FF considered running Sile Seoige in North West

Sully

Kernan Andrews,political correspondent with the Galway Advertiser,has an article on the front page of this weeks paper in which he states that FF considered running Sile Seoige in the North west constituency in the European elections.
Now don't get me wrong: this is not to denigrate Sile in any way whatsoever.
From what I've seen from her on TV she does a very professional job,seems to have a lovely warm personality,and would certainly add plenty of glamour to the whole business.Indeed she might well do a better job than a lot of those sitting in that parliament.

But that is not the point.The point is that FF seem to be getting increasingly desperate.One party insider is quoted by mr Andrews: ''It just seems that FF will do anything to get a well known name and hope for the best.It really shows the state we are in as we try to look for a candidate.''

Now it is true that other parties have gone outside their own ranks when choosing candidates,but in the past there would have been no shortage of high profile FF people just dying to run in such an election.It just wouldn't have been FF's way to go chasing everybody and anybody to run for them.

There is a palpable aura of despair and lack of confidence surrounding FF at the moment.As another poster pointed out on another thread,Brian Cowen seems to have lost the will to govern,and this is permeating right down through the ranks.It seems to me that they would much prefer to be out of govt right now,but they can't escape without being slaughtered.While this situation prevails the country continues to go down the tubes.

The article also points out that FF ''is focusing on trying to convince Eamon O Cuiv or Galway East TD Michael Kitt to run.''

Now the O Cuiv situation is very interesting. A previous story in the Connacht Tribune suggested that O Cuiv would be the favoured choice.But success for him would trigger a bye-election.So either the party high command knows he wouldn't win but would keep the vote respectacle,or else in the event of him winning Cowen is desperate to bolster his own position and would be willing to trade a bye election loss for immediate short term gain.


In any event FF seem well on the way to meltdown: the next TNS/MRBI is likely to erode confidence even further; defeat in the upcoming elections will cause further convulsions within the party; discipline will be further eroded;
more botched decisions will be made as the focus remains on self preservation.

Is it right that the citizens of this state should suffer while FF continue to pay the price for past sins?

I,for one,don't think so.

Source: Politics.ie

Cant see how Sile would be a good candidate or could do anything at all like the George Lee hype. Smacks very much of desperation and will pull in the headlines probably just not as much as George. Sure shes well known, but I couldnt see her as a good candidate or anything but someone involved in TV.

nuttz

Sully wrote: »

Source: Politics.ie

Cant see how Sile would be a good candidate or could do anything at all like the George Lee hype. Smacks very much of desperation and will pull in the headlines probably just not as much as George. Sure shes well known, but I couldnt see her as a good candidate or anything but someone involved in TV.

since when has politics.ie been a credible source?

ninty9er

Was Pat Cox not an ordinary decent boradcaster, like Síle, carrying on about his daily life before entering politics and he became President of the ELDR, subsequently the Parliament and is now President of the European Movement.

No track record in politics isn't stopping most people on here heaping expectational praise on George Lee, I see absolutely no reason why Síle Seoige is any different.

There is no such thing as a professional politician, it is a career open to everyone and anyone, and apart from the nice change she'd be to look at, I'd rather people chanced her and judged her after they'd seen her capabilities.

Probably a discussion that deserves its own thread really.

That said, I get a feeling it won't be a TD or Síle that contests this for FF, P. Flynn is unfortunately the name that springs to mind.:(

dlofnep

Eh.. who's next? Pat Kenny?

delta_bravo

Mairead McGuinness got her MEP seat due to a large rural support in the East Constituency from being on Ear to the Ground. Its not just a ff thing

turgon

ninty9er wrote: »

No track record in politics isn't stopping most people on here heaping expectational praise on George Lee, I see absolutely no reason why Síle Seoige is any different.

Well done, putting Sile Seoige and George Lee in the same category. Shows how much FF consider when selecting candidates.

mike65

One shouldn't diss Sile Seoige one should have a go at FF for being so bleedin' obvious.

"oooh The Blueshirts have got a goggleboxer, we need someone the housewives know and love" Still using that logic they might have approached Daniel O'Conn- eh O'Donnell.

ninty9er

dlofnep wrote: »

Eh.. who's next? Pat Kenny?

