Michael D Higgins looks more & more like he will be the next President of Ireland.

LordSutch

After watching last night's RTE Prime Time TV debate, and with all the major polls still pointing to Michael D Higgins, it does indeed seem like Michael D is heading in the direction of the park for a seven year stint. Can anything stop this man now? He hasn't put a foot wrong so far, and with just two weeks to go I can't see anybody catching him, although I fully expect Sean Gallagher to be hot on his heels, with maybe David Norris close behind . . .

Anyone have an opinion on this?

cornbb

I don't have any party affiliations whatsoever, but I think this is good news. He understands the presidency. He has always fought the good fight, regardless of whether the cause was a popular one or not. I think he is a righteous man, and clearly the best candidate for the job.

TelePaul

LordSutch wrote: »

After watching last night's RTE Prime Time TV debate, and with all the major polls still pointing to Michael D Higgins, it does indeed seem like Michael D is heading in the direction of the park for a seven year stint. Can anything stop this man now? He hasn't put a foot wrong so far, and with just two weeks to go I can't see anybody catching him, although I fully expect Sean Gallagher to be hot on his heels, with maybe David Norris close behind . . .

Anyone have an opinion on this?

Yeah, I'm inclined to agree, he did very well in tonight's debate. He didn't seem swayed at all by Miriam's aggressive style, which I thought she overdid. I think he has the right profile for the position and I hope he wins.

foggy_lad

May I just say........hear hear and up the Áras with Michael D

LordSutch

cornbb wrote: »

I don't have any party affiliations whatsoever, but I think this is good news. He understands the presidency. He has always fought the good fight, regardless of whether the cause was a popular one or not. I think he is a righteous man, and clearly the best candidate for the job.

Agreed, and no controversy surrounding him either, which is an imperative.

Vadakin

Looking like a wise old Jedi Master doesn't hurt either.



:P

Da Shins Kelly

I wish there was someone younger.

steelcityblues

He is an establishment hack - a fairly eloquent one - but an establishment hack, all the same.

LordSutch

Da Shins Kelly wrote: »

I wish there was someone younger.

You say that, but he's not lacking in the brains department, he's quick with his replies too, last night on Prime Time being a perfect example of his sharp intellect & in depth experience that is perfect for the roll. So he's older than the rest, but he's wiser too . . .

Who is the younger option? Sean Gallagher is currently running at No: 2 in the polls, but would he be good enough for the job?

edanto

I am gaining some respect for Sean Gallagher, but at this stage I don't know enough about him to want him to be president.

Whereas Michael D has form over the past 40 or 50 years working full time in human rights, legislation and political reform.

For me, it's an easy choice. Vote for Michael D in this election and keep an eye on SG. Hopefully he'll show his interest in politics is true and long lasting, and he'll go for the Dail or something. If he does a Ganley I'll be glad I didn't vote for him.

Tomk1

I really think he deserves it, as the others will have a chance to run again the next time, hope he lasts the 7 years.
My mind is now made up.

steelcityblues

I would also like to add that I can't remember in my lifetime, a presidential Candidate getting the kid glove treatment from the D4 media to the same extent as Michael D has got. Not even Mary Robinson in 1990.

I wonder what that is really about?

Manach

Well, as per the candidate's election literature, Mr Higgins was instrumental in setting up TnG.

foggy_lad

steelcityblues wrote: »

I would also like to add that I can't remember in my lifetime, a presidential Candidate getting the kid glove treatment from the D4 media to the same extent as Michael D has got. Not even Mary Robinson in 1990.

I wonder what that is really about?

There is no mud to sling at him

jimmycrackcorm

Manach wrote: »

Well, as per the candidate's election literature, Mr Higgins was instrumental in setting up TnG.

Love ros na run, good enough reason to vote for him I suppose.

Liam Byrne

Manach wrote: »

Well, as per the candidate's election literature, Mr Higgins was instrumental in setting up TnG.

.....without which we'd have no Magner's League coverage! Go Michael D!!!

Bergkamp 10

Surprised his leftist leanings havent been attacked.

The establishment will get what they want with Higgins president. You can almost smell FG cheering him on, and drones like Miriam O Callaghan giving him an easy ride help him greatly.

delaad

It's all a bit disappointing really if Higgins ends up in the Park. He'll be voted in by the minority who are surviving, not suffering, the crash. He'll be a talisman for the old and weary; a weight around the necks of the remaining young.

Bergkamp 10

delaad wrote: »

It's all a bit disappointing really if Higgins ends up in the Park. He'll be voted in by the minority who are surviving, not suffering, the crash. He'll be a talisman for the old and weary; a weight around the necks of the remaining young.

its what they want, no young people to vote thats why its on a thursday.

the journalists and rte millionaires will feel warm at night while the rest of us jobless folk, will be pissed on from greater heights,.

jank

The country is crying out for change....yet we are going to elect an old man of 71 who is as much a part of the establishment as those who went before him. He could very well die in office and the main reason people are going to vote for him is his blandness.

