Election flyers with spelling mistakes...

Ilovelucy

... would it put you off voting for the candidate?

takun

If it was a marginal decision between two candidates, then yes, it might. It shows a lack of attention to detail. I want serious levels of attention to detail.

It's like the whole fiasco of Fine Gael and their website(s). I work in that area. They messed it up royally and have shown serious lack of judgement on a lot of aspects of their 'online/web/social media strategy' (or whatever jargon they apply there). And they continue to do so.

Probably people who know less about that stuff didn't notice or care. But it just made me think about all the areas about which I know much less - am I equipped to pick up on a similar lack of judgement there?

sceptre

takun wrote: »

If it was a marginal decision between two candidates, then yes, it might. It shows a lack of attention to detail. I want serious levels of attention to detail.

I'd agree with that. However, I very rarely find myself making a marginal decision between two candidates, even at the lower end of my preference selection.

I'd much rather vote for someone with a slack attention to spellchecking[1] than for someone with a slack attention to what they're supposed to be doing in the Dáil. We've had quite a few of the latter, many of whom have had very flashy election literature and periodic newsletters shoved through the door.

[1]... bearing in mind that a misplaced comma in legislation could mean it has an entirely different effect to what was intended. But without sliding responsibility elsewhere, politicians don't draft legislation themselves very often.

Maj Malfunction

Spelling and grammatical errors is something I'd take into consideration. If a candidate can't get the basics right what else will they screw up with their sloppy attitude?

Certainly wouldn't get my vote. Mary Fitzpatrick would do well to re-read her election flyer and correct all the mistakes in it!

Pherekydes

Maj Malfunction wrote: »

Mary Fitzgerald would do well to re-read her election flyer and correct all the mistakes in it!

Which constituency is she in? Who's she running for?

nesf

Spelling mistakes really put me off political propaganda. Especially mistakes in main slogans which happens reasonably often when the slogans are in Irish.

Electricpie

In fairness, things get frantic in election teams as they get prepared for the poll. Mistakes can happen easily and quite often the candidate may only get a brief look at the material. If it has to be laid-out by a printer then the mistakes can happen there too. It's their policies that matter anyway.

Maj Malfunction

Pherekydes wrote: »

Which constituency is she in? Who's she running for?

She's running in Dublin Central as a frontbencher for Fianna Fail. Looking at the way the boards poll is running at the moment she won't get elected.

Eliot Rosewater

I got an election leaflet from Micheal Creed the other day in which he proposes that the Dail have 20 less members. I disagree with this, though - I think the Dail should have 20 fewer members myself.

I agree with sceptre - the gap between candidates is never marginal enough for spelling and grammar to be a factor. Pedant though I be!

Piste

I'm so glad to see others feel the same way! I felt like a middle-aged pedant. It really annoys me but I don't think it would affect my decision either way, none of the candidates are so close that spelling and grammar mistakes would sway me. It does reflect poorly on the candidate though.