Will Gerry Adams Lose Seats For SF

Elmer Blooker

Elmer Blooker wrote: »

I dont think I've ever heard such an interrogation, sorry interview.
I cant recall hearing anyone on RTE interviewing a FF politician in such an aggressive manner but then again there has always been a partitionist mentality in RTE.

rubbish.
He was asked important questions and he had no answer eg,how do you get money,the 19 billion a year we're over spending if you tell the markets and imf to go home.
Oh and no answer as to how to capitalise the cough merged aib/boi when the markets dont trust us after we burned them.
Fairyland stuff.

Sir Oxman

I posted on another thread about his radio slot today but the thread is gone?

Anyway, Adams will be eaten alive in any debates held just like he was in 2007 and SF will suffer electorally because of this, if he's going to espouse radical policies he better have at least a basic grasp of the fundamentals.
To not know the child benefit rate here and then demand there can be no cuts is well, stoopid.

Corkblowin

crebel81 wrote: »

?.......the free state

I live in the Republic of Ireland thanks.

crebel81

delta720 wrote: »

I think you'll find the majority of people living in the republic are republicans. What your post should read is that most terrorists come from the 6 counties and border counties.

I'm sorry if you feel forgotten up the North but we've enough problems going on down here without unrealistic 32 county talk being brought into it.

I'm all for Northern Ireland staying as it is, otherwise where would I get my cheap drink! :pac:

Ahh, Irish traditions die hard....well im glad you have some recognition for the north, be it drink or not

Happyman42

Elmer Blooker wrote: »

I dont think I've ever heard such an interrogation, sorry interview.
I cant recall hearing anyone on RTE interviewing a FF politician in such an aggressive manner but then again there has always been a partitionist mentality in RTE.

What was aggressive about it? He was asked questions about what he said, he couldn't answer.....end of.
This pro FF RTE lament is getting tiresome...used to be pathetically funny in AH but in here it's just sad and tiresome.

Stripey Cat

I heard the interview and he was okay. Not great, but most people listening to it would have heard the basic message: that SF want to burn the bondholders.

He also clearly pointed out that while he is trying to get fiscal sovereignity for the north, FF have been busy giving it away in the south and that the bank debt can never realistically be repaid.

Nobody thinks that SF are going to be in government this year, so the message only has to work as a good opposition point to stand on.

There was a telling contrast to listen to how the presenter spoke to him, in contrast to how he interviewed other guests on the show.

I certainly think the fact that the presenter kept talking over Adams, sticking to negative points (you will definitely be in opposition won't you? etc) and generally badgering him, made him look desperate for an argument.

I presume the average undecided voter will do the human thing, and side with the person being badgered.

But as the campaign goes on I expect Adams won't get caught up in specific figures and discussions of the international bond markets etc, but will do what Joe Higgins does and make the moral case for taking the private debts of greedy bankers away from the taxpayer. He can keep returning to this unanswerable case whenever the economy comes up and in the absence of any real difference between the other parties, I expect it will gather up a lot of support.

He hasn't got the measure of the difference in the way they are treating him yet, but I expect he'll improve and get his message across better in the coming weeks.

Today was maybe six out of ten. Earlier in the week was more like four or five. I reckon he will not be happy with it, but he is probably happy with the trend.

selfobsessed

crebel81 wrote: »

Totally agree. You could extend that belief to the free state in general. Lets not forgot that there are 32 counties on this Island...total ignorance down south to what has happend in the 6 counties...I hear it everyday from my friends to the workplace...is it just a coincidence that most republicans come from the 6 counties or would it have something to do with the fact that it is they who have suffered at the hands of the british forces for too long a time??

There are 26 :rolleyes:

Elmer Blooker

Deleted User wrote: »

rubbish.
He was asked important questions and he had no answer eg,how do you get money,the 19 billion a year we're over spending if you tell the markets and imf to go home.
Oh and no answer as to how to capitalise the cough merged aib/boi when the markets dont trust us after we burned them.
Fairyland stuff.

