Are You Going To Vote FF?

RetroBate

Polls say that as of now around 16% of voters will vote for FF candidates.

If you are one of these I really would love to know why.

Not why you won't be voting Labour, FG, SF, Green or Independent but why you intend voting FF.

sollar

My mother, grandfather and grandmother are going to vote fianna fail because they think this crisis isn't really fianna fails fault. My grandmother in particular is so hardcore fianna fail i really don't know what they would have to do to annoy her.

I have voted fianna fail in the past but not this time.

bobblepuzzle

RetroBate wrote: »

Polls say that as of now around 16% of voters will vote for FF candidates.

If you are one of these I really would love to know why.

Not why you won't be voting Labour, FG, SF, Green or Independent but why you intend voting FF.

Presumably Fianna Fail has policies they may like?

Why you getting so bothered about it? People have the right to choose who they want to vote for...

Colmo52

NO

INSCOPE

I never have so I'm definitely not starting now.

Sunnyisland

RetroBate wrote: »

Polls say that as of now around 16% of voters will vote for FF candidates.

If you are one of these I really would love to know why.

Not why you won't be voting Labour, FG, SF, Green or Independent but why you intend voting FF.

I think the op qustion is to those people who are going vote fianna fail at this election.

delta_bravo

Many people vote for the person - not the party. Plenty of Cork people will vote for Martin as he is now party leader. O'Dea polls strongly as he has built a good relationship with his constituents. Big name FF candidates will reduce their vote but a few will get a good vote haul.

shadowninty

that party would need massive change for me to ever consider supporting them
they are a party based on power, unfortunately they are crap at governing

RetroBate

bobblepuzzle wrote: »

Why you getting so bothered about it? People have the right to choose who they want to vote for...

I'm curious enough to ask the question.

Is that a problem?

Did I say people haven't the right to choose who they want to vote for?

Badabing

I will be voting Fianna Fail, there has been massive investment in our roads also in our rail and Luas infrastructure. Cancer care in our hospitals is second to none now with centres of excellence.

shadowninty

Badabing wrote: »

I will be voting Fianna Fail, there has been massive investment in our roads also in our rail and Luas infrastructure. Cancer care in our hospitals is second to none now with centres of excellence.

all funded by an explosive property boom, largely caused by FF

ilovesleep

This is unreal.
Maybe people want to see child labour back here in ireland.

Policies dont mean anything to FF when they have failed to implement past policies. People are fcuking stupid.

COYW

RetroBate wrote: »

Not why you won't be voting Labour, FG, SF, Green or Independent.

but people will vote for FF by default. As time passes and the leaders of the parties above mess up more and more, people will flick back into "Better the devil you know" mode.

bobblepuzzle

RetroBate wrote: »

I'm curious enough to ask the question.

Is that a problem?

Did I say people haven't the right to choose who they want to vote for?

Your opening post seems to be very condescending of people voting FF thats all....

Riamfada

The best candidate in my constituency is a Fianna Fail minister. He is by far the most qualified and down to earth TD on the bill and handles himself well. I want to vote for him but unfortunately I cant put my name to a Fianna Fail banner.

So I will probably vote for a lesser candidate running for a better party.

andyman

Like what someone said already, I vote for the candidate, not the party. The best candidate in my consituency (in my opinion) is a member of FF so he will be getting my vote.

Duke Leonal Felmet

andyman wrote: »

Like what someone said already, I vote for the candidate, not the party. The best candidate in my consituency (in my opinion) is a member of FF so he will be getting my vote.

You constituency is not an island (in the philosophical sense). You live in a state. These are national elections, there are local elections for what you are describing.

RetroBate

bobblepuzzle wrote: »

Your opening post seems to be very condescending of people voting FF thats all....

Well, I'm not asking the question in a bubble. Everyone knows what has happened but there will be differences in how people view it.

Where people lay the blame will differ.

There have been a couple of answers to my question so it has been a worthwhile exercise.

Sorry if my OP seemed condescending.

shadowninty

andyman wrote: »

Like what someone said already, I vote for the candidate, not the party. The best candidate in my consituency (in my opinion) is a member of FF so he will be getting my vote.

they promised they would fill in those pot holes? :rolleyes:

as others said, they are representing the party, its not like it matters much if they'd make a good minister or whatever this time

wonderfulname

It's my first election, I won't be voting FF. One side of my family will because FF can do no wrong, I will probably tell them I did the same, their fervour scares me...

bobblepuzzle

RetroBate wrote: »

Well, I'm not asking the question in a bubble. Everyone knows what has happened but there will be differences in how people view it.

Where people lay the blame will differ.