Funny little country we are.

expectationlost

Bergkamp 10 wrote: »

Surprised his leftist leanings havent been attacked.

The establishment will get what they want with Higgins president. You can almost smell FG cheering him on, and drones like Miriam O Callaghan giving him an easy ride help him greatly.

either he is lefty or he's establishment which is? with an FG taoiseach?

of course the israeli's would welcome a president higgins to israel, its called diplomacy.

higgins has long ago left any radicalism he had, if ever.

LostCovey

expectationlost wrote: »

either he is lefty or he's establishment which is? with an FG taoiseach?

of course the israeli's would welcome a president higgins to israel, its called diplomacy.

higgins has long ago left any radicalism he had, if ever.

Its worth voting for Michael D just for 7 years of him enunciating words like UinivehhrRrRrRsatehh.

Michael D. is pretty radical for his age in fairness.

LC

MrThrifty

Seemed clearcut a few weeks ago that Higgins would come out on top. Granted he's not the ideal candidate but he is the best of a bad bunch. Only other contenders are Gallagher, Norris and McGuinness, all of which have black marks already. Higgins though I would think is somewhat institutionalized from all his time in government and working in the public sector previously - I would think therefore that there is a possibility of some money-wasting story coming out soon. As for his campaign leaflet, thought it did a very poor job of selling him - 'I set up TG4, the end'.

bohsfan

delaad wrote: »

He'll be voted in by the minority

Well, if the majority get out and vote the minority can't win.

LLU

I can only imagine how hard the other candidates must be working at the moment to dig up some dirt, any dirt on him!

He'll certainly have to watch his back (metaphorically of course ) for the next couple of weeks.

PeterIanStaker

I'm surprised the twerps in the establishment media haven't criticised him for abolishing Section 31 and setting up TnaG, neither of which goes down well with them . . . But then again they're too busy getting votes for McGuinness by obsessing over him.

KeithAFC

Seems like he is doing a good job.

Liam Byrne

delaad wrote: »

It's all a bit disappointing really if Higgins ends up in the Park. He'll be voted in by the minority who are surviving, not suffering, the crash. He'll be a talisman for the old and weary; a weight around the necks of the remaining young.

I don't get your point. He'll be voted in by the likes of me because there isn't any better option, and I'm not old and I am suffering because of the crash, although maybe not as much as some because I didn't lose the run of myself or buy into the boom.

Tazz T

In all seriousness, he's an OAP. What's the chances of him surviving the term of office?

The people of this country don't have a clue - electing teachers and farmers into important roles instead of more qualified people. Would you make your granda president?

kev_like

Tazz T wrote: »

In all seriousness, he's an OAP. What's the chances of him surviving the term of office?

The people of this country don't have a clue - electing teachers and farmers into important roles instead of more qualified people. Would you make your granda president?

If my granda had spent his life working full time in human rights, legislation and political reform, then yes, yes I would.
I'd take Higgins, regardless of age, over any of the other candidates.

ardmacha

It's all a bit disappointing really if Higgins ends up in the Park. He'll be voted in by the minority who are surviving, not suffering, the crash.

Complete nonsense. Higgins had nothing to do with the crash, his history is not one of pandering to speculators.

The main objections to Higgins seems to be his height and his age, made by people who have no interest in the his record, only his appearance.

GSF

In his favour he hasnt killed anyone, bankrupted the country and isn't a citizen of another country but we are setting the bar pretty low this time around.

His anti-American lefty rantings could damage Ireland, but I dont think anyone will take him too seriously.

Given that he has 3 pensions it seems right that we should work him into the ground in return so yes I'm all for making these guys work til they are 80.

MrThrifty

Tazz T wrote: »

In all seriousness, he's an OAP. What's the chances of him surviving the term of office?

I agree 100%. Without sounding morbid, I think there is a good chance (call it 50/50) that he might die during the term. That concerns me. Who would then step in, etc.? Would we need another election then?

ardmacha

The President is not an especially onerous job. You walk to the car, go somewhere, get out , make a speech and get back in the car.

QEII can do the Head of State gig perfectly well and she is 14 years older than Higgins.

Higgins has opposed US policy, but has lived in America, it is not as if he is opposed to Americans per se.

LordSutch

Its Higgins to lose, he's soo far ahead now . . .

RichardAnd

MrThrifty wrote: »

I agree 100%. Without sounding morbid, I think there is a good chance (call it 50/50) that he might die during the term. That concerns me. Who would then step in, etc.? Would we need another election then?

