Fighting For Transfers -how popular Higgins, Gallagher and others are with FG Voters

CDfm

I am not a Higgins supporter though intend to vote ethically and he will get a scratch on my list.

So I intend to be strategic in the use of my transfer and will give him a number but not number 1.

Forget the tabloid stories, I saw this article highlighting abortion & illegal emigration & citizenship issue.

Higgins says claim he favours abortion is 'false accusation'

22 14 Sha

By Michael Brennan Deputy Political Editor

Friday October 21 2011

LABOUR candidate Michael D Higgins was forced to defend his views on abortion and Irish citizenship rights for migrants yesterday.
He said yesterday it was a "false accusation" to say he was in favour of abortion -- and pledged to implement whatever legislation was put before him as president as long as it was constitutional.
He declined to reveal his personal beliefs about abortion in a move that indicated his wish to avoid alienating voters. But he said he was always concerned for the life of the mother.
And Mr Higgins said he did not regret his decision to oppose the 2004 citizenship referendum, which led to a drop in asylum seeker applications.
The citizenship referendum eliminated the right of children born in Ireland to non-Irish parents to gain automatic citizenship.
Mr Higgins highlighted his stance earlier this week as a reason for immigrants to this country to vote for him.
In a statement to the 'Metro Eireann' multi-cultural newspaper, Mr Higgins said the citizenship referendum had been unfair to many children born in Ireland.
He also said it was out of keeping with the spirit of the 1916 declaration "which called on us to cherish all the children of the nation equally".
The positions of candidates on immigration could play a role as between 1995 and 2009 around 35,000 people were granted Irish citizenship and are entitled to vote in the presidential election.
- Michael Brennan Deputy Political Editor



http://www.independent.ie/national-news/presidential-election/higgins-says-claim-he-favours-abortion-is-false-accusation-2913222.html

My pet peave has been his foreign policy views which I find very anti the west.

So what policies of his might affect him in the transfer market.

Two other articles - one citing his feminism from John Waters

I STILL have, somewhere, the typewritten note I received from Michael D Higgins nearly 29 years ago, when I wrote to request an interview for Hot Press . It ends: “And of course it doesn’t matter that you are unable to offer a fee”, a response to my naive apology for the impecuniousness of both my employers and myself.
That sentence, it strikes me now, is an indicator of the instinctual kindness of Michael D Higgins: in brushing my apology aside, he did not want to draw attention to the gaucheness behind it. It was some time later I learned politicians never received payment for press interviews.
That interview, my first with a politician, meant a lot to me. The headline was “Something better change”, the title of a Stranglers song. Michael D was a hero when that species was thin on the ground.
In spite of occasional differences, he remains so: a shimmering streak of pure intellect in the forlorn landscape of Irish politics.
But 29 years is a mighty long time. We have moved through a changing world, in which what Michael D used to call “the forces of conservatism” have to a large extent been routed. Yet, things are by no means as we might have expected them to be in the wake of such victories. Almost everything has changed, but only some things for the better.
This morning is a good moment to reflect on such matters, as Michael D is being feted by a bunch of feminists at a press conference organised by Ivana Bacik under the heading “Women for Michael D Higgins”. The assembled women include, inter alia , politicians past and present, writers, academics, singers and a former judge of the Supreme Court. The idea, according to Bacik, is that Michael D is someone who has always supported women’s rights and has been to the vanguard in various feminist and liberal struggles.


http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2011/1021/1224306217538.html

The other his socially liberal ideals highlight issues which might influence the transfers - here us a flavour of David Quinn

During one of the contraception debates of the early 1980s, Catherine Bulbulia pointed out in the Oireachtas that 6.8pc of all births in 1983 were outside marriage, implying that if only contraception was more widely available that rate would come down.
In fact, it has soared to one in three because the widespread availability of contraception has radically changed the sexual behaviour of many people, again as conservatives predicted. (By the way, I am not arguing that we ban contraception again.)
Michael D is himself a big subscriber to the view that more widely available contraception would make it much more likely that every child would be a wanted child.
In a Dail debate about abortion in 2001, for example, Higgins spoke about the 'strong farmer' who, in the pre-contraception era, would impregnate a girl but then abandon her because it wasn't convenient for him to face up to his responsibilities.
He said: "One should think . . . of how much Irish history would have been different if proper social responsibility had been inculcated in men and women."
But today, the number of fathers not facing up to their responsibilities has risen exponentially. This explains the huge number of mothers having to go it alone. Equally, many women who don't want to have a child will often have an abortion instead.
How does a Michael D Higgins explain this? Why isn't almost every child now wanted by both its mother and father? This is what was promised and it emphatically has not happened. More children than ever are unwanted by either the father or the mother or both, to judge from the statistics for single parenthood and abortion.
Could it be that the very liberalism Higgins espoused has promoted a sort of irresponsible sexual freedom he never envisaged?


