campaign through insurgency.
The second being that this group of republicans have seen the sacrifices that their own people had to make over a very long time and that there is better opportunity of achieving success through peacefull means.

It is interesting that the more success that Sinn Féin achieve electorally then the farther away they get from a violent past.
Sinn Féin through their participation in a long and torturous peace process have earned the right for their policies to be considered and excepted or rejected by each member of the electorate.

jimmmy

blinding wrote: »

Each individual has to decide if Sinn Féin has moved on from its violent past.

Why are they still selling IRA t-shirts on their website so ?

bmaxi

Nodin wrote: »

......glad to see you've the real issues to the fore there.

Unfortunately for SF this is where their credibility falls down, the Armalite and the ballot box mentality is still there.

As regards Mary Lou, she is another in a long line of manufactured SF talkers, when a question is asked of her you can almost hear her brain searching the database.

jimmmy

bmaxi wrote: »

Unfortunately for SF this is where their credibility falls down, the Armalite and the ballot box mentality is still there.

As regards Mary Lou, she is another in a long line of manufactured SF talkers, when a question is asked of her you can almost hear her brain searching the database.

I have to agree with you there.

li@mo

Hi Mary, can you tell me why your party lobbied for the early release of the killers of Garda Jerry McCabe?

No?

No votes from me so........bye bye

dlofnep

jimmmy wrote: »

Why are they still selling IRA t-shirts on their website so ?

Funds I'd imagine? It doesn't mean that Sinn Féin is getting ready to re-engage in an armed campaign. the same way Fine gael run around with pictures of Michael Collins, who committed similar acts. Is that not the same thing? Of course it is.

Sinn Féin has opted for a peaceful road-map.. The party has moved on and progressed. Obviously this all takes time, one step at a time.

ionix5891

dlofnep wrote: »

Funds I'd imagine? It doesn't mean that Sinn Féin is getting ready to re-engage in an armed campaign. the same way Fine gael run around with pictures of Michael Collins, who committed similar acts. Is that not the same thing? Of course it is.

Sinn Féin has opted for a peaceful road-map.. The party has moved on and progressed. Obviously this all takes time, one step at a time.

what say you about an economic policy that makes FF look good? :rolleyes:

raising corpo taxes? oh dear god save us all :mad:

jimmmy

dlofnep wrote: »

Funds I'd imagine?

Do they really need to raise that much from selling t-shirts containing such tone + content ? No other political party does it.
As another poster wrote, unfortunately for SF this is where their credibility falls down, the Armalite and the ballot box mentality is still there.

dlofnep wrote: »

It doesn't mean that Sinn Féin is getting ready to re-engage in an armed campaign.

Nobody suggested it was.

blinding

jimmmy wrote: »

Why are they still selling IRA t-shirts on their website so ?

The IRA that was/is associated with Sinn Féin are no longer involved in military action or organised actions of any kind. They are commited to peaceful methods of achieving the goals of Sinn Féin.

In my opinion Sinn Féin have shown their commitment to peaceful means by continuing with the peace process over the long term.

Do you complain when FF,FG,Labour commemorate some of their people from the past that were involved in violent action.

jimmmy

blinding wrote: »

In my opinion Sinn Féin have shown their commitment to peaceful means by continuing with the peace process over the long term..

Correct, I will give them that.
The fact they are still selling IRA t-shirts etc on their website speaks volumes though....other political parties do not do that kind of thing, when victims and victims families are still alive.

blinding wrote: »

Do you complain when FF,FG,Labour commemorate some of their people from the past that were involved in violent action.

I mind my own business.

A Dub in Glasgo

Trotter wrote: »

I'd love to have asked her if they were still selling IRA tshirts on their website.

Ye here is another one - How dare they!

Agent Smith

dlofnep wrote: »

Funds I'd imagine? It doesn't mean that Sinn Féin is getting ready to re-engage in an armed campaign. the same way Fine gael run around with pictures of Michael Collins, who committed similar acts. Is that not the same thing? Of course it is.

Sinn Féin has opted for a peaceful road-map.. The party has moved on and progressed. Obviously this all takes time, one step at a time.

When you lie down with dogs, you end up with fleas

dlofnep

Agent Smith wrote: »

When you lie down with dogs, you end up with fleas

I'll keep that in mind incase any blueshirts knock on my door for the elections.

blinding

blinding wrote: »

The IRA that was/is associated with Sinn Féin are no longer involved in military action or organised actions of any kind. They are commited to peaceful methods of achieving the goals of Sinn Féin.

