Jackie Healy Rae and the Presidency

later12

I'm not sure if it has been discussed already, but it appears that Jackie Healy Rae is seriously considering a run for the Presidency.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2011/0404/1224293735586.html

FORMER INDEPENDENT TD for Kerry South Jackie Healy-Rae said yesterday he would make a decision shortly on whether to seek support for a nomination to contest next October’s presidential election.
“Since I announced it on Radio Kerry last Friday, I have received a very positive response from many people, and I will think about it over the coming days,” said Mr Healy-Rae.

I don't really think JHR has any chance of ever getting elected to the office, however the fact that he is even considering running suggests he may be massively out of touch with popular opinion.
I can only imagine that people would consider voting for his Presidency as a sort of half-assed protest vote against the worthless nature of the office to begin with.

KylieWyley

later10 wrote: »

I don't really think JHR has any chance of ever getting elected to the office, however the fact that he is even considering running suggests he may be massively out of touch with popular opinion.
I can only imagine that people would consider voting for his Presidency as a sort of half-assed protest vote against the worthless nature of the office to begin with.

Didn't his son get his dail seat down in Kerry?

Nationally, he may not be liked but locally they seem to be. Baffling but true. Feck it, the people deserve the politicians they vote for.

I found it funny that he confesses to only read one newspaper:
http://www.thejournal.ie/healy-rae-not-interested-in-allegations-of-secret-deals-with-former-taoisigh-118495-Apr2011/?utm_source=facebook

Just the sort of well-informed individual we need to represent us abroad

later12

KylieWyley wrote: »

Nationally, he may not be liked but locally they seem to be. Baffling but true. Feck it, the people deserve the politicians they vote for.

Indeed. This combined with Bertie Ahern's initial hopes for his Presidency, and Pat Cox also thinking of running (I think that would go down like a lead balloon...), it makes you wonder how far removed political leaders must be from popular opinion.

Often we find this phenomenon in political autobiography. Anyone who has read Tony Blair's self-serving belief in deep-down support for his more controversial foreign policy decisions will be familiar with that.

I found it funny that he confesses to only read one newspaper:
http://www.thejournal.ie/healy-rae-not-interested-in-allegations-of-secret-deals-with-former-taoisigh-118495-Apr2011/?utm_source=facebook

Do we really want a candidate whose worldview extends as far as The Examiner, fine-paper-it-is, but rejects out of hand suggestions that he might read the Indo. Goodness knows what would have happened if he was asked whether he read The Irish Times.

Liam Byrne

later10 wrote: »

Do we really want a candidate whose worldview extends as far as The Examiner, fine-paper-it-is, but rejects out of hand suggestions that he might read the Indo. Goodness knows what would have happened if he was asked whether he read The Irish Times.

I mostly read The Examiner, and I'd consider myself pretty informed from it.

Much better than all of the "Dublin is the centre of all things cultural, and is the only city in Ireland" papers, who are - in general - so inward-looking that they are practically useless.

I mean, you could hardly class "The Evening Herald" as a national paper (it's a local Dublin rag) and yet it believes that it is a national paper.

Essexboy

Who would nominate him?

He needs 20 members of the Oireachtas or 4 county councils for a nomination: even if Kerry was mad enough to do so what other county would support him?

later12

Well under normal circumstances the county councils are under significant influence from the wishes of the party leaders with whom they may be politically aligned, however I wouldn't dismiss the possibility that in these straitened times some county councils would resent interference from Dublin and possibly nominate JHR as a rural voice.

Just speculation.

Essexboy

later10 wrote: »

Well under normal circumstances the county councils are under significant influence from the wishes of the party leaders with whom they may be politically aligned, however I wouldn't dismiss the possibility that in these straitened times some county councils would resent interference from Dublin and possibly nominate JHR as a rural voice.

Just speculation.

Unfortunately, you could be right. :rolleyes:

Biggins

later10 wrote: »

Well under normal circumstances the county councils are under significant influence from the wishes of the party leaders with whom they may be politically aligned, however I wouldn't dismiss the possibility that in these straitened times some county councils would resent interference from Dublin and possibly nominate JHR as a rural voice.

