Feck it, I'm voting for McGuinness

Denerick

I confess I've been charmed by the man. His Derry accent, his amiable manner, his and his people's transformation over the past decade, his frequent denunciations of the cretins and savages who want to bring the Troubles back in all its glory... I admit it, I'm smitten. He's getting my number one. And I'm hardly a Shinner.

How do you think he'll do?

Red Right Hand

Depends on how far the collective insanity spreads.

mike65

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=1431

barney4001

YOU MAY AS WELL KEEP THEM CRONIES FROM LIENSTER HOUSE OUT

Darlughda

Gotta admit I am tempted. For the craic.

donfers

running third in first poll from sunday business post tomorrow, not far off higgins and norris but he probably won't do great on transfers, he has an outside chance but will need a fab campaign, however sinn fein election team are known to be pretty effective so we'll see

in other news sinn fein are now level with sinn fein at 15% each which is incredible, if someone had said to you five years ago that in five years time they'd be level nobody would have believed them

so anyway, norris is at 21, micky d at 18 and martin mc at 16 - don't rule out mary davis who will do well on transfers from everybody, might be worth having a cheeky monkey on her at longish odds

cgarrad

Our international reputation is ruined anyway, might as well go the whole hog.

Darlughda

cgarrad wrote: »

Our international reputation is ruined anyway, might as well go the whole hog.

Maybe its time to quit worrying what the neighbours think.

cgarrad

Darlughda wrote: »

Maybe its time to quit worrying what the neighbours think.

I'd hate to live near you....

rubberdiddies

Darlughda wrote: »

cgarrad wrote: »

Our international reputation is ruined anyway, might as well go the whole hog.

Maybe its time to quit worrying what the neighbours think.

I'd be more worried about having someone as president who was either directly or indirectly responsible for an extraordinary amount of violence and possibly murder on this island and across the pond, not what the neighbours think.

Darlughda

Well, if I have to spell it out, by neighbours I meant international ones.

Look it, I don't know, to be honest. My mind is not made up. A couple of years ago, he was in the same room as me, and my blood ran cold and I had to leave the room.

But now, looking at these arguments....What about Barack Obama, why is it ok for him to order men to die and cause bloodshed?

Chucky the tree

Not voting for someon who only thinks it's uncceptable to murder members of the Gardai because it will cost him votes.

Knight990

Martin McGuinness: lets review the situation:

A (former) member of the IRA Army Council, a group which claims itself to be the true Government of Ireland and disregards the authority of the State of the Republic of Ireland, now wants to hold highest position in said State.

Said (former) member of the IRA Army Council also took part in the leadership of an organisation which claimed itself to be Óglaigh Na hÉireann, the supposed true hair to that name. Said person now wants to take the leadership role of the Irish Defence Forces, a force the IRA felt was using the name Óglaigh Na hÉireann unjustly.

Said (former) member of the IRA Army Council only in a recent interview referred to an questioner as a "West Brit" when confronted with a tough question.

Sorry, but personally i'd rather have someone I could actually trust, who doesn't bend like a blade of grass in the wind to suit a political situation as our President - i'd like a mature statesman/woman.

The President of Ireland should have no secrets from his/her people. It's that simple. Marty is about as shady as they come, and i'd find it insulting for him to take the salute of the Defence Forces in 2016, especially since he once had a role in an organisation which saw the Defence Forces as an enemy.

todolist

cgarrad wrote: »

Our international reputation is ruined anyway, might as well go the whole hog.

What reputation is that?A country full of toothless peasants,gombeen men.Drunks.gangsters and criminals.

Bloody Nipples

todolist wrote: »

What reputation is that?A country full of toothless peasants,gombeen men.Drunks.gangsters and criminals.

Well don't hold back anyway...

I love Joan Burton

rubberdiddies wrote: »

I'd be more worried about having someone as president who was either directly or indirectly responsible for an extraordinary amount of violence and possibly murder on this island and across the pond, not what the neighbours think.

How do you think the brits felt about Blair? Or the yanks about Bush?

Darlughda

Knight990 wrote: »

Martin McGuinness: lets review the situation:

A (former) member of the IRA Army Council, a group which claims itself to be the true Government of Ireland and disregards the authority of the State of the Republic of Ireland, now wants to hold highest position in said State.

Said (former) member of the IRA Army Council also took part in the leadership of an organisation which claimed itself to be Óglaigh Na hÉireann, the supposed true hair to that name. Said person now wants to take the leadership role of the Irish Defence Forces, a force the IRA felt was using the name Óglaigh Na hÉireann unjustly.

Said (former) member of the IRA Army Council only in a recent interview referred to an questioner as a "West Brit" when confronted with a tough question.

Sorry, but personally i'd rather have someone I could actually trust, who doesn't bend like a blade of grass in the wind to suit a political situation as our President - i'd like a mature statesman/woman.

The President of Ireland should have no secrets from his/her people. It's that simple. Marty is about as shady as they come, and i'd find it insulting for him to take the salute of the Defence Forces in 2016, especially since he once had a role in an organisation which saw the Defence Forces as an enemy.

Good points. But, being so jaded from the interchangeable FG/FF centre right style candidates, it is refreshing that there is someone who is not yet another comfortably off/ in with the élite, who is also committed to accepting the industrial wage is interested in this office.

Also, we expect and demand that the extremist unionist and loyalists okay McGuinness, should we not offer the same courtesy towards their efforts and the peace process?