In my opinion Sinn Féin have shown their commitment to peaceful means by continuing with the peace process over the long term.

Do you complain when FF,FG,Labour commemorate some of their people from the past that were involved in violent action.

Agent Smith wrote: »

When you lie down with dogs, you end up with fleas

That can be said of nearly all political parties in Ireland if you examine their history in detail

jimmmy

blinding wrote: »

That can be said of nearly all political parties in Ireland if you examine their history in detail

If you go back far enough. But still 2 or 3 or 4 wrongs do not make a right.

The t-shirts referred to on the Sinn Fein website had IRA in very large letters and made reference to the PIRA campaign of the eighties , not the old IRA of nearly 100 years ago.

djpbarry

guinnessdrinker wrote: »

Anytime I have seen her on a tv debate she always seems well able to handle any question thrown at her.

You might provide an example of one such debate? As many other posters have said, I've yet to hear any convincing policy proposals from Sinn Fein; they're a one trick pony.

old boy

as for sinn fein, only for the troubles kickstarted there would be many 2nd and 3rd class citizens in northern ireland, i can hazzard a guess that some of the posters there never had a gun poked in through the drivers window of the car they were traveling in, and a cockney or gordie never told them to fcuk off home to their own country, or did they try telling them that they were not in there own country, lets not be too selective here and stick to the subjuct of the thread,

jimmmy

I only ever had the upmost courtesy from any cockneys or geordies I met in N. Ireland, and I met many, probably long before Mary Lou ever visited the place. The only guns I ever saw poked in through the drivers window was in the movies. To get back to the subject of the thread, as another poster wrote, I've yet to hear any convincing policy proposals from Sinn Fein; they're a one trick pony.

bmaxi

In all my travels across the border and there have been many, I've never had a bad experience with the security forces. I am not an apologist for them, I realise there are rotten apples in every barrel.
The closest I have come to harm was, when driving back from Newry, a bomb went off killing a judge and his wife. Myself, my wife and my 2 year old daughter had passed the spot not 20 seconds beforehand and several people travelling behind were injured. This bomb, we heard afterwards, was set off by remote control and no doubt this was seen as " acceptable collateral damage" but forgive me if I'm not enamoured of the IRA or their fellow travellers.

meathstevie

The party that's been involved in organised crime more than any other party in the last few decades and has also been shown to be involved in such by various tribunals and enquiries is not Sinn Fein. It all depends on how many of you deem corruption to be organised crime. In my books it is and on a society level it is one of the most nefarious forms of crime.

jimmmy

meathstevie wrote: »

The party that's been involved in organised crime

I do not think you can equate people ( a minority of the part, in all fairness ) getting " digouts" with the activities of those ( who committed murder etc ) glorified on certain t-shirts ?

jimmmy

bmaxi wrote: »

In all my travels across the border and there have been many, I've never had a bad experience with the security forces. I am not an apologist for them, I realise there are rotten apples in every barrel.

Agreed 100% and thats my experience, as a southener, too. In fact during the 70's, 80's and 90's I was amazed and impressed with their courage, courtesy, professionalism and good manners, given the threat they lived with 24/7.

meathstevie

I'm not referring to a Drumcondra resident getting a few bob from his mates.
I'm not trying to compare any crime with another crime. I'm just stating that it's not only the spectacular headline catching stuff that is important and bad for society. Quite often the headline catching stuff is what happens when society is broken down to an extent and corruption is often a contributary factor to these breakdowns. look at Zimbabwe for an extreme example.

jimmmy

meathstevie wrote: »

I'm not referring to a Drumcondra resident getting a few bob from his mates.
I'm not trying to compare any crime with another crime.

But you are trying to compare the corruption of some people in one party to activities during the troubles ( as glorified on the front of t-shirts which are still for sale on the website of one political party )?

Svalbard

Nodin wrote: »

......glad to see you've the real issues to the fore there.

Well, it says a lot about where SF stand. Wearing an IRA t-shirt would be highly offensive to many people.

blinding wrote: »

The IRA that was/is associated with Sinn Féin are no longer involved in military action or organised actions of any kind. They are commited to peaceful methods of achieving the goals of Sinn Féin.

In my opinion Sinn Féin have shown their commitment to peaceful means by continuing with the peace process over the long term.

Do you complain when FF,FG,Labour commemorate some of their people from the past that were involved in violent action.