Adams was asked to come up with an exact figure on how much it will cost to recapitalize the banks. I dont think Lenihan (a qualified accountant I think?) or even Noonan could answer that.
In my opinion that question was a deliberate attempt to "snooker" him.

LordSutch

imme wrote: »

Will Gerry Adams Lose Seats For SF

I sincerely hope so.

Anonymous1987

I just saw this on the rte website

He (Adams) said ordinary citizens had been burdened with a debt crisis and he said if in government, he would bring in a new budget to reverse certain cuts to social welfare payments.
He reiterated that he would tell the IMF to 'go home and take their money with them'.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2011/0130/politics3.html

I'm pretty sure everyone is disgusted that we needed to be bailed out but when the IMF are charging 5.7% and the markets are charging an unsustainable 9.12%, which is better for the country?

Stripey Cat

Anonymous1987 wrote: »

I'm pretty sure everyone is disgusted that we needed to be bailed out but when the IMF are charging 5.7% and the markets are charging an unsustainable 9.12%, which is better for the country?

The markets are only lending at that rate because the state withdrew from the bond markets.

There were fewer Irish bonds around, so of course the price went up.

I imagine if we did something painful and radical with our banking sector and stopped pourting the money we borrow into a black hole of private debt, we might get a more sensible price for our bonds.

Remember, we don't need IMF money to run this country if we get rid of the bank debt.

Chucky the tree

Stripey Cat wrote: »

The markets are only lending at that rate because the state withdrew from the bond markets.

There were fewer Irish bonds around, so of course the price went up.

I imagine if we did something painful and radical with our banking sector and stopped pourting the money we borrow into a black hole of private debt, we might get a more sensible price for our bonds.

Remember, we don't need IMF money to run this country if we get rid of the bank debt.

So how/who will we pay for our deficit?

femur61

I hope they are crucified.

Anonymous1987

Stripey Cat wrote: »

The markets are only lending at that rate because the state withdrew from the bond markets.

Its the other way around, the state was forced into a bailout because the market interest rates on their bonds became unsustainable.

Stripey Cat wrote: »

There were fewer Irish bonds around, so of course the price went up.

You are confusing the price of bonds with the interest rate. The interest rate is what matters to the Irish government. Bonds have an inverse relationship between the interest rate and the price of a bond, as price increases due to increased demand, interest rates fall. Irish bonds at present have an interest rate of 9.12% because there is little demand for them. As a result investors expect a high interest rate to compensate for investing in very risky Irish bonds.

Otherwise you are arguing that interest rates went up because we weren't borrowing enough .

Stripey Cat wrote: »

I imagine if we did something painful and radical with our banking sector and stopped pourting the money we borrow into a black hole of private debt, we might get a more sensible price for our bonds.

Sure, things might have been different if the bank debt was converted to equity.

Stripey Cat wrote: »

Remember, we don't need IMF money to run this country if we get rid of the bank debt.

At this stage, I'm afraid we do need the IMF even without the bank debt. The bailout consisted of 85bn, 17.5bn of which was our own. 35bn of the 85bn is for the banks which includes our own 17.5bn and a portion lent by the EU. The IMF portion of the 85bn works out at 22.5bn and is devoted solely to government expenditure not the banks. Even if you exclude the part of the bailout for the banks we are still borrowing a total of 50bn for government expenditure from the EU/IMF.

What Adam is basically saying is that we don't need this 50bn, we'd rather raise taxes and/or borrow from the market at unsustainable rates instead. Keep in mind current annual tax receipts are at about 32bn, the 50bn would be in addition to this.

Elmer Blooker

Elmer Blooker wrote: »

Adams was asked to come up with an exact figure on how much it will cost to recapitalize the banks. I dont think Lenihan (a qualified accountant I think?) or even Noonan could answer that.
In my opinion that question was a deliberate attempt to "snooker" him.