http://www.independent.ie/opinion/analysis/david-quinn-an-ideological-vote-could-change-election-outcome-2913137.html

jonniebgood1

Most of the stories that are highlighted as potential issues with Higgins are the things I like about him. I like his liberal stance on different issues, I agree with his views on America using shannon for troops and also his view on Israel. His religious stance is also spot on IMO. The main problem I see with him is that he does not come across as if he will in any way push the office of president in any innovative way out of the box. He is establishment to the core. I do not know if he or SG will get my no. 01 yet.

CDfm

That sort of how I look at him too and I am a bit mixed up with how I should think about the Labour Party too.

Everyone knows FF ****ed up, but there is a weird government system with elections , social partners and interest groups making it hard to work out who is in charge.

Michael D Higgins means eastablishment to me. He is the guy who should have asked what business have Deirdre Purcell or David Begg being on the Central Bank Board as a senior member of the opposition.

So has he ever been statesman like and could we expect him to be as President.

Bergkamp 10

Higgins is establishment to the core.

It's anti establishment for me all the way.

jhegarty

Bergkamp 10 wrote: »

Higgins is establishment to the core.

It's anti establishment for me all the way.

So you will be voting for ?

Bergkamp 10

jhegarty wrote: »

So you will be voting for ?

McGuinness and Gallagher. Clearly the two most unpopular on this forum. But I dont have to justify my choice to people who just want to abuse.

swampgas

Bergkamp 10 wrote: »

McGuinness and Gallagher. Clearly the two most unpopular on this forum. But I dont have to justify my choice to people who just want to abuse.

I think many people will be voting anti-establishment in a similar manner to yourself.

Although I suspect that McGuinness and Gallagher are a lot more "establishment" than people believe.

Bergkamp 10

swampgas wrote: »

I think many people will be voting anti-establishment in a similar manner to yourself.

Although I suspect that McGuinness and Gallagher are a lot more "establishment" than people believe.

They are alot more establishment you are correct. But this is the hand we have been dealt with.

I think McGuinness would do the role well and play upto the anti establishment okay, but not as much as people think.

They all do whatever is necessary to get votes. I dont even agree with alot of what Gallagher says esp re the National Anthem, but I rather him than any of the others.

Jimoslimos

Bergkamp 10 wrote: »

McGuinness and Gallagher. Clearly the two most unpopular on this forum. But I dont have to justify my choice to people who just want to abuse.

1) If McGuinness is 'anti-establishment' then he has no business running for the highest position in the 'establishment down here'

2) I think you might find Gallagher has benefitted more than most from his links with the 'establishment'. Granted, he was savvy enough to jump ship when sinking.

CDfm

Presidential elections are very hard to call and a mire of dirty tricks .

Anyone remember the Popular Adi Roche in 1997

Her poll lead , around 40 % at the Polls at one stage translated to 7% in the ballot box afair.

She was really grateful and very proud to have been associated particularly with Mr Spring and the Labour Party, Democratic Left and the Greens.

and

Wednesday October 29 1997
ADI ROCHE yesterday described the presidential campaign as ``appallingly dirty'' and even if she herself had not been a candidate she would have been appalled by what had been done over recent weeks. ADI ROCHE yesterday described the presidential campaign as ``appallingly dirty'' and even if she herself had not been a candidate she would have been appalled by what had been done over recent weeks. Ms Roche called for opinion polls to be banned especially during the final seven days of campaigns.
She told the Irish Independent in Tralee she would like to go forward again for the presidency.
But it was unlikely she would ever go into national politics as it was ``too dirty a game.''

