Richard Bruton for Taoiseach

Kenism

Ok now here me out. Think about this logically.

If Fine Gael go into government with Labour. Labour will not want to be seen supporting Kenny after he has lost the confidence of the public. I think they will go in with Fine Gael if Kenny is not Taoiseach.

Fine Gael will only get around 65-70 seats, whilst Fianna Fail will drop to around 30. Fine Gael should be running away with this election. His party might question why they are not in a position to govern on their own and might even seek a new leader immediatly. Fine Gael cant really lose this election but Enda can lose his place as potential leader of the country.

I didnt think this was possible but when Vincent Browne asked Matt Cooper who he thought would be the next taoiseach he said a member of Fine Gael but not Enda Kenny.

So who does that leave? Michael Noonan has been performing very well of late and looks like a potential finance minister or leader but can the party forget his failing of 2002?

Leo Veradkar young articulate charasmatic. Future leader? But its too early for him.

Richard Bruton challenged the leadership a year ago and failed. That might work against him but it didnt work against Martin. Those who favoured Kenny a year ago might take a look at his poor campaign and think what could have been. If Labour do seek a different leader Bruton is sure to be the lead candidate.
During the week he was at 150/1 to be the next Taoiseach his price is now 25/1. Do the bookies know something we dont? Bruton gave a great speech yesterday. Watch this space.

bijapos

[QUOTE=Kenism;70610812If Fine Gael go into government with Labour. Labour will not want to be seen supporting Kenny after he has lost the confidence of the public. I think they will go in with Fine Gael if Kenny is not Taoiseach.

Fine Gael will only get around 65-70 seats
[/QUOTE]

I think if Kenny gets 65-70 seats he could quite plausibly claim that he has the confidence of the people.... or am I missing something here. Labour will go in with FG no matter who is their leader.

During the week he was at 150/1 to be the next Taoiseach his price is now 25/1. Do the bookies know something we dont? Bruton gave a great speech yesterday. Watch this space.

Meh... put your money where your mouth is.:)

Kenism

bijapos wrote: »

Labour will go in with FG no matter who is their leader.
Meh... put your money where your mouth is.:)

Why would you attack someone then support them?

I did €20 at 150/1 they had to ring head office to allow the bet to go through.

Syferus

If Labour even attempted to dictate the leader of the Fine Gael it'd just push FG closer to the likely sizable band of independents that will be elected. A FG/Lab coalition is obviously more preferable and stable for the country at large.

Labour would have to be seriously naive to even consider such a move and there's very little grassroots support for another leadership shuffle in FG. There is zero chance of FG creating a muntiny in their support immediately after essentially winning an election.

What's lost in the rumour and derision about Enda Kenny is that he's one of the best off-screen politicans around - when it comes to pounding the flesh I'd argue he does more good when promoting the local candidates than many other leaders do. There is a real reason the grassroots of FG have him in as high esteem as they do.

For better or worse, though, Enda Kenny is going to be your next taoiseach. Chin up.

county man

I happen to think that Simon Coveney is a potential leader of FG for the future but for now Kenny is the man and will be the next Taoiseach.Anyone who thinks differently is in cloud cuckoo land IMO.

takun

Kenism wrote: »

Why would you attack someone then support them?

Do you think this is in some way unusual in politics?

danbohan

county man wrote: »

I happen to think that Simon Coveney is a potential leader of FG for the future but for now Kenny is the man and will be the next Taoiseach.Anyone who thinks differently is in cloud cuckoo land IMO.

looks like we will be sending jedward and kenny to represent us in europe so this probably is cloud cuckoo land !

Kristopherus

I agree with you, Countyman. I have asked before and got no answer, so I'll ask again: What is so wrong with Enda Kenny?

county man

danbohan wrote: »

looks like we will be sending jedward and kenny to represent us in europe so this probably is cloud cuckoo land !

Maybe they will swap places.I could see Enda getting a lot of votes in Eurovision and Jedward would hardly be worse than the last few muppets that have been in Government.:rolleyes:

johngalway

Kenism wrote: »

If Labour do seek a different leader Bruton is sure to be the lead candidate.

WTF?

If Labour try to dictate to Fine Gael that Fine Gael have to change party leader to go into coalition with them, there's likely to be a short two worded answer. Arrogance of the highest order.

Monty Burnz

Kenism wrote: »

If Fine Gael go into government with Labour. Labour will not want to be seen supporting Kenny after he has lost the confidence of the public.

I don't think he has lost the faith of anybody who ever had any.

Lu Tze

Kristopherus wrote: »

I agree with you, Countyman. I have asked before and got no answer, so I'll ask again: What is so wrong with Enda Kenny?

He is not palatable as a leader to many of the public. I myself think he has cost Fine Gael an opportunity for an outright majority.

Some of the problems are:

1. The voice does not inspire confidence, rather it inspires visions of rural life and a man out of his depth. I am not saying i am a superior orator, but i know many who are, and i am sure there are many within fine gaels ranks.

