Why vote for any party when it'll make so little difference when they are in power?

Rockery Woman

Because, to be honest - will it make any difference who is in power?

nesf

It never makes that much of a difference, it's almost always a choice between the lesser of two (or three) evils. C'est la vie.

Einhard

Even if it meant absolutely no change or difference in the practical governance of the country (which I don't believe would be the case), the consigning of FF and their incompetence and decripit politics to the electoral dustbin would at least provide a deep sense of satisfaction and cataharsis. That alone of reason enough to vote for another party. Which, pour moi, is FG. Michael Noonan has been baldy head and shoulders above any other politican in responding to this crisis in the past few weeks.

chucken1

Rockery Woman wrote: »

Because, to be honest - will it make any difference who is in power?

I have to say Im petrified because the same faces (from yrs ago) will turn up at the door.You never see them till elections. I dont know them. Im not willing to go with the 'local lad'. So if I dont,(he will be ff)..What choice do we have? I want change! By the way,Im voting 26 years! Never ff by the way!

EDIT.. Never ff was never because of parish politics..

nesf

Thread title changed to better reflect the topic of the thread.

meglome

Rockery Woman wrote: »

Because, to be honest - will it make any difference who is in power?

Well we either get on the next plane and don't come back or we try to do whatever we can to make it better. Firstly by voting for the best of the bad lot, then making then accountable. So if they don't do what they promised you go voted for someone else. One things for sure the 'they're all the same' attitude has helped us down the toilet.

Kev_ps3

Id imagine Sinn Fein in power would be a massive difference to Fine Fail tbh

hallelujajordan

There is always another option . .

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/government_in_ireland/elections_and_referenda/national_elections/nomination_for_membership_of_dail_eireann.html

Dannyboy83

Rockery Woman wrote: »

Because, to be honest - will it make any difference who is in power?

Because somebody always has to take it in the neck

Vote FF - private sector take it in the neck & more taxes
Vote Labour - private sector take it in the neck & more taxes
Vote Sinn Fein - every sector take it in the neck & loads more taxes

Vote Fine Gael - public sector pay is reduced to private sector equivalent, less new taxes, state sector reform, new economic boom

Butch Cassidy

Dannyboy83 wrote: »

Because somebody always has to take it in the neck

Vote FF - private sector take it in the neck & more taxes
Vote Labour - private sector take it in the neck & more taxes
Vote Sinn Fein - every sector take it in the neck & loads more taxes

Vote Fine Gael - public sector pay is reduced to private sector equivalent, less new taxes, state sector reform, new economic boom

Is Fine Gael employing its supporters to shill now?


With regards to the op, it makes little difference because people have little input to the party policies. With little civil engagement and no real local government our democracy that is reduced to a choice between ratifying policies that are broadly similar or not is quite inefficient.

Voter turnout has been declining for decades and you could attribute this to the feeling that "they're all the same/out for themselves" and that one's vote will make little difference onthe end result.

Recent events like the Lisbon Treaty referendum and more specifically the recent EU/IMF bailout/takeover I think will have had a corrosive effect for democracy. People voted yes and where are the jobs? Govt. ministers patently dismissed claimes an IMF/EU bailout was on going while the rest of the TDs were shown to be as powerless and impotent (I mean that in the nicest way) as they are.

If you are content to treat political parties in the same way you treat other consumer decisions - I'll go see what they are offering and then make my choice - then yeah, you're going to end up with little difference. Parties are only supposed to be the representatives not the panacea.

Look at what the pensioners got last year wrt the medical cards: take lobbied their reps and then followed up with a protest and influenced govt. to gain a concession. The whole of society needs to do similar to get results.

nesf

Butch Cassidy wrote: »

Is Fine Gael employing its supporters to shill now?

Please don't accuse other posters of shilling, especially when they are long term posters on this forum. Thanks.

meglome

Butch Cassidy wrote: »

Voter turnout has been declining for decades and you could attribute this to the feeling that "they're all the same/out for themselves" and that one's vote will make little difference onthe end result.

So how did this 'they're all the same' thing work out for us. I dunno, is it just me that thinks we need to change our ways. And force the political party's to do the same.

Butch Cassidy wrote: »

Recent events like the Lisbon Treaty referendum and more specifically the recent EU/IMF bailout/takeover I think will have had a corrosive effect for democracy. People voted yes and where are the jobs? Govt. ministers patently dismissed claimes an IMF/EU bailout was on going while the rest of the TDs were shown to be as powerless and impotent (I mean that in the nicest way) as they are.

How exactly did the Lisbon referendum corrode democracy exactly? We had two democratic votes, how can that be less democratic?

Butch Cassidy wrote: »

If you are content to treat political parties in the same way you treat other consumer decisions - I'll go see what they are offering and then make my choice - then yeah, you're going to end up with little difference. Parties are only supposed to be the representatives not the panacea.

That's exactly how you should treat them. Buyer beware. If you buy a product and it's substandard, your first choice shouldn't to buy the same product again.

Butch Cassidy wrote: »

Look at what the pensioners got last year wrt the medical cards: take lobbied their reps and then followed up with a protest and influenced govt. to gain a concession. The whole of society needs to do similar to get results.

So all the interest groups should go get what they want. Yes that will help all right.

The Volt

It's crucial to punish bad governance otherwise we'll keep getting it.

expectationlost

Kev_ps3 wrote: »

Id imagine Sinn Fein in power would be a massive difference to Fine Fail tbh

by the time they got into power they'd pretty much the same