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/dirty-campaign-appals-adi-but-shed-run-again-461509.html

In fact , the smears against Roche had included raising the awful story if her brothers dusmissal from the army and bullying allegations by ex staff .

Smear campaigns have been part of the course and its how the media savvy deal with them that matters.

http://www.herald.ie/opinion/andrew-lynch-dirty-tricks-and-kicks-on-the-road-to-the-aras-2664028.html

Andrew Lynch: Dirty tricks and kicks on the road to the Aras

Norris may be fuming, but history shows that a smear or two may help your campaign


By Andrew Lynch

Thursday June 02 2011

David Norris is hopping mad. His campaign to become the next President of Ireland has been derailed by the resurfacing of an old magazine interview in which he appears to make controversial statements about paedophilia, incest and the age of consent.
The senator admits that the fallout is bound to cost some support -- and he also claims that a dirty tricks brigade is out to get him.
Still, Norris should not give up hope just yet. The recent history of presidential elections suggests that anyone who wants to live in Aras an Uachtarain needs to grow an incredibly thick skin. There have only been two contests in the last 38 years, but both were dominated by a series of vicious personal attacks -- some destroying their targets for good, others backfiring and actually working to the candidate's advantage.
MARY ROBINSON'S CONDOMS
Mary Robinson and condoms go back a long way. When she campaigned for the legalisation of contraception in the 1980s, a steady supply of used specimens arrived in her letterbox. In 1990 she ran for president and was asked in a Hot Press interview if she would be willing to open a condom stall in the Virgin Megastore (which was illegally selling them at the time).
Robinson replied, "Yes. This is a very young country and I think it would be helpful to have a president who was in touch with what young people are doing." The reaction from Catholic commentators was so hostile that one newspaper dubbed the interview, 'The Longest Suicide Note in History'. It didn't help when Robinson reversed her position and claimed that she always said "Yes" after a question just to show she had understood.
As her campaign adviser Fergus Finlay (a leading candidate himself this year) later wrote, "It could be argued that Mary got away with murder -- and was helped enormously by the fact that Fianna Fail basically ignored the controversy."
BRIAN LENIHAN'S 'MATURE RECOLLECTION'
As Charlie Haughey's deputy throughout the 1980s, Brian Lenihan's catchphrase was "No problem!" In the 1990 presidential election, however, he landed himself with a problem that no amount of bluster could solve. Leading by a mile in the polls, he was asked on RTE's Question And Answers if he had made a controversial phone call to President Patrick Hillery asking him not to dissolve the Dail in 1982 -- and told the audience, "I want to assure you that never happened." Unfortunately, a UCD student then produced a tape of an interview for his thesis in which Lenihan had said the exact opposite. The candidate dug his hole even deeper by going on Six One News and declaring that "on mature recollection" he definitely hadn't rung the Aras. As his wife said afterwards, "Whoever advised him to look into the camera should be shot."
A few days later, Haughey was forced to sack his old friend from the Cabinet -- and the dead cert suddenly became the underdog.
MEET THE FLYNNSTONE
A week before polling day, the result was still in the balance -- Robinson ahead, but Lenihan making a comeback. Then FF minister Padraig Flynn launched a personal attack on Robinson that backfired in spectacular fashion.
On RTE's Saturday View radio programme, he accused her of having "her new clothes and new hairdo and newfound interest in the family... but, you know, none of us who knew Mary Robinson in previous incarnations ever heard her claiming to be a great wife and mother." Bertie Ahern, who was Lenihan's campaign manager, knew that something was wrong when a young woman approached him and declared, "It's bastards like Flynn who have destroyed the party my parents love." Flynn's sexist gaffe ensured that Mna na hEireann turned out in force on election day -- and the rest is history.
BEWARE OF THE DOG
Before Dana Rosemary Scallon sensationally entered the 1997 presidential election, she had lived outside Ireland for several years. That's probably why the former Eurovision winner agreed to be interviewed by Vincent Browne, whose take-no-prisoners style had caused some of his colleagues to nickname him 'Mad Dog'. The resulting encounter was car-crash radio, with Browne sighing his way through most of her answers and Dana worried that her host might be seriously ill.
The Broadcasting Complaints Commission decided that the interview had been unfair and Browne apologised by singing All Kinds Of Everything on his show. Dana, however, had the last laugh. The sympathy she got had a positive effect on her campaign, helping her to come a respectable third and launching her successful attempt to become an MEP two years later.
LOVE AND PEACE
When the Labour Party persuaded Adi Roche to become their presidential candidate, the opinion polls suggested they were on to a winner. Passionate, idealistic and hugely respected for her work with the children of Chernobyl, she seemed like a natural choice to succeed Mary Robinson.
In the space of just a few days, however, the Angel of Chernobyl's halo began to slip. First, a group of her ex-employees raised some serious issues with her management style. Then it was alleged that her brother had been sacked from the army over his links to a terrorist group (this was subsequently proven to be untrue).
Roche was also widely mocked for bobbing her head along to a Luka Bloom song on the campaign trail and signing autographs, "It's about love and peace -- Adi." Her campaign went into freefall, she finished a poor fourth and her political career was over for good.
THE TRIBAL TIMEBOMB
Mary McAleese seemed to come out of nowhere. So when she suddenly became the frontrunner for the Park in 1997, it was hardly surprising that her past would come under intense scrutiny. There was widespread shock when a series of leaked documents from the Department of Foreign Affairs suggested she was a closet Sinn Fein supporter -- and to make matters worse, she then received the endorsement from hell from Gerry Adams.
While the journalist Eoghan Harris labelled her "a tribal timebomb", McAleese kept her cool. She rescued herself with media interviews that convinced the electorate she was the victim of a smear campaign. Instead of destroying her reputation, the mudslinging helped her to win a landslide victory -- paving the way for a highly successful presidency that culminated in last month's visit from Queen Elizabeth.
- Andrew Lynch


