Pat Kenny's Show in South Tipp, looking at Mansergh and McGrath

Amtmann

Listen here: http://www.rte.ie/podcasts/2010/pc/pod-v-04101009m21stodaywithpatkenny.mp3

Cat Melodeon

No actual comment or analysis by Kenny. Guess he thinks the interviews speak for themselves.

Mattie's politics may be a bit too local but sure i suppose that's where the votes are and at least he puts himself about. He holds regular clinics in my area.

Why Healy was voted out instead of Mansergh is beyond me. its like FF drew a constituency out of a draw drum for him. and the clowns went and voted for him. The same gombeens that voted for '14 word' Noel Davern with years no doubt.

Tom Hayes finds the right balance between local and national politics in my view.

PhatPiggins

Deleted User wrote: »

Mattie's politics may be a bit too local but sure i suppose that's where the votes are and at least he puts himself about. He holds regular clinics in my area.

Why Healy was voted out instead of Mansergh is beyond me. its like FF drew a constituency out of a draw drum for him. and the clowns went and voted for him. The same gombeens that voted for '14 word' Noel Davern with years no doubt.

Tom Hayes finds the right balance between local and national politics in my view.

McGrath sickens me to be honest. He's everything thats wrong with politics in this country. In his defence we created and vote for the parish pump system but he he's as see through as glass. It'll be interetsting to see how he does next time round as he's fairly well entrenched.

Couldn't agree more about Mansergh. Was really surprised Healy didn't get back in, thought he did a lot of good work in his last term but I guess Mansergh had the FF politico spoof machine behind him.

julyjane

PhatPiggins wrote: »

Couldn't agree more about Mansergh. Was really surprised Healy didn't get back in, thought he did a lot of good work in his last term but I guess Mansergh had the FF politico spoof machine behind him.

That's exactly how Mansergh got in, and then gets a junior ministerial post very soon after first being elected! From what I remember FF hadn't said they would run McGrath as a candidate and he got his political machine behind him and he had every intention of running anyway as an independent. FF must have got scared and ran him. There are certain lifelong supporters for whom Mattie McGrath wouldn't exactly be their cup of tea, the Davernites I guess, and it was this support that FF wanted to maintain by running Manseragh, along with Siobhán Ambrose. Mansergh ran and lost in 2002.

There was only a thread between Mansergh and Healy at the count from what I remember, but I think McGrath would have taken a lot of Healy-voters rather than Mansergh.

PhatPiggins

PhatPiggins wrote: »

McGrath sickens me to be honest. He's everything thats wrong with politics in this country. In his defence we created and vote for the parish pump system but he he's as see through as glass. It'll be interetsting to see how he does next time round as he's fairly well entrenched.

Couldn't agree more about Mansergh. Was really surprised Healy didn't get back in, thought he did a lot of good work in his last term but I guess Mansergh had the FF politico spoof machine behind him.

ah yeah i know what you refer to re Mattie, and them comments he made were outrageous.

south tipperary is primarily rural (and where urban, a rural mindset) so cant imagine how the likes of mansergh who people knew little about previous, could sneak in but there you go. Tom Hayes i cant speak highly enough of from my own personal experience but this is him as an individual not FG party. If Jimmy O'Brien from Drangan was to run next election it could make things very interesting indeed

PhatPiggins

Deleted User wrote: »

ah yeah i know what you refer to re Mattie, and them comments he made were outrageous.

south tipperary is primarily rural (and where urban, a rural mindset) so cant imagine how the likes of mansergh who people knew little about previous, could sneak in but there you go. Tom Hayes i cant speak highly enough of from my own personal experience but this is him as an individual not FG party. If Jimmy O'Brien from Drangan was to run next election it could make things very interesting indeed

Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me. If Mansergh gets even 20% of the votes he got last time I be stunned. God we really were hood winked with him.

cml387

Deleted User wrote: »

ah yeah i know what you refer to re Mattie, and them comments he made were outrageous.

south tipperary is primarily rural (and where urban, a rural mindset) so cant imagine how the likes of mansergh who people knew little about previous, could sneak in but there you go. Tom Hayes i cant speak highly enough of from my own personal experience but this is him as an individual not FG party. If Jimmy O'Brien from Drangan was to run next election it could make things very interesting indeed

Sean Tracey flew the flag for Labour in South Tipp for many years, and I would guess that it was that working class vote that put in Seamus Healy.
I think the last election result was an aberration, even in normal times FF would lose that seat,probably back to Seamus Healy.

Even allowing for the FF collapse, they could still get one seat (btw not from any vote from me!) next time,unless Mattie ran as an independent,depriving FF of any seat in South Tipp.

JKM

McGrath sickens me to be honest. He's everything thats wrong with politics in this country.

I don't know about this, a bit strong IMO. Sure he talks before he thinks a little too much, but he is literally the only TD in FF, or virtually any party for that matter, who doesn't tow the party line no questions asked. Yes he does focus on local issues, isn't that what his constituants voted him in for? to look after their needs? That is exactly what he is doing.
If a few more TD's took a leaf out of his book we might be far better off right now.

PhatPiggins

JKM wrote: »

I don't know about this, a bit strong IMO. Sure he talks before he thinks a little too much, but he is literally the only TD in FF, or virtually any party for that matter, who doesn't tow the party line no questions asked. Yes he does focus on local issues, isn't that what his constituants voted him in for? to look after their needs? That is exactly what he is doing.
If a few more TD's took a leaf out of his book we might be far better off right now.