Oh yes they could answer it.
RTE were just checking if Adams had done his homework.
E minus in maths I'm afraid.

But then,Adams and co are playing to the angriest of the angry vote who don't care either and think that manna does come from heaven.
The rest of us are looking at ideas and have the cop on to know that while it's horrible that FF mis management got us into the position of having to rely on imf help,we need to negotiate and be reasonable if we are to fund the country and get out of this mess.
I'm quite confident that FG and Labour and the shane Ross group have this cop on aswell from what I've read and heard.
So they'll be getting preferences on my ballot paper.
The ULA and SF won't
FF certainly won't either as they've proved their incompetence.

Anonymous1987

Deleted User wrote: »

Oh yes they could answer it.
RTE were just checking if Adams had done his homework.
E minus in maths I'm afraid.

In fairness, no-one knows how much it will cost to recapitalise the banks, it depends on the losses faced by the banks on their loan books. Where Adams fails at maths is his claim that we don't need the IMF. It is simply not possible for us to continue without assistance.

He also distanced Sinn Fein from a Labour coalition (unlikely anyway) by describing them as "conservative". A description which seems ridiculous to me. At the same time Adams does not accept Sinn Fein will be in opposition while polls put the party at 13% .

A certain detachment from reality pervades Adams rhetoric.

Sergeant

Another utterly dreadful performance from Adams on This Week. You can hear the uncertainty in his voice every time he is asked a question.

MP3 version

COYW

Irish Slaves for Europe wrote: »

SF TDs only take the average industrial wage (which is about 30k I think), the rest of the money for being a TD is donated to SF.

Then how can he afford to have a 2nd house, holiday home, in Donegal?

Sergeant wrote: »

Another utterly dreadful performance from Adams on This Week. You can hear the uncertainty in his voice every time he is asked a question.

It was one of the worst performances I have ever seen by a political figure on that programme. No clarity in his responses either. He needs to get to grips with basic economics before the debates or the others will spank him big time.

puffdragon

I think most of us are so used to listening to the same old blarney stone politicians that we cant listen to a real alternative any more, somehow I've heard all this before from not only the experts quoted by Adams but also many more economists on various chat shows, editorials, and tv documentaries over the past year.

Whats clear is we dont know what would happen if we did free ourselves of debt money overnight, or over lets say a year, and unless theirs a reckless guesser on this forum who can tell me otherwise then his argument however strange stands as is, a valid alternative.

jbkenn

crebel81 wrote: »

Totally agree. You could extend that belief to the free state in general.

Could you kindly explain to me where this "free state" is?, as a resident of the Republic of Ireland I have been unable to find any reference to it.

Lets not forgot that there are 32 counties on this Island

Yes there are, 26 counties in the Republic and 6 counties in the U.K.

..total ignorance down south to what has happend in the 6 counties...

No there is'nt actually, it's just that we have a pain in our ar$e from listening to it.

I hear it everyday from my friends to the workplace...is it just a coincidence that most republicans come from the 6 counties or would it have something to do with the fact that it is they who have suffered at the hands of the british forces for too long a time??

It may come as a surprise to you, but there are many republicans in the Republic, but then it depends on your definition of a Republican.

Look it up sometime.

jbkenn

Hannibal

COYW wrote: »

Then how can he afford to have a 2nd house, holiday home, in Donegal?

How many books has he authored? that will answer your question

puffdragon

Its a cottage, not a mansion, the man next door to him is a council worker, many people from the six counties have second homes in Donegal, its not hard to do given the massive difference in disposable income between the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom a difference which has existed for generations, probably because they have a government who can manage an economy, It's like saying that if you own a bicycle and a car then your a two vehicle family!!

Many families from Northern Ireland have relations and extended family who live in Donegal ,I live in Donegal and my family had a mobile home in Portrush (which is in Northern Ireland) for years, when I was younger we used to go there on holidays, my brother married a girl from there and they now live in Australia, they still own the house which they lived in before they left, oh sorry that makes them too wealthy for you, sorry about that.