There have been a couple of answers to my question so it has been a worthwhile exercise.

Sorry if my OP seemed condescending.

Don't get me wrong, I'm no fan of FF and certainly won't be voting for them... but there will always be a certain percentage who have benefited, and continue to benefit from their policies and therefore will continue voting for them

tim_holsters

I asked my old man why his sister was still voting FF.

His reply.

Well they got her the house.

This was in the 60's.

It's not even a great house. Isolated and on a steep hill and sh*t scary in the winter.

Personally if I lived in it I'd use it as a reason to vote against them.

ilovesleep

tim_holsters wrote: »

I asked my old man why his sister was still voting FF.

His reply.

Well they got her the house.

This was in the 60's.

It's not even a great house. Isolated and on a steep hill and sh*t scary in the winter.

Personally if I lived in it I'd use it as a reason to vote against them.

Holy hell! That kind of pothole politics is what has ireland in the ****s. Is there anything you can do to persuade them not to vote FF.

cabledude

I'll put it this way. For example if I went into hospital to have an operation on my left knee and the surgical team including theatre nurse, anaesthetist and surgeon misread my notes and operated on my right knee and then didn't apologise for their mistake, blamed everyone else do you honestly think I'd allow them to operate on me again?

NOT A FU**ING CHANCE

tim_holsters

ilovesleep wrote: »

Holy hell! That kind of pothole politics is what has ireland in the ****s. Is there anything you can do to persuade them not to vote FF.

Besides utilizing the shotgun, no.

ilovesleep

tim_holsters wrote: »

Besides utilizing the shotgun, no.

My mam isnt all that political. Ive talked her into hating FF (not that it took much persuading. She knows they are crooks) and voting against them. So it can be done.

Orizio

delta_bravo wrote: »

Many people vote for the person - not the party. Plenty of Cork people will vote for Martin as he is now party leader. O'Dea polls strongly as he has built a good relationship with his constituents. Big name FF candidates will reduce their vote but a few will get a good vote haul.

Link?

Duke Leonal Felmet

Orizio wrote: »

Link?

I reckon he is right for voters over the age of 55.

thebman

andyman wrote: »

Like what someone said already, I vote for the candidate, not the party. The best candidate in my consituency (in my opinion) is a member of FF so he will be getting my vote.

The candidate will vote what way the party whip tells him to so why are you voting for the candidate?

tim_holsters

ilovesleep wrote: »

My mam isnt all that political. Ive talked her into hating FF (not that it took much persuading. She knows they are crooks) and voting against them. So it can be done.

Dick Roche is awfully handsome you know.

TheReverend

HELL NO

Fitzerb

RetroBate wrote: »

Polls say that as of now around 16% of voters will vote for FF candidates.

If you are one of these I really would love to know why.

Not why you won't be voting Labour, FG, SF, Green or Independent but why you intend voting FF.

I will vote for a local independent or FF. It will depend on the opinion polls as we get closer. The one thing we need no matter which parties form a coalition is strong opposition. A 40 seat majority for anyone will be bad for us all. You will have TD's voting against their own Government on a matter of principle (local that is) knowing that the Government is safe. Whoever is in power needs to live on the edge. The balance between stability and lazy is very fine.
I read some posts about people convincing other to hate FF. Hate is not a strategy that will bring us one inch forward from where we are. We need to be a bit more mature than that. I reckon FF are in power for 23 of the last 30 years and over that period I have seen great improvements in this Country. I have seen education improve, our road network, our hospitals and many other things have improved. We know we are in a mess today but we will come through it. I suppose people have different expectations from a Government. I dont expect a Government to mind me or look after me unless I am ill or on hard times. I expect the Government to create the environment where I can prosper through my own efforts. I do expect them to behave in the best National interest and to display less opulence than the Government of the last 10 years. Do I get me knees in a twist because someone has a game of golf with the national hate figure.... not really. I see that as minor irritation. I do get angry when I see the banks continue to attempt to make bonus payments as if nothing happened. At the end of it all no matter who is in power we are in for a hard five years or so. If we can stabilise employment this year we may see improvement next year, but the job of the incoming Government is to cut out the waste and give support to free thinking people who want to create employment.
In my view a vote for FG or LAB will only see my income taxes increase while the waste in the public service remains and will offer nothing to people who want to start up in business and generate employment..

puffdragon

TheReverend wrote: »

HELL NO[/QUOT

What he said.

Sulmac

Fitzerb wrote: »

In my view a vote for FG or LAB FF will only see my income taxes increase while the waste in the public service remains and will offer nothing to people who want to start up in business and generate employment..