Actually, the Easter Rising commemoration made me uncomfortable. Am I the only one?

I am glad the 26 counties are independent of Britain and I know that that freedom came at a price. But when I see similar disputes happening around the world, where innocent people are killed, I can't help but see them as unnecessary. Lets not forget that those who orgainsed the rising had no mandate to speak for the Irish people and were widely condemned at the time.
I suppose the main difference between their actions and later (and current) terrorist actions is that civilians were not intentionally targeted.

Its a pity we can't celebrate our independence struggle in the same way the USA can - I guess all that has happened since has tainted it. I'm not sure why, but as i said I have mixed feelings about it.

SF, FF, FG - all have questionable pasts. I suppose the question about SF is "is the past really in the past?". How many years must pass before they are seen as a 'legitimate' political party by all? At what point did FF & FG stop having links to violence?

CSC

I have heard that Mary Lou is not too popular among republican ranks. I believe she only joined SF after she wasn't picked to run for FF in a local election (I'm not 100% sure of the accuracy of this as it is something I read on the internet but she was defintely a member of FF in her younger days).
I have always found her to be one of the SF's better representatives and can imagine her doing very well.

Liam Byrne

population wrote: »

Also she said to me she was not opposed to laying off underperforming PS workers.

How about laying off underperforming TDs and Ministers ?

I'd love to see how she'd be in a party where she didn't have to defend the indefensible, but from what I've seen she's been weak enough......that said, most of it is because of hypocritical stances (e.g. complaining on the Last Word that the Lisbon treaty would open this island an "army" that the people didn't want).

So I'd find it hard to take her seriously after some of the stuff she's said to date.

Liam Byrne

meathstevie wrote: »

The party that's been involved in organised crime more than any other party in the last few decades and has also been shown to be involved in such by various tribunals and enquiries is not Sinn Fein. It all depends on how many of you deem corruption to be organised crime. In my books it is and on a society level it is one of the most nefarious forms of crime.

I agree completely and while taking the difference in the levels of crime into account, we're far too accepting of white-collar crime.

That said, I didn't see Fianna Failure's website selling t-shirts with Bertie's & Charlie's faces on them saying "no surrender" or "we're still screwing the people, y'know".....or even Willie O'Dea with the gun......

Having it going on is one thing
Condoning it is another
And selling crap that celebrates crime is another entirely

edevelera60

Camelot wrote: »

I have listened to her in many TV & Radio debates over the last few years, and I have found her to be one of the most intellectually lacking & 'vacuous' performers I have ever witnessed (admittedly in a clear voice)!

The woman never actually says anything, she predominantly talks in 'SF soundbites', and once you take out all of this 'SF' window dressing you are left with . . . "Let me be perfectly clear about this" > "We are for all the people all of the time" > "My vote is no more important than your vote" > "We demand equality for all the people of Ireland" etc etc etc :rolleyes:

Loads of the bleedin obvious, with absolutely no bleedin content at all, and if she was the last so called politician on the Planet I still wouldn't vote for her.

I am sure you would vote for Paisley and co instead and all they can ever say is ......NO, No, No

jimmmy

no paramilitary t-shirts t-shirts for sale on his or their political websites...so why does Sinn Fein sell IRA t-shirts ?

Nodin

jimmmy wrote: »

Why are they still selling IRA t-shirts on their website so ?

Why is this a problem? They supported the armed struggle after all.

If they removed them, doubtless we'd hear how they were trying to deny the past and perform a whitewash.

jimmmy wrote: »

I mind my own business

Nice of you to be so selective

Svalbard wrote:

Actually, the Easter Rising commemoration made me uncomfortable. Am I the only one?

vs

Svalbard wrote:

Its a pity we can't celebrate our independence struggle in the same way the USA can

..you mean without apologising for it? If you've problems with a parade and a flyby, I can't see why you'd be comfortable with the full-on American approach.

blinding

Liam Byrne wrote: »

I agree completely and while taking the difference in the levels of crime into account, we're far too accepting of white-collar crime.

That said, I didn't see Fianna Failure's website selling t-shirts with Bertie's & Charlie's faces on them saying "no surrender" or "we're still screwing the people, y'know".....or even Willie O'Dea with the gun......

Having it going on is one thing
Condoning it is another
And selling crap that celebrates crime is another entirely

No surrender sounds more like a unionist/loyalist slogan.
What sites are you looking at.