When will the time be right for a general election?

I'm very confused.

Our country has turned into a somewhat poisoned chalice for political parties. Nobody wants (appears to want) to be in power at the moment. Fianna Fail strike me, as the guy you work with who knows he's leaving the job, so doesn't do much in his final week as the, "they can't sack me, I've given in notice" mentality comes into play, and we're left hoping he'd leave sooner and picking up his slack in the meantime.

Fine Gael and Labour don't come across as wanting power as we're going to have to go through a very tough time cleaning up the mess that will have been left behind, and slowly (fingers crossed) start to turn things around. But then in five years time, when (if) things are starting to happen for the positive, albeit after going through the aforementioned rough patch, Fianna Fail come knocking on peoples doors, saying, "Remember us? Wasn't the 90's and early 2000's great? That was us. Look at the feckin' hardship ye've had since then, we'll get Ireland back profitable again" And get back in and possibly destroy whatever the previous government were working on.

Secondly, the budget is just around the corner and, I would be very surprised, if this government want to present what we actually need to cut. So we couldn't/can't instigate an election (vote of no confidence) until after December.

Thirdly; We have the IMF and ECB looming over our shoulders at the moment and (I could be wrong) but any sort of civil unrest or destabilising the government could lead them into us. Which, anyone in their right mind won't want. (Unless you're a self harmer on the grandest stage).

I'm so confused. I want this government out, but would having them out at the soonest stage be the best thing for Ireland? Are we literally stuck with Fianna Fail because we can't put anyone else in power at the moment?

I really enjoy,(but not necessarily partake in) the threads on the politics forum, so I ask you, can anyone shed some light on this situation for me? Please use layman's terms, as I would consider myself, quite the confused common man.

Cunning Alias

Well it's looking like it's gonna be a **** 4 years (at least), so I can understand that no party would want to be in power at the mo. Just look at the US. Obama is being blamed for problems that were created well before he was in power, yet no one cares.

Everyone seems to be unhappy in this country, but nothing will change. A few people protest, drive trucks up the the gates of the Dáil, etc, yet the general public will will just read about it in the paper and do nothing.

If there was a proper alternative to the current government with a proper plan, people would back it. All the opposition parties will claim that all the FF plans are rubbish, yet give no alternative. SF are going for a vote of no confidence and claim to have a better plan, yet give no details. It all seems like a bunch of assholes trying to replace the current assholes. Different party, same lies.

DeVore

I have been thinking about this for some time... Its going to take a group/"party" of people who arent in it for the long haul or indeed for the brown envelopes.

They will have to be really clear about what they want to achieve so that everyone knows what they are getting when they vote for them. Its going to take an Obama for Ireland ina sense but more then that, we need a hundred Obama's to form a government.

And if/when they get in.... they're going to have to do what they said they would.... (hows Gitmo goin' for ya there Barracky aul boy?)

The problem is that we still live in a world of Personality Politics. We need to abandon that and get back to the politics of actions and issues.

DeV.

Wolfe Tone

Obama. FFS.



I would argue that the LAST thing the opposition want, despite what they say, is a GE. They want FF to(and they have) make the tough decisions which will piss people off. FF now have the mentality that it does not matter what they do now, people hate them anyways. What I expect is when the opposition finally get into power we will hear a lot of "FF brought us too far to turn back now" and we will see the same type of thing but with a different party.

Permabear

This post has been deleted.

Johnny Murphy FF

No election until 2012 i'm afraid.

Liam Byrne

The right time for a general election was September 2008.

Mary O'Rourke seems to think the right time is before Christmas, but reckons she'll me "murdered" for suggesting it (and I'm not 100% convinced that that's a merely metaphorical phrasing).

The sooner an election comes the better, even though regardless of who gets in they'll be sorting out FF's astronomical mess. The sad thing is that I don't think any of the parties are capable of sorting out a mess of this size.

bijapos

Papa Smut wrote: »

Nobody wants (appears to want) to be in power at the moment.
Fine Gael and Labour don't come across as wanting power as we're going to have to go through a very tough time cleaning up the mess that will have been left behind,

Then they should not be in politics. If you refuse to do a job/project in the private sector you get moved on pretty qiuckly.

But then in five years time, when (if) things are starting to happen for the positive, albeit after going through the aforementioned rough patch, Fianna Fail come knocking on peoples doors, saying, "Remember us? Wasn't the 90's and early 2000's great? That was us. Look at the feckin' hardship ye've had since then, we'll get Ireland back profitable again"

Possible. But then again a FG-Lab government will have a hefty majority and will not have to rely on fickle independents or people disobeying the whip. If they are serious about deep reform in the way that this country is run and if they achieve that reform they will be re-elected. If they do not attempt to grasp the most serious underlying problems then the people will judge them accordingly. Its up to them.

orourkeda

MUSSOLINI wrote: »

Obama. FFS.



I would argue that the LAST thing the opposition want, despite what they say, is a GE. They want FF to(and they have) make the tough decisions which will piss people off. FF now have the mentality that it does not matter what they do now, people hate them anyways. What I expect is when the opposition finally get into power we will hear a lot of "FF brought us too far to turn back now" and we will see the same type of thing but with a different party.

My sentiments exactly.

In the present climate it's very difficult to imagine FF improving their lot. This can only be a good thing if the opposition can figure out a reliable way to capitalise on it in the long term.

The same could also have been said of the recent UK elections. Labour have been presented with an opportunity to regroup.

PeterIanStaker

There will never be a "right" time for a GE.

The situation is f*cked and unfixable.

Nobody, and I mean nobody, can rectify the situation.

You may as well be performing CPR on a decapitated body.

johngalway

DeVore wrote: »

Its going to take an Obama for Ireland ina sense but more then that, we need a hundred Obama's to form a government.

Ah DeV, come on, Obama?

Wait on for the Mid Terms in the USA and see how much fibre Obama has. I said it before the US election and I'll say it again, he's an empty promise wrapped up in a Bob the Builder phrase.

Amhran Nua

DeVore wrote: »

The problem is that we still live in a world of Personality Politics.

The system was set up originally to turn every election into a local popularity contest. This is the result of the single transferable vote, and why 99% of the countries that use proportional representation use the party list system instead, so you're forced to vote for the party's policies, not for the guy who's been fixing the roads for your local estate and whose father was a grand sort altogether. Leave the local politics at the local level, TDs should have no business getting involved in it.

Benito

MUSSOLINI wrote: »

Obama. FFS.



I would argue that the LAST thing the opposition want, despite what they say, is a GE. They want FF to(and they have) make the tough decisions which will piss people off. FF now have the mentality that it does not matter what they do now, people hate them anyways. What I expect is when the opposition finally get into power we will hear a lot of "FF brought us too far to turn back now" and we will see the same type of thing but with a different party.

Yep! And can you just see...2016 and a new FF Gaulitier (correct spelling?) taking the salute on Easter Monday?