I had considered it.

mike65 wrote: »

One shouldn't diss Sile Seoige one should have a go at FF for being so bleedin' obvious.

"oooh The Blueshirts have got a goggleboxer, we need someone the housewives know and love" Still using that logic they might have approached Daniel O'Conn- eh O'Donnell.

I don't recall being told Síle was allegedly approached AFTER FG signed up Georgie boy

jmcc

ninty9er wrote: »

Was Pat Cox not an ordinary decent boradcaster, like Síle, carrying on about his daily life before entering politics

No. He was a current affairs journalist on one of RTE's flagship programmes. He was interviewing politicians and had more insight into the system. With all due respect to Sile, that's a bit more than day time television and youth programming.

If Dessie O'Malley and his cronies hadn't shafted Pat Cox for the leadership of the PDs (effectively handing the leadership to Mary Harney), the PDs might have become a more populist party and could, in time, have eclipsed FG. Ironically Cox defeated O'Malley for the Euro seat in a subsequent election.

No track record in politics isn't stopping most people on here heaping expectational praise on George Lee, I see absolutely no reason why Síle Seoige is any different.

Because George knows economics and has a solid background.

There is no such thing as a professional politician,

Look at the Dail and the amount of coffin surfers who inherited their relatives' seats. Then look at perpetual politicians like Cowen, Kenny, Coughlan, Harney et al and see if they have any real world experience. You may have a lot to learn about politics.


Regards...jmcc

nesf

ninty9er wrote: »

No track record in politics isn't stopping most people on here heaping expectational praise on George Lee, I see absolutely no reason why Síle Seoige is any different.

Eh, maybe because she hasn't spend a decade covering and doing research on the Irish economy and has no academic background in the discipline? They're similar in that they're both on TV and neither are politicians but that's about it.

Pride Fighter

dlofnep wrote: »

Eh.. who's next? Pat Kenny?

He would fit right in with FF with his shady land deals and all.

Joey the lips

nuttz wrote: »

since when has politics.ie been a credible source?

Agree but no less/more than boards.ie just with a few more nuts

is_that_so

Pat "The Cope" Gallagher confirmed on Morning Ireland. That brings up a potential bye-election but obviously FF feels it's more important to challenge for a Euro seat in the North West. Hard to say how he'll do. Under normal circumstances, as a former MEP, he would expect to be elected but given the animosity towards FF who knows.

jmayo

ninty9er wrote: »

Was Pat Cox not an ordinary decent boradcaster, like Síle, carrying on about his daily life before entering politics and he became President of the ELDR, subsequently the Parliament and is now President of the European Movement.

No track record in politics isn't stopping most people on here heaping expectational praise on George Lee, I see absolutely no reason why Síle Seoige is any different.

There is no such thing as a professional politician, it is a career open to everyone and anyone, and apart from the nice change she'd be to look at, I'd rather people chanced her and judged her after they'd seen her capabilities.

Probably a discussion that deserves its own thread really.

That said, I get a feeling it won't be a TD or Síle that contests this for FF, P. Flynn is unfortunately the name that springs to mind.:(

Pat Cox was presenting political and economic shows, not reading the news or some afternoon chit chat show.
George Lee was economics editor and has high profile.
Also, even though ff claims he was partisan, he was damm right in predicting what a cock the Irish economy had become.

On the other hand Seoige looks a lot better than either of the boys, but that mean she would be any damm good.

Please tell me you are pulling the p*** with Flynn.
Outside Castlebar he wouldn't get pis**ed on if on fire.

ednwireland

is_that_so wrote: »

Pat "The Cope" Gallagher confirmed on Morning Ireland. That brings up a potential bye-election but obviously FF feels it's more important to challenge for a Euro seat in the North West. Hard to say how he'll do. Under normal circumstances, as a former MEP, he would expect to be elected but given the animosity towards FF who knows.

the funny thing was he said about a possible ebyelection if he won, that theres a great tradition of FF voting up here. which as people round here like to say you could put a donkey up in donegal south west for FF and it would get elected, or maybe i just dont mix with FF'ers.

personally i think he may just be taking people for granted at the moment, smacks to me of complete desperation within FF.

Fishtits

They have to defeat Ganley.

Daithinski

jmcc wrote: »

coffin surfers