Fixed that for you.

Do you honestly believe that Fianna Fáil, if returned to power, won't rise income tax and won't continue to keep the public sector bloated and inefficient (and headed by party members/supporterts)? You do realise that they're the people responsible for the current business environment, not the opposition?

Orizio

Duke Leonal Felmet wrote: »

I reckon he is right for voters over the age of 55.

I heard a Corkman over the age of 55 slamming Micheal Martin over the smoking ban just the other day. I don't remember him being that particularly popular outside of his constituency.

tim_holsters

Fitzerb wrote: »

I will vote for a local independent or FF. It will depend on the opinion polls as we get closer.

Why is that exactly? The opinion poll thing, tactical voting in our system mystifies me, I vote for who I vote for and don't go down the card.

Rafa1977

andyman wrote: »

Like what someone said already, I vote for the candidate, not the party. The best candidate in my consituency (in my opinion) is a member of FF so he will be getting my vote.

What consituency are you in? Personally I think all FF are scum for what they have done to this country and will forget or forgive them them for it.

Fitzerb

Sulmac wrote: »

Fixed that for you.

Do you honestly believe that Fianna Fáil, if returned to power, won't rise income tax and won't continue to keep the public sector bloated and inefficient (and headed by party members/supporterts)? You do realise that they're the people responsible for the current business environment, not the opposition?

I think everyone "now" recognises that we spent too much and taxed too little when we had "bobs". We have no choice now but to cut out the waste. They have increased income tax to the maximum now and the next part if to cut out the waste. Labour are saying they will increase income tax for people earning over a certain limit. Thst the real lazy way out and is very harmful to people who want to create employment. I think FG would be closer to FF on income tax policy.
I just cant see Labour taking on the unions to cut out the waste.

tim_holsters

andyman wrote: »

Like what someone said already, I vote for the candidate, not the party. The best candidate in my consituency (in my opinion) is a member of FF so he will be getting my vote.

Imo you're always voting for the party. To say otherwise is just dissembling.

K-9

Duke Leonal Felmet wrote: »

You constituency is not an island (in the philosophical sense). You live in a state. These are national elections, there are local elections for what you are describing.

That's fine but I'm not voting for a Labour joke candidate picked because of his name in my constituency, or a FG has been one. I'll vote for a SF candidate who brings something to the Dail, adds to it, even though I have little time for the party.

I'm voting for the highest calibre candidate, I don't see anything wrong with that. If that happens to be a FF candidate and looking at some constituencies, possible, so be it.

Biggins

A lot of members here know I won't be voting FF.
For the few that don't know why that is, just see my signature.

Aka Ishur

I love how this rabble bemoans the lack of qualified people in the leadership of this country, yet when a man says that the best candidate in his constituency will get his vote, he is berated. Really quality stuff.

tim_holsters

K-9 wrote: »

That's fine but I'm not voting for a Labour joke candidate picked because of his name in my constituency, or a FG has been one. I'll vote for a SF candidate who brings something to the Dail, adds to it, even though I have little time for the party.

I'm voting for the highest calibre candidate, I don't see anything wrong with that. If that happens to be a FF candidate and looking at some constituencies, possible, so be it.

I bet The Doctor wouldn't vote FF.

ilovesleep

The way I see it FF do not have any abilities to fix Ireland. They waited until the IMF came in to reduce the minimum wage by a euro. Why did they not do that two years ago when Ireland started to have problems? Is minimum wage the only thing that has employers struggling? Unemployment is spiralling out of control because of them.

Why did they wait for the IMF to widen the tax band?

Why did they wait for the IMF to reduce social welfare? Why did they reduce all SW except for the OAPs?

They set up the HSE. Thats fine but its a shambles. Why did not sort out the problems in the HSE.

Ill answer for you FF supporters - they were too busy saving banks, developers, themselves and their pockets.

Was giving a blanket bank guarantee to Anglo in the national interest?

ArtSmart

Orizio wrote: »

I heard a Corkman over the age of 55 slamming Micheal Martin over the smoking ban just the other day. I don't remember him being that particularly popular outside of his constituency.

yeah, it's a funny turn of events.

true FF republicans were deeply angry bout the smoking bad.

but MM is seen as an untainted pair of modern, safe hands. - esp as he wont be Taoiseach. He's the holding leader, to keep the party intact until 'he who has not been named' comes forward

tim_holsters

ArtSmart wrote: »

yeah, it's a funny turn of events.

true FF republicans were deeply angry bout the smoking bad.

but MM is seen as an untainted pair of modern, safe hands. - esp as he wont be Taoiseach. He's the holding leader, to keep the party intact until 'he who has not been named' comes forward

Are you talking of a Messiah?