Knight990

Darlughda wrote: »

Good points. But, being so jaded from the interchangeable FG/FF centre right style candidates, it is refreshing that there is someone who is not yet another comfortably off/ in with the élite, who is also committed to accepting the industrial wage is interested in this office.

Also, we expect and demand that the extremist unionist and loyalists okay McGuinness, should we not offer the same courtesy towards their efforts and the peace process?

You've got a point that someone outside the established élite seems welcome, because they're not bound by the same cronyism that we all know in the Republic. But, i'd counter with this: he isn't involved in cronyism in the Republic, but I would be afraid that he would be involved in a kind of Sinn Féin cronyism. Taking the industrial wage is a good thing, that's true - my problem with this situation is that I wouldn't trust the rest of his pay not to "find its way" into a Sinn Féin related coffer somewhere.

McGuinness' work in the Peace Process is definitely to be considered. I'd never say that it should be disregarded, but I would say that the political situation in the north doesn't necessarily translate into the south. In the north, there seems to be an overall view that the goods outweigh the evils when it comes to the politicians - it works in Stormont, it has to be said. However, I think that in the south there is a much more open view to considering the sins of the past.

I think that, though Marty has done his bit for peace in the north, when it comes to the Presidency, its another level from what can be expected from a deputy First Minister. His past exploits can't be outweighed by his peace-brokering this time, simply due to the status of the post of President.

Darlughda

Open. I am not so sure that there is a more open view in the south to considering the sins of the past.
There exists a massive divide in mythology and thinking of people regarding the old IRA and the modern.
However within that there is blindness and hypocrisy. The heroes of the past are almost deified while the current incumbents of the 'troubles' are heavily vilified, despite the efforts unionists and loyalists have made to share power up north.

However, I must admit it does seem in terms of political ambition, McGuinness gaining the presidency would be seen as another step on the ladder to achieve the Sinn Féin ideal of the 32 county republic.

Someone, on another thread or forum somewhere here on Boards said that he is more essential in the work he is doing in Northern Ireland in his current role, rather than exiting even if on 'career break' or secondment, and I thought that was an interesting point - that he is too needed where he is now?

Knight990

Darlughda wrote: »

However, I think that in the south there is a much more open view to considering the sins of the past.
[\QUOTE]

Open. I am not sure. That seems an ambigious statement. However, I must admit it does seem in terms of political ambition, another step on the ladder to achieve the Sinn Féin ideal of the 32 county republic.

Someone, on another thread or forum somewhere here on Boards said that he is more essential in the work he is doing in Northern Ireland in his current role, rather than exiting even if on 'career break' or secondment, and I thought that was an interesting point that he is too needed where he is now?[/QUOTE]

I feel that the focus is indeed more on the advancement of a 32 county republic than actually doing a great deal for the Irish people. I'd worry that Sinn Féin would sooner dismantle the 26 county republic than do anything great to advance it.

I'm definitely of the view that he is more needed in the north than the south. Up there, he is one of a few lynch-pins of a fragile system. His presence alone at a negotiation table is often enough to bring people of Republican persuasion in from the proverbial cold on tough issues. With the way the world is (i'll avoid the now cliché "R" word), every state and statelet (if I can call NI a statelet, perhaps you'll agree its a bit hard to tack down what it actually is) needs to be as firm, strong and able to deal with unknown eventualities as possible. I think that Marty's absence from the table could bring the fragile balance into danger.

shanered

I can see people pushing the whole NIMB thing with the argument that he is needed but just not down here.
In fairness he is good with difficult situations, bring the troubles in NI to where it is now.
We need to get out of our difficult situation at the moment, and having somebody like him might give Ireland that backbone it has been missing for the last few years.
All that and make the next step towards a united Ireland.

Darlughda

Mary McAleese is acknowledged for having done great work in regard to meeting and working with people in Northern Ireland. Maybe McGuinness could actually do the same?

Particularly now, that there is a new generation growing up who don't seem him the same way as us who grew up during the time of the troubles.

Darlughda

shanered wrote: »

All that and make the next step towards a united Ireland.

thing is shanered, most people in republic of Ireland could not give a flying rat's ass about a united Ireland. The ideals of patriotism, 1916, creation of tradition is stuff best left to the theatre.

KnifeWRENCH

Denerick wrote: »

How do you think he'll do?

Very well, I reckon. Him, Norris and Higgins will most likely be the top three, since Fine Gael picked the worst possible candidate and none of the independents, bar Norris, are making any sort of impression on the general public.

Who comes out on top will all come down to who gets more transfers.

Denerick

McGuinness is candid about his involvement in the IRA, but at the same time he is hardly going to leak operational secrets, is he? Judge a man by how far he has come. Mandela ordered men to die via the ANC - not that I consider the anti apartheid struggle to really be comparable to Northern Ireland (Though I know there are those who would, mostly people unable to think in proportion, but anyway) Lets face it; the man has come a long way. He represents some of the healing and the new maturity of the north. Cut him some slack.

I don't really have problems voting for a man with a violent and criminal past as a leading light in a sociopathic organisation, so long as he represents redemption, healing, and the future. He has been rehabilitated.

KeithAFC

You are entitled to that. Why you felt the need to make a thread on it when we have so many Mcguinness threads though is odd.

OP please see the Elections subforum for numerous existing threads on McG