Who'll replace Biffo?

squonk

A point arose on the thread about the use of the Govt. Jet to bring Sharon Commins home that Mickey Martin is making all the right noises at the moment to position himself for a leadership bd. Now, I'm curious to know who you reckon will replace Biffo?

Personally i think Lenihan's stock has risen quite a bit over the past while with his handling of the banking crisis. I'm not saying he's done a good jo0b, he appears to have but we won't know that for about 10 years yet.

If I was to bet today my money would be on Lenihan. I'd have previously gone for Dermot Ahearn but Lenihan seems like a natural choice.

What's the Boardsie's view?

bcirl03

Krusty the clown

the groutch

toss up between Mary Harney & Mary Coughlan

enda1

Despite how terrible the thought is <shudder> it will be my namesake Enda Kenny.

(or if you mean as head of FF?)

Then I'd say Lenihan.

old boy

lenihan on the 6oclock news yesterday, the collar of his shirt askew, getting a belly like jackey healey-rae, walking with a, look a quick an purpouseful stride, trying to out stare the camera, with his steely clint eastwood like stare, no wonder jesus wept,

the groutch

enda1 wrote: »

Despite how terrible the thought is <shudder> it will be my namesake Enda Kenny.

(or if you mean as head of FF?)

Then I'd say Lenihan.

oh sorry, I thought we were talking about party leader after FF are decimated in the general election. if you mean as Taoiseach, then Eamonn Gilmore

squonk

Yeah, I mean the next leader of Fianna Failure once Biffo leaves. I think it's obvious enought that Kenny or Gilmore is going to be the next Taoiseach.

Dannyboy83

Fianna Fail
============
Lenihan & Michael Martin feel like the only people in Fianna Fail who have a grasp on reality. Martin has lost his credibility tho, kept very shtum, perhaps he didn't want to endanger his leadership bid? Too bad.
I still think hes good on his own merit, but he has ignored his responsibility in my opinion.

Lenihan seems to be the only credible candidate in the entire party from where I'm standing. One man cannot carry a party or a government, despite his best efforts. I don't agree with NAMA and I don't agree with many of the things he is doing or saying, but you cannot deny that he is trying. Hes the closest thing going to a FF statesman for 40 years.

The rest of them, Biffo, Coughlan for example, honest to God, they seem to be living in NeverNeverLand. You kind of get the feeling that Biffo got a wake up call just prior to Lisbon, but its far too little-far too late. His stance on Molloy, O'Donogue & co. are simply inexcusable. He is not fit for politics, leadership aside.
Coughlan just amazes me with her ineptitude. Every time she opens her mouth, its genuinely embarrassing. She also failed to deliver on Lisbon. When she actually does try to do something, she inevitably screws up.

O'Dea is a prime example why Fianna fail will spend 10-20 years in the wilderness after the next General Election. He embodies everything that is wrong with Irish Politics in general and Fianna Fail in particular.
O'Dea is political inertia in its physical embodiment.
His priorities are exactly 180 from where they should be, with himself and the party and the top, and the country at the bottom.

O'Donoghue, say no more.

Michael Martin has sunk a lot in my estimation, not by his own actions, but rather lack of them. I voted for him in 2003. That has become the last vote for FF from me, for a very, very long time now.
If I turn on Scrap Saturday in 4 years or 8 years and hear the same names who Dermot Morgan were slagging off 20 years ago, I'll know nothing has changed.


The Future
============
Personally, I want to see Fine Gael take leadership. People can slag Enda Kenny all they like, but he has his ear to the ground. He has moved on the Seanad and I hope he'll continue to move on other issues. Perhaps he got a jolt when Gilmore moved against O'Donoghue.

If he does screw up, it won't be for lack of trying, which I would far prefer to the contagious sloth and listlessness of Brian Cowen's leadership.

I do NOT want to see a coalition with Labour. I don't think we need to worry tho.
Gilmore has disappointed me, I thought he was a realist, I had high hopes for him.
He has excluded himself from consideration and made himself unelectable due to his stance on the public expenditure.
He has delivered a half truth, a weak promise to the public sector, that wages will only be reduced by 5%.
We know that this is impossible. He has shredded his aura of pragmatisim.
Perhaps this is for the best, it will strengthen FG's chances.

FF have generated some momentum with regard to the public sector & social welfare recently.
But they have been in power too long. They need at least 2 terms in exile.
New people, new ideas, connect with reality.
FF diehards need to do whats right for the country and the party, and abstain from voting.


Irish Politics
===============
I don't want to pick on Kerry, but this was raised recently on the forum and I feel it worth repeating, take a look:
Martin Ferris
Jackie Healey
O'Donoghue

If you cannot grasp that Irish politics is in major distress by looking at those 3 politicians, then you should not legally be fit to vote.
Our system needs a radical overhaul.



The upside
===========
At least the one good thing, for me, that has resulted from the breathtaking corruption and incompetence we have witnessed in this government over the last 10 years (but especially the last 4), is that I have become far more politically educated/aware than I have ever been before.
I have a feeling I'm not alone.

The only option for the future of this country is a FG government.............for 4 years. 8 years at the max.
We should never again give a party more than 8 years in power, with the current political set up at least.



[Cliffs:
- Lenihan should lead FF through a term or two of opposition and rebuild the party, get rid of the old blood
- FF diehards should do whats right and abstain from voting, allow their party to recover
- We need a FG government, we cannot allow a coalition
- The FF generated catastrophe has led a lot of people to become more politically educated

ejmaztec

bcirl03 wrote: »

Krusty the clown

Bertie can't do it again can he?

WeeBushy

The party really needs a fresh face and a fresh start. It would be good to see somebody new and relatively free from everything that has happened to the party in the last 5 years to become more vocal and display some leadership. There isn't really anyone doing that imo though. I think Lenihan will take over, but when FF are voted out I would like to see a complete reshuffle in the party with new faces taking over and trying to move the party away from this current nightmare.

murphaph

Michael Martin is a muppet! A waffler like Ahern. He handled the Anti-D thing well, not! what has he ever done (apart from maybe introducing the smoking ban) that's been any use?

murphaph

If FG can clearly establish themselves as the party ready to tackle the public sector and their unions once and for all, they'll win an overall majority. Enda Kenny really is their achilles heel, regardless of how well meaning he may be (and I'm not convinced he is well meaning either btw).

mega man

a coup d'etat?

JonathanAnon

I lost a lot of respect for Michael Martin when he was continuously wheeled out by the government to blame the economic difficult on "Lehman's Bank". He seemed to be the one that they send to the front line every time. Using the government jet to bring yer wan Collins home was a cynical gesture on behalf of Martin, and a waste of money. Wonder will Goal be refunding the taxpayer for rescuing their ill-advised staff?

I think Dermot Ahern has a good chance, maybe even Mary Hanafin. These are the two members of Cabinet that I would respect most for their competence and straight talking. Hard to see anybody making a leadership challenge and taking on the heavy weight of the job before the next election. Who the hell would want the job at this stage?

Cadiz

The head guy or gal at the IMF at this rate.

Mal-Adjusted

wasn't bertie finance minister before teashach? and so was Biffo! by that horrible logic, the next one will be...will be... sorry, I thought I had it there for a min:(

cyclopath2001

bcirl03 wrote: »

Krusty the clown

After FF has imploded? - Senator Ivor Calally.