Can I suggest that if you intend to slag a politician off that you dont show your fangs so much it sort of negates your arguement , just stick to his politics!!

COYW

puffdragon wrote: »

Whats clear is we dont know what would happen if we did free ourselves of debt money overnight.

Erm, we were for a sizeable proportion of the last 20 years. More than free, the country was awash with money.

Dotsey wrote: »

How many books has he authored? that will answer your question

Well, he claims to have donated that money to the party, so no.

Elmer Blooker

COYW wrote: »

It was one of the worst performances I have ever seen by a political figure on that programme. No clarity in his responses either. He needs to get to grips with basic economics before the debates or the others will spank him big time.

He's not the only one who needs to get to grips with basic economics!
The figure that Minister Lenihan came up with for the banks bailout was somewhere between €35b and €80b.

PS. Northern families have been flocking to Donegal for generations during July to get away from the Twelfth festival of bigotry. In the 26 cos this festival is known as a "tradition"

I think we know Lenihan and this current government had and still have no eye for figures either,no need to tell us that.I 'm not voting for those hoors though,theres choices thankfully.

A min requirement for a candidate and party is to be able to show me something credible and obviously have a decent grasp of figures.
Adams and co, as I've said already,doesn't and is just winging it on the angriest of the disaffected who just don't care plus the usual lot who want sf to take over the country thinking all will suddenly be great.
It won't if they implemented even half their crazy plans.
Anyone without the blinkers on can see that.

Ula are as bad,they'd have whats left of the smart people in the country,those needed to grow our economy,taking flight.

no incentive to work and improve your lot and you get nowhere,it's that simple.

Anonymous1987

Elmer Blooker wrote: »

He's not the only one who needs to get to grips with basic economics!
The figure that Minister Lenihan came up with for the banks bailout was somewhere between €35b and €80b.

As I've mentioned above, a figure for the bank recapitalisation cannot be given as fact, it can only be estimated with a large degree of uncertainty. Adams on the other hand does not know basic facts such as the VAT rate or child benefit.

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/elections/i-dont-know-gerry-exposed-again-for-lack-of-basic-economic-knowledge-2512830.html

serfboard

I cannot understand why Sinn Fein haven't realised since the previous election that Gerry Adams is an electoral liability in the south. Every time he opens his gob he loses more votes for Sinn Fein nationally.

However, I fully expect him to get elected in Louth. It's a safe Sinn Fein seat.

Despite all the bullshít, Sinn Fein know well that they'll be in opposition, and so they'll never have to implement any of their 'policies', which are so god-awfully populist, they put FF in the ha'penny place.

Burn the bondholders! Tell the IMF to get lost! etc. etc.

It's sloganistic crap, which is a million miles from reality. It's very adolescent, which is why it appeals to adolescents.

Stripey Cat

serfboard wrote: »

Burn the bondholders! Tell the IMF to get lost! etc. etc.

It's sloganistic crap, which is a million miles from reality. It's very adolescent, which is why it appeals to adolescents.

It seems to appeal to the likes of David McWilliams, Fintan O'Toole as well.

Are they adolescents?

Stripey Cat

Stripey Cat wrote: »

It seems to appeal to the likes of David McWilliams, Fintan O'Toole as well.

Are they adolescents?

Yeah but they don't say burn in the same way sf do,they mean negotiate.
I'd like to burn them too but,it's more complicated than that.

It's not like we can jingle the keys at this stage.

crebel81

jbkenn wrote: »

Could you kindly explain to me where this "free state" is?, as a resident of the Republic of Ireland I have been unable to find any reference to it.

Yes there are, 26 counties in the Republic and 6 counties in the U.K.

No there is'nt actually, it's just that we have a pain in our ar$e from listening to it.

It may come as a surprise to you, but there are many republicans in the Republic, but then it depends on your definition of a Republican.

Look it up sometime.

jbkenn

Wow, you sound like my old history teacher

And as it turns out he was also a "free stater"