Does anyone feel that the Presidential candidates are not interesting now?

Irishlad11

Since David Norris has dropped out I don't feel like voting for any of the remaining candidates

Mary Davis - clearly doesn't fully understand the workings of the presidency, she made a big blunder on the Frontline a few months ago.

Sean Gallagher - feels more like a "celebrity" candidate to me with him being on Dragon's Den.

Gay Mitchell - He's far to conserative in my opinion. I would have much preferred if John Bruton would have run.

Michael D.Higgins - A close second to David Norris, but I can't help feeling that its back to the days when the Aras was a retirement home for TDs

There's a page on Facebook now which states for people to add David Norris's name to their ballot paper, so as to deliberately spoil their vote in protest of our unfair election system. I feel really tempted to do this.

Does anyone else feel let down and disappointed by the candidates left in the election????

whydoibother?

Completely. I think instead of an election I'd prefer a constitutional referendum with the hope of allowing Mary McAleese to run every seven years for the foreseeable future.

Sunnyisland

Well I am still undecided who I will vote for, but vote I will.

jill_valentine

Yeah. Probably won't bother voting now, tbh. Maybe to keep Mitchell out, but that's all.

Sir Oxman

Not really OP - I think even before 3pm today, the field was entirely uninspiring.

RayM

Uninspiring?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJJ5q1_5jX8

Not all of them, no.

Pride Fighter

The choices are a right wing, conservative catholic who believes the Queen of the UK should be the Irish head of state, Gay Mitchell.

A somewhat decent man, but a Fianna Fail proxy, Sean Gallagher.

I dont believe Mary Davis will get on the ticket, but she is a fine woman and campaigner for equal rights.

Someone who has fought for LGBT rights, womens rights, equal rights in general and shown competence in high office as a Minister for Arts, Michael D. Higgins.

Them's the choices. I know who I'm voting for.

Einhard

Michael D all the way.

A fine man he is, but one can't help but feel Michael D has a certain air of complacency about him when it comes to the presidency. Also, at 70, I fear he is too old. I will be abstaining from this election as I don't like any of the other candidates. I would have voted for Michael D. at the last term perhaps, but 70 is just too old to be starting a job. He should retire in peace

Irishlad11

RayM wrote: »

Uninspiring?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJJ5q1_5jX8

Not all of them, no.

I do like Michael D. Higgins, he was my second choice behind David Norris (Probably my first choice now since Norris has dropped out).............I might of phrased the title wrong!!!!

But I just feel on the large the remaining candidates are a bit.....meh!!!!! :mad:
A least David Norris had a bit of life in him!!!!
I miss him already!!!! haha

Glinda

Yup, pathetic, depressing, uninspiring.

Had been looking forward to an interesting campaign, now just have to decide whether my apathy can be overcome by feelings of guilt about suffragettes and how hard they fought to get me the right to vote (latter usually wins)

Dirk Gently

The only interesting thing about the presidency is the actual race. The art of convincing people you're the best qualified person to cut ribbons and visit schools. Either beef up the role and have a real separation of powers or get rid of it all together. Personally I'd like to see that random mulqueen guy get in, just to see if anyone would actually notice a header in the park for 7 years.

Callan57

A sad day ... I will vote but if the declared so far are all we have to choose between it's a pathetic offering. Mary Davis seems like a nice woman but has she done anything other than apparently single handed organised the Special Olympics? Sean Gallagher, latter day FF but we don't want to mention it, is just sad IMO
Gay Mitchell & Michal D are just too much like the resurrection of the old guard.
Michael D is probably the only one who might shake it up a bit ...

RATM

Agree with the OP, the field is truly uninspiring. Although I am a great admirer of Michael D and all he has done for human rights over the years I also hate to say that at 70 I think he is too old. When he speaks these days he puts me to sleep and it appears the passion he once had has petered out.

I'll still be voting for Norris though, I plan to go into the ballot box with a permanent black marker and write his name on the ballot paper in giant letters. It will be counted as a spoiled vote. My hope is many, many others do the same and that the number of spoiled votes in the election trumps the number of first preferences received by the eventual 'winner'.

Regardless of Norris' rights and wrongs the fact that the people are not going to be given the chance to judge him at the ballot box is saddening for Ireland and saddening for democracy. Today was a victory for 'Old Ireland' but I have every confidence that their victories will be getting thinner and thinner on the ground from here on in.

Permabear

This post has been deleted.

irishh_bob

Irishlad11 wrote: »

Since David Norris has dropped out I don't feel like voting for any of the remaining candidates

Mary Davis - clearly doesn't fully understand the workings of the presidency, she made a big blunder on the Frontline a few months ago.

Sean Gallagher - feels more like a "celebrity" candidate to me with him being on Dragon's Den.

Gay Mitchell - He's far to conserative in my opinion. I would have much preferred if John Bruton would have run.

Michael D.Higgins - A close second to David Norris, but I can't help feeling that its back to the days when the Aras was a retirement home for TDs

There's a page on Facebook now which states for people to add David Norris's name to their ballot paper, so as to deliberately spoil their vote in protest of our unfair election system. I feel really tempted to do this.

Does anyone else feel let down and disappointed by the candidates left in the election????

none of the canditates inspired me enough to bother to vote from the get go , had john bruton entered the race , id have voted for the ex taoiseach , will sit this one out

joolsveer

If there are only going to have a choice between the existing declared runners I will have a problem. I was intending to vote for David Norris. The Labour and Fine Gael candidates do not inspire me. I don't know enough about the others.