2. In any interview i have ever seen him give, he seems to have pre-prepared answers (which is fine) but if he thinks he has delivered it well (and possibly thinks the camera has panned away) he give a smug, self congratulatory grin whic just grates with me.

3. When he tries to do angry he sounds ridiculous everytime. Compared to pat rabbitte's tirade against pat carey, any time Enda gets angry he reminds me of the guy on pontificating pat kenny.

These are purely what i have perceived from what i have seen of him over many years. People are well entitled to disagree, and he may be a much more capable performer in real life. But when running a national campaign when most of the electorate will never meet your leader in person surely you pick somebody who is perceived well by the populace?

takun

Bertie was hailed as a man of the people, a gas man entirely.

Charlie was worshipped like he was some kind of a god.

I happened to be outside Leinster House the day Brian Cowen was elevated (picking up a passport) and there were throngs of biffos people yahooing and roaring as though they were witnessing the second coming.

And they all worked out so well in the end?

I don't give a damn about about anyone's talent as a orator, or their accent, or any other superficial guff. And in any case, we are not electing a president, so it's not about one person.

Lu Tze

takun wrote: »

I don't give a damn about about anyone's talent as a orator, or their accent, or any other superficial guff. And in any case, we are not electing a president, so it's not about one person.

Agreed, so to maximise vote share why not nominate somebody as party leader who is popular with the entire country as Richard Bruton seems to be? Unless for some reason you think because he is popular that he has similar skeletons in the closet to bertie and charlie? In you post you seem to imply a link between popularity and corruption/failure which is why i ask.

takun

Lu Tze wrote: »

Agreed, so to maximise vote share why not nominate somebody as party leader who is popular with the entire country as Richard Bruton seems to be? Unless for some reason you think because he is popular that he has similar skeletons in the closet to bertie and charlie? In you post you seem to imply a link between popularity and corruption/failure which is why i ask.

My point was that I think to a large extent these notions of popularity are irrelevant and a red herring. It's competence and ability that interests me.

dfbemt

Bruton will romp home in DNC and FF Haughey seriously in danger of losing the only FF seat in DNC.

This will put RB in a strong position to challenge for the leadership but I think he may sit and wait with a high profile minsitry (finance or foreign affairs).

Eventually he will lead FG and I think he will make an excellent Taoiseach.

Disclaimer - I am not a FG supporter

Lu Tze

takun wrote: »

My point was that I think to a large extent these notions of popularity are irrelevant and a red herring. It's competence and ability that interests me.

I agree, your vote choice should be based on this. If i was still at home i would be voting Fine Gael. However the reality is that a lot of people dont base it purely on this, but also on the ability of the leader to communicate in an articulate way, which isnt completely irrelevant as they will be representing us abroad. He fails massively in this, or at least is perceived to have failed. Added to this was the debate debacle, which the media thoroughly enjoy i am sure.

If fine gael want to dwell in the "election should be decided on merit" they should, and have kept him as leader. If they wanted to dwell in reality then make somebody who is perceived as competent the leader. Enda will be responsible for many a lost vote over the course of this campaign, starting with the debates. To deny that - well thats just denial!

GSF

If Labour do as badly as the polls are predicting, it is they who may need a new leader and not FG. Gilmore is not exactly inspiring the masses at the moment.

unit 1

dfbemt wrote: »

Bruton will romp home in DNC and FF Haughey seriously in danger of losing the only FF seat in DNC.

This will put RB in a strong position to challenge for the leadership but I think he may sit and wait with a high profile minsitry (finance or foreign affairs).

Eventually he will lead FG and I think he will make an excellent Taoiseach.

Disclaimer - I am not a FG supporter

But he already tried to become leader of fg and made a complete ass of himself in the process. He and his supporters were completely outmanouvered by Kenny, who taught anyone that thought he was a soft touch a lesson.
Kenny has already shown his leadership potential (leave bruton where he belongs in an economic portfolio) and though the dublin based media don't like his accent he will make an excellent taoiseach.
Honesty and integrity is what is required in our next taoiseach after the last shower and he has it in spades.

Sponge Bob

This is less likely than the media seems to admit.

One big test of a 'leader' is their ability to pull a second seat in their own constituency.

Kenny passes handsomely, James O Reilly will probably manage it too. Bruton, unlikely. If Bruton does not get the resounding endorsement he seeks from his own constituency it plays badly with a lot of the Parliamentary party who would elect him.

He has shot his bolt I reckon. Kennys successor will be elsewhere

ahernjohn

Lu Tze wrote: »

Agreed, so to maximise vote share why not nominate somebody as party leader who is popular with the entire country as Richard Bruton seems to be? Unless for some reason you think because he is popular that he has similar skeletons in the closet to bertie and charlie? In you post you seem to imply a link between popularity and corruption/failure which is why i ask.

I agree that fine Gael could have an outright win If Richard Bruton was leader he comes accross much better than Enda. I cannot understand how Bertie pulled the wool over everyones eyes as I for one thought he was too unprofessional to be the leader of our country but obviously the majority didn't , we seem to like cute whores