Ireland is unusual in that there is no office of vice president, perhaps Dev didn't know anyone in need of a job back in the 30s?

Anyway, in the event of a president's death there are two possibilities. Another election or, far more likely, a new president would be agreed by the dail. This was exactly what happened when Erskine Childers passed away in 1974.

Brendog

cornbb wrote: »

I don't have any party affiliations whatsoever, but I think this is good news. He understands the presidency. He has always fought the good fight, regardless of whether the cause was a popular one or not. I think he is a righteous man, and clearly the best candidate for the job.

If only someone could dub his voice...

Dana sounds more masculine

bleg

He has been preparing for the role for ages. He would make a good president, much better than some of the parachuted candidates.

smokingman

He's one of two candidates I've actually met and had a chat with in real life and I like him a lot. He's the most knowledgeable of what the position entails and he does have to ability to make anyone warm to him.

In saying that though, I'm still voting Norris

LordSutch

bleg wrote: »

He has been preparing for the role for ages. He would make a good president, much better than some of the parachuted candidates.

Agreed, McGuinness being the most high profile of the parachute variety

The sooner he gets back in his limo & gets the hell out of here the better, the temprature is getting too high & the real debates are getting pulled askew, due to his poisonous presence.

Bergkamp 10

Micheal D hasnt been asked any hard questions about his anti Americans views unlike all the other candidates he hasnt come under attack at all.

caseyann

Bergkamp 10 wrote: »

Micheal D hasnt been asked any hard questions about his anti Americans views unlike all the other candidates he hasnt come under attack at all.

Its called media brain washing.Highlight the bad on all other people so as to try to bring and outcome of voting they want.
Pretty pathetic,but worked for the elections just gone aswell,and we end up with all the same old people in government and nothing changes.And the same people who shouted not him but him for president or for Dáil.And then six months on or year on they moan and moan about it even though they were the ones who promoted it.
Ireland for you :rolleyes:
It aint over till fat lady sings.

Bergkamp 10

I hope McGuinness becomes President to piss off the media and make the government liars and cheats squirm even a little.

If not then Sean Gallagher seems like a decent president. No Labour or FG candidate for me especially their two candidates. Lets hope people wake up to it.

smokingman

Bergkamp 10 wrote: »

I hope McGuinness becomes President to piss off the media and make the government liars and cheats squirm even a little.

Seems that there'll be a lot of protest voting in this election and I'm not surprised with all the negative campaigning that's been going on.

LordSutch

Bergkamp 10 wrote: »

I hope McGuinness becomes President to piss off the media and make the government liars and cheats squirm even a little.

Dear Lord, and that's how you would choose our President :rolleyes:

Bergkamp 10

LordSutch wrote: »

Dear Lord, and that's how you would choose our President :rolleyes:

Why not, McGuinness will do a good job also but one of the benefits is weasals like in the Government cabinet and Gay Mitchell will squirm.

The President is a ribbon cutting, hand shaking job that anyone can do.
McGuinness has plenty of experience at that with Peter Robinson and will piss off the government and send them a message that no street protest ever could.

LLU

Bergkamp 10 wrote: »

Why not, McGuinness will do a good job also but one of the benefits is weasals like in the Government cabinet and Gay Mitchell will squirm.

The President is a ribbon cutting, hand shaking job that anyone can do.
McGuinness has plenty of experience at that with Peter Robinson and will piss off the government and send them a message that no street protest ever could.

Constructive! Send them what sort of message? To what end?

MrLuke

At mentioned, it is Higgin's to lose at this stage and he doesn't seem to have any skelatons in his closet. The only negative thing I've heard is that he's too old. He won't get my no.1, but based on how he's conducted himself he will get my no.2, and thats where he will run away with it.

Bit of a pi**take of Michael D and Gallagher on Youtube

MayoForSam

Any man who stands up and calls Mikey Graham a w*nker is alright in my book.

OK so he looks like Yoda crossed with a leprechaun, but I do believe he has the best handle on the role of the president and will be a safe pair of hands. So what if he's an establishment figure, the position is mainly ceremonial and we don't want to be electing some unknown quantity at this stage. He's the best of a very mediocre lot by quite a margin.

expectationlost

GSF wrote: »

His anti-American lefty rantings could damage Ireland, but I dont think anyone will take him too seriously.

do you think he'd make "anti-American" lefty rantings while president?

cornbb

expectationlost wrote: »

do you think he'd make "anti-American" lefty rantings while president?

It seems that he would know his place as president well enough not to do that.

Besides, I don't think American businesses/investors could give two tosses about what our senior public figures say about America, as long as their tax breaks stay in place. This notion that speaking one's mind about America could potentially "damage" Ireland is a non-runner, methinks.