Just speculation.

You could indeed be right - but I'm praying your not. :pac:

hatz7

Ya, I would vote for JHR for the laugh, no problem, wouldn't have to think twice about it, and wouldn't apologize either.

Not as protest or anything, if we can't laugh at ourselves who can we laugh at?

It would be some craic having him up in the big house.

heyjude

The President of Ireland doesn't have any budget to offer favours or incentives to voters and without the lure of fixed potholes, extra funding for local hospitals and schools, what would JHR have to offer voters in exchange for their votes ? Apart that is, from his unique outlook on life and his rustic charm :rolleyes:

I personally would love to see JHR run for the presidency, for I feel very many people will see him and his ilk as a reminder of everything that was allowed to go wrong with the way this country was run over the past ten years and which helped to land us in the mess we are in today(and would therefore love the opportunity to punish him). That being said and I'm sure his opponents would push that point, I feel that he would be annihilated at the polls, thereby bringing a fittingly embarrassing end to his political career.

As for the talk of a rural vote supporting him, JHR wasn't in the Dail representing rural people as a whole, only those in his constituency, so I don't know whether there is a rural block vote that he can harness.

later12

I must admit I was mulling over what exactly my problem with JHR's Presidency might be, and although one should almost never let on to be so arrogant as to first judge a politician on appearance or manner of speaking, I admit it is the nature of both which came first to my mind. I'm reasonably confident that whatever many pontificate about parish pump politics (and that is a valid criticism), their instinctive dislike of JHR may often be down to his appearance and his manner of speaking.

I wonder if we would feel this way if JHR spoke like Shane Ross and represented the people of Dublin South? I'm not comparing JHR to Ross, but comparisons to the parochial tenures of Finian McGrath and Tony Gregory might not be a long way off.

Just a thought.

P. Breathnach

later10 wrote: »

I must admit I was mulling over what exactly my problem with JHR's Presidency might be, and although one should almost never let on to be so arrogant as to first judge a politician on appearance or manner of speaking, I admit it is the nature of both which came first to my mind. I'm reasonably confident that whatever many pontificate about parish pump politics (and that is a valid criticism), their instinctive dislike of JHR may often be down to his appearance and his manner of speaking....

It is fair to challenge us to consider whether or not our attitudes to a person are founded on substantial grounds or on trivial prejudice (and I accept, at least in a broad sense, that appearance and manner of speaking are more in the realm of trivial grounds for judging a political candidate).

But not in the case of the Presidency. Most of the work of the President of Ireland is appearing and speaking, so I think there is some justification for judging a candidate's appearance and manner of speaking.

I can think of additional reasons why the prospect of JHR as President appalls me.

later12

P. Breathnach wrote: »

It is fair to challenge us to consider whether or not our attitudes to a person are founded on substantial grounds or on trivial prejudice (and I accept, at least in a broad sense, that appearance and manner of speaking are more in the realm of trivial grounds for judging a political candidate).

But not in the case of the Presidency. Most of the work of the President of Ireland is appearing and speaking, so I think there is some justification for judging a candidate's appearance and manner of speaking.

I can think of additional reasons why the prospect of JHR as President appalls me.

I agree with you on one level, but just to pay devil's advocate, the media and public speaking role is an incidental role as opposed to the President's defined constitutional role. As attitudes to the Presidency have varied, different Presidents choose to execute their roles differently, and (although it is extremely unlikely, given the known contendors) it is perfectly possible that the next President would largely abstain from public appearance should he or she so desire. There is no legal onus on the President to be a media performer, even if this is implicitly expected.

If we are to examine the President in light of his constituional role as the Guardian of Bunreacht na hEireann and dissolver of Dáileanna alone it seems rather foolish to judge JHR on such trivial grounds.

Even where we consider ourselves to be voting for a spokesman, is it not far more important to base our decisions on the content of what he might be saying as opposed to how he is saying it, or what he is wearing when he says it?