Do tell.

Het-Field

Fitzerb wrote: »

I will vote for a local independent or FF. It will depend on the opinion polls as we get closer. The one thing we need no matter which parties form a coalition is strong opposition. A 40 seat majority for anyone will be bad for us all. You will have TD's voting against their own Government on a matter of principle (local that is) knowing that the Government is safe. Whoever is in power needs to live on the edge. The balance between stability and lazy is very fine.
I read some posts about people convincing other to hate FF. Hate is not a strategy that will bring us one inch forward from where we are. We need to be a bit more mature than that. I reckon FF are in power for 23 of the last 30 years and over that period I have seen great improvements in this Country. I have seen education improve, our road network, our hospitals and many other things have improved. We know we are in a mess today but we will come through it. I suppose people have different expectations from a Government. I dont expect a Government to mind me or look after me unless I am ill or on hard times. I expect the Government to create the environment where I can prosper through my own efforts. I do expect them to behave in the best National interest and to display less opulence than the Government of the last 10 years. Do I get me knees in a twist because someone has a game of golf with the national hate figure.... not really. I see that as minor irritation. I do get angry when I see the banks continue to attempt to make bonus payments as if nothing happened. At the end of it all no matter who is in power we are in for a hard five years or so. If we can stabilise employment this year we may see improvement next year, but the job of the incoming Government is to cut out the waste and give support to free thinking people who want to create employment.
In my view a vote for FG or LAB will only see my income taxes increase while the waste in the public service remains and will offer nothing to people who want to start up in business and generate employment..

1.The analogy of "different cheeks of the same arse" has often been used when describing FF and FG. Both are center-right economically. Both would be relatively consevative in their social stances, and both are willing to use populist rhetoric in an attempt to garner votes. As things stand, FF are more culpable then FG. In 2007 Bertie Ahern used his Ard Fheis sppech to put forward 43 promises to the nation. I would point out that at no point did he mention NAMA, bank-recapitalisation, IMF, ECB, 22 Billion Euro Defecits, or the bursting of inflated bubbles. The only reference made to difficult economic times was bald references to the same. In spite of the words of David McWilliams etc, the FF party continued to live in a state of denial. In spite of this, my biggest gripe with the FF/FF paradigm is the faux debate which has been created by their co-existence. By arguing over the different cheeks of the same arse, we have focused on two parties who are broadly the same. In a modern democracy, the debate should be between a broadly left wing party, and a broadly right wing party. This would be refined by the existence of a European Style liberal party. Further, you would also have your extremist left and right wing parties, who would focus on the percieved disaffected voter. However, by allowing the debate to center around FF/FG we have ensured that a proper party system has not been created. Thus, if one of FF or FG were to collapse, or FF/FG were to merge, it would be a good thing for the Irish electorate, and politics in general.

2.I suggest you take a look at recent reports which have panned our education system, and chastised us for poor literacy levels when compared with other European Nations. I would also suggest you look at the ranking of our 3rd level institutions, in the light of Labour's decision to provide for free-fees, and FF's decision not to grasp the nettle and tackle the issue.

3. "I know we are in a mess today, but we will come through it". What an appalling statement to make. It is clear that you do not have the slightest grasp of the current situation. First, we are a small, open island economy which has forfeitted its economic sovereignty to international beureaucrats. Second, NAMA will be a millstone around the necks of the Irish people for the next half-century. To clear NAMA, it is almost certain that property prices will have to reach the level they were at during the boom, which was created by artifical governmental intervention (Bertie + Cowen at tax incentives). Third, we are cutting capital expenditure to cover a massive defecit. Money is not being cut where it needs to be cut in a sustainable fashion. Again, this is another cop-out.

To have a likely FF voter lecture us on the potential abilities of FG/Lab to cut public sector waste is laughable. Just look at FF's last 14 years in power, and the use they made of the Public Sector to grab votes.

ArtSmart

tim_holsters wrote: »

Are you talking of a Messiah?

Do tell.

tim_holsters

ArtSmart wrote: »

I thought you knew the answer. But no.

keithm1

Fianna fail need to get no votes at all (wishful thinking) if for no other reason than to let them and other partys know if you make a balls of things your gone ,lie about making a balls your gone ,abuse the system for personal gain gone ,just basically let all partys know we (voters) mean business
It will be such a shame if ff get 1 seat after there previous performances

ArtSmart

tim_holsters wrote: »

I thought you knew the answer. But no.

dont even know the question dude

edit - oh, you mean the 'one who is to come?'

no, no idea.