FloatingVoter

Michael D will be just another Paddy Hillery. Nice guy - but meh...

I will vote, but it will be a spoilt vote (if drunk enough that morning I'll vote for him (MDH) as harmless enough). Two weeks ago I would have campaigned for David Norris if asked. Now - I'm glad he's not on the ballot.

No prizes for guessing this will be the lowest turnout ever in a Presidential election - unless something else is on the ticket like ....free drinks for the first 1000 to the polling booth.

irishh_bob

i can see mitchell winning it

Sir Oxman

FloatingVoter wrote: »

Michael D will be just another Paddy Hillery. Nice guy - but meh...

.

Well, that wouldn't be too bad, didn't Hillery do the right thing as President and not bow to his scheming and dodgy FF party colleagues in the early 80s in a matter of significance for the country?

Isn't that what a President should do?

femur61

I've never saw such a buch of unispiring buch of failed politicans. Even though there was controversy around David Norris he was a colourful candidate.

Annasopra

No

I constantly find Michael D Higgins inspiring. He is a compassionate politician who has fought hard for many social causes in Ireland such as contraception, divorce. He directly created many jobs in this country as minister for arts. Like Norris he stood up and was counted when those types of causes were not popular. His poetry is brilliant. He; like David has a strong track record on human rights - I really do find it hard to take the arguments about his age seriously - firstly he is only 3 years older than Norris, secondly with age comes a huge amount experience.

Zubeneschamali

Of the current list, I'll vote Michael D. to keep Gay Mitchell out, but I'm not very enthusiastic about it.

Cookie_Monster

sure we can just not have a vote and gift it to Mary again, great job and all that she's done and all.


I can't vote as I'll just have left the country but even if I could I really cannot see the point with this one, totally uninspiring field for an uninspiring role.

mike65

Need a famous GAA type to run. Wouldn't be interesting but they might well win by a landslide and so keep a pious windbag out of the Aras.

anymore

Irishlad11 wrote: »

Since David Norris has dropped out I don't feel like voting for any of the remaining candidates

Mary Davis - clearly doesn't fully understand the workings of the presidency, she made a big blunder on the Frontline a few months ago.

Sean Gallagher - feels more like a "celebrity" candidate to me with him being on Dragon's Den.

Gay Mitchell - He's far to conserative in my opinion. I would have much preferred if John Bruton would have run.

Michael D.Higgins - A close second to David Norris, but I can't help feeling that its back to the days when the Aras was a retirement home for TDs

There's a page on Facebook now which states for people to add David Norris's name to their ballot paper, so as to deliberately spoil their vote in protest of our unfair election system. I feel really tempted to do this.

Does anyone else feel let down and disappointed by the candidates left in the election????

I suppose someone could start a campaign to have Jedward run as joint candidiates. I have absolutely no doubt some of the people clamouring for more colourful candidates would support them.

banquo

There are rumours about another independent emerging with no political party ties. Weeks away I'd say though.

alejandro1977

mango salsa wrote: »

No
He directly created many jobs in this country as minister for arts. Like Norris he stood up and was counted when those types of causes were not popular.

His poetry is brilliant..

created jobs? How? Oh you mean by taking tax from one group of people and giving it to others. I recall him wanting to put a tax on Walkmans etc to fund 'the Arts'.


His poetry is pretentious faff. But that's just a personal opinion.

alejandro1977

femur61 wrote: »

I've never saw such a buch of unispiring buch of failed politicans. Even though there was controversy around David Norris he was a colourful candidate.

Failed politicians?

Norris was never elected in a proper election.

Mitchell was elected to the Dail and EP. He comes from a working class background and has educated himself - AFAIK he's never lost an election. He's a successful man by any definition.

Some people - actually many people think the President is some sort of entertainer. What we need is a Giorgio Napolitano - even though he's a former Communist he's willing to stand up for the Constitution and against Berlusconi.

Mary McAleese was great for making the uneducated masses feel good about themselves but when it came to standing up to FF she did nothing. It's worth noting how the Icelandic president stood up for the people of Iceland.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giorgio_Napolitano

Batsy

The Irish presidential race can't be that interesting or important otherwise it would have been mentioned on British and other countries' news channels and in newspapers.

Instead, around 99.5% of people in Britain - Ireland's closest neighbour - don't even know there is a presidential election in Ireland.

Laois_Man

Personally, I'm glad the whole David Norris thing has ended and the Irish Presidential Election topic is no longer the top news story and instead goes down to about position #7 on the news order...which as a very unimportant contest is where it should be....until October anyway!

My name is URL

Batsy wrote: »

The Irish presidential race can't be that interesting or important otherwise it would have been mentioned on British and other countries' news channels and in newspapers.

Instead, around 99.5% of people in Britain - Ireland's closest neighbour - don't even know there is a presidential election in Ireland.

It has been mentioned. It's still 4 months away though so it's not going to be reported on very much.

99.5% of people in Britain don't know that there's an election? The other .5% pull statistics right out of their hats. :rolleyes:

BowWow

After having had the vote for nearly 40 years and rarely missing an opportunity to exercise my franchise in General Elections, Local Elections, Referenda etc - I will, for the first time, spoil my vote in the forthcoming Presidential Election.
I can not vote for any of the muppets left in the race.
I intend to write in David Norris's name and put a "1" beside it.
This will be my vote for democracy - the Irish people should have had the say on Norris, not the political establishment who were scared he was going to win and shafted him (pun intended).