This isn't a criticism directed at anyone by the way, it's an issue I find hard to reconcile with myself if nothing else, since on the face of it I really take issue with the idea of JHR as President.

On a slightly unrelated note, the Irish people have form in selecting somewhat sexy Presidents it seems. Paddy Hillary was one voted the world's sexiest head of state by readers of Der Spiegel. No comment.

donal_cam

It would be great to have JHR as president. A man of the people, who could work towards bridging the gap that has opened up between the plain rural people of Ireland and the Dublin-centric elite. JHR has already proven he's capable of thinking and acting in the national interest during his time in Leinster House, and carried himself with a certain quiet dignity in the face of media slurs like 'gombeen' et al. Hopefully some county councils will do the decent thing and allow Jackie a run at the presidency- the strong vote for Dana in the past and the continued presence of many FF TD's and councillors shows that he would get a sizable vote from the sympathetic and pro-Healy Rae rural masses.


















*Would he f~*k...it'd make us even more of a laughing stock, though it would be comedy gold watching him entertain the Pope next year

Kristopherus

Would'nt it be hilarious to hear him addressed as " A Gombeen Uachtaran, it gives me great pleasure to welcome you to.........."

themadchef

I for one would be embarrassed to send that gombeen out as the official representative of our country. No, i don't apologize for it, and I'm a culchie!

We need someone with back bone, someone with a bit of class and finesse to go schmoozing. Someone, well, someone believable! Not someone that's going to lie in the long grass, loving it and swishing the flies off his backside!

Seth Brundle

Surely the President would be required to be able to speak in English?

PeakOutput

I would love to see him be nominated and then I would love even more for him to be absolutely destroyed at every opportunity by norris

I am pretty sure I would have to emigrate if he was actually elected

I think he likes the attention he gets by saying he is thinking of running but I cant figure out if he likes the attention enough to actually run and risk the chance of humiliation

eoin5

Just being cynical here but its probably a bit of a stunt to get some notice. Doubt it'll go much further.

later12

PeakOutput wrote: »

I am pretty sure I would have to emigrate if he was actually elected

Why would you have to emigrate? It's the Presidency. Was Mary McAleese's tenure keeping you on here?

PeakOutput

later10 wrote: »

Why would you have to emigrate? It's the Presidency. Was Mary McAleese's tenure keeping you on here?

No but it is one of a few choices I have right now anyway, weighing up the pros and cons of emigration jackie healy rae being president would probably be the nail in the coffin for my faith in this society and I would be gone

It isn't his reign as president that would annoy me so much as the fact that he got elected it would just say so much about ireland if it happened

donal_cam

PeakOutput wrote: »

No but it is one of a few choices I have right now anyway, weighing up the pros and cons of emigration jackie healy rae being president would probably be the nail in the coffin for my faith in this society and I would be gone

It isn't his reign as president that would annoy me so much as the fact that he got elected it would just say so much about ireland if it happened

If he did get elected, I think it would say little about us except that we've a sense of humour- no onw would take such a buffoon seriously. In any case, the continued re-election of people like Dubya Bush, Berlusconi or Yeltsin made little impression on peoples impressions of those countries.

PeakOutput

donal_cam wrote: »

If he did get elected, I think it would say little about us except that we've a sense of humour- no onw would take such a buffoon seriously. In any case, the continued re-election of people like Dubya Bush, Berlusconi or Yeltsin made little impression on peoples impressions of those countries.

I don't care what other people think about the country, I care about what I think about the country and while I have no problem with his constituency being retards and consistently re electing him I like to think the rest of the country has a bit more sense

donal_cam

PeakOutput wrote: »

I don't care what other people think about the country, I care about what I think about the country and while I have no problem with his constituency being retards and consistently re electing him I like to think the rest of the country has a bit more sense

Like I said, anyone voting for him will be likely doing so for a laugh beyond the shower in his fiefdom. I think it would be positive: it'd show the absurdity of the office, and bring about a fast-tracking of its abolition.

Raskolnikov

If he runs - he will have my vote. Electing a clown for a sham of a job seems about right.