Yes he talks a great fight alright. Is with the local man on every unpopular FF decision expect of course when it comes to voting against them in the Dail !! He's anti everything but the only thing he's actually opposed is the stag hunting bill and that would have been political suicide if he hadn't. I fully expect him to jump ship before the general election

Amtmann

JKM wrote: »

If a few more TD's took a leaf out of his book we might be far better off right now.

We wouldn't be. We'd be worse off. With every TD looking out for their own patch, none of them would have the interests of the country as a whole at heart.
The Dáil is the national parliament for debating issues of national importance. The Local Authorities exist to deal with local issues. That's how it's supposed to be. Instead you have our 'legislators', like Mattie, attending funerals constantly and dealing with potholes and medical card queries. This is absolutely shambolic.
Also, and this doesn't relate just to Mattie, but what are his educational qualifications when it comes to legal, economic, foreign policy or governmental issues? These are the things our parliamentarians should be expert on; if more were, Bertie and his cabinet of school teachers might not have steered the country onto the rocks like they did. We have to stop treasuring mediocrity and sneering at excellence.

No, leave local issues to the local authorities, and leave national issues for the national parliament.

Furet

Furet wrote: »

We wouldn't be. We'd be worse off. With every TD looking out for their own patch, none of them would have the interests of the country as a whole at heart.
The Dáil is the national parliament for debating issues of national importance. The Local Authorities exist to deal with local issues. That's how it's supposed to be. Instead you have our 'legislators', like Mattie, attending funerals constantly and dealing with potholes and medical card queries. This is absolutely shambolic.
Also, and this doesn't relate just to Mattie, but what are his educational qualifications when it comes to legal, economic, foreign policy or governmental issues? These are the things our parliamentarians should be expert on; if more were, Bertie and his cabinet of school teachers might not have steered the country onto the rocks like they did. We have to stop treasuring mediocrity and sneering at excellence.

No, leave local issues to the local authorities, and leave national issues for the national parliament.

As i previously said its about finding a balance in between local and national. if i have trouble with planning permission i go to the local councillor but in the case of lets say, applying for Btea, then you want a man that can deal with it at the very top.
to be honest i think there is worse then Mattie out there but i agree that we should have more business people in politics.

Deise Tom

Furet wrote: »

We wouldn't be. We'd be worse off. With every TD looking out for their own patch, none of them would have the interests of the country as a whole at heart.

If TD's are to think of the National picture the whole time, then why to we have constituencies.

PhatPiggins

Deise Tom wrote: »

If TD's are to think of the National picture the whole time, then why to we have constituencies.

So that they can assess the needs and concerns of their constituents and use them to formulate a national plan. What we get though is local needs being a TD's primary(only!) concern and chaos at a national level i.e the very,very,very deep recession we are now at the start of. I don't completely blame TD's as they are forced to play the game of our electorial system.

TimmyTarmac

The irony in that Pat Kenny show piece is that Manseragh was the one taking all the flak from the punters and everyone who encountered Mattie wanted to canonize him. Now, it may have been the way it was edited.
What's strange to me is that actually, Manseragh as minister at the OPW has delivered something big for Clonmel - the conclusion of the Flood Relief Scheme while Mattie seemed more concerned about the pursuit and shooting of farmed Stags than even the disasterous Bank Guarantee Scheme.
I'm no lover of FF and won't be voting for any of them but it strikes me as a bit unfair that Manseragh will be out on his ass and Mattie will survive.
When the South Tipp General Hospital becomes a shadow of itself with few sevices left (which in my view will happen) - Mattie will have have shown himself to be the worst type of FF politician, all neck and no balls.

People of Tipp South - you get what you deserve.

Smiley Burnett

JKM wrote: »

I don't know about this, a bit strong IMO. Sure he talks before he thinks a little too much, but he is literally the only TD in FF, or virtually any party for that matter, who doesn't tow the party line no questions asked. Yes he does focus on local issues, isn't that what his constituants voted him in for? to look after their needs? That is exactly what he is doing.
If a few more TD's took a leaf out of his book we might be far better off right now.

Jesus Wept!! He must be really laughing at you!!! He has you convinced that he is somehow an independent thinker, so that you will feel ok voting for him and that somehow you are voting against FF!!

the voters of south tipp deserve all the pay cuts, levies, hospital closures and school prefabs that FF have given them!!

Deise Tom

Smiley Burnett wrote: »

Jesus Wept!! He must be really laughing at you!!! He has you convinced that he is somehow an independent thinker, so that you will feel ok voting for him and that somehow you are voting against FF!!

the voters of south tipp deserve all the pay cuts, levies, hospital closures and school prefabs that FF have given them!!

What would FG give the people of South Tipp and WEST WATERFORD.

EKRIUQ

Deleted User wrote: »

Why Healy was voted out instead of Mansergh is beyond me..

Well the reason I can think of why Healy was voted out was because he gave one of Clonmels biggest scumbags a glowing reference in court which got him off only for him only to go and stab someone the week after, also Healy never connected with the rural population Clonmel was his stronghold which he cared about greatly.

Mansergh hasn't a hope of retaining his seat and leaves the door open for maybe Phil Prendergast or Landy from labour if he can do a better job of canvassing than last time.

TimmyTarmac

Deise Tom wrote: »

What would FG give the people of South Tipp and WEST WATERFORD.

Well, what do you think yourself, Deise Tom?
Or is it the same old argument that's used after every failure and catastrophe Fianna Fail have presided over in the last while. The other crowd are just as bad or worse?
They may well be, DT, but it's hardly a ringing endorsement of Mattie - the man who puts South Tipp and yes, of course, West Waterford first.