http://www.herald.ie/opinion/andrew-lynch-dirty-tricks-and-kicks-on-the-road-to-the-aras-2664028.html

CDfm

So here is a bid for transfers.

A conservative a serious piece.

Gallagher puts it up to McGuinness

THERE CAN BE NO ROOM FOR AMBIGUITY ON McCABE KILLING, SAYS GALLAGHER





By RONALD QUINLAN

Sunday October 23 2011

Independent presidential candidate Sean Gallagher has said that if the Sinn Fein candidate Martin McGuinness has information in relation to the killing of Detective Garda Jerry McCabe, he should give that information to the gardai.
"There can be no tolerance for people who murder gardai or members of the Defence Forces, or security personnel in general, who are the very guardians of our society," Mr Gallagher told the Sunday Independent yesterday.
"If Martin McGuinness has information he should come forward like every other citizen and make that information available. . . there can be no room for ambiguity," he said.
Last week Mr McGuinness denied he had such information.
Mr Gallagher said he had expected the issue of the Provisional IRA killing of Mr McCabe would be raised during a debate at Dublin City University yesterday hosted by RTE broadcaster Charlie Bird.
"I was expecting it to come around . . . I was expecting it to be the next question," Mr Gallagher said, arising out of the intervention last week of Ann McCabe, widow of the slain officer.
Analysis page 29
However, the question was not raised. Asked why, Bird said afterwards that there was no deliberate intention to avoid the issue.
Bird said he had asked Mrs McCabe personally, in the first week of the campaign, to participate in a forum in Limerick on the suitability of the presidential candidates, but that she had declined.
Mr Gallagher said afterwards: "My heart goes out to Ann McCabe, the wife of Jerry McCabe who was killed in a heinous crime doing his duty for the State.
"It brings me to Private Patrick Kelly's son, David, coming forward. I know the family of Gary Sheehan, the guard who was also killed in Derrada Woods that day. I know that it's hugely painful for his family now to have to live through this.
"All our support and solidarity must go now to the families, and anybody who knows anything about these crimes should come forward.
"The gardai and the Army play such an important role in protecting our society and making it safe and secure for all of us. There should be absolutely no attempt to cover up any information.
"I would call on all the candidates and anybody else throughout the country who has information to come and help bring that forward.
"There can be no room for ambiguity on the part of anybody who is standing in an election to be the President, to be the head of the defence forces, and to be the head of State."
Asked if the issue should be reflected on by voters, Mr Gallagher said: "I think people need to reflect on all these important issues, absolutely."
- RONALD QUINLAN


http://www.independent.ie/national-news/gallagher-puts-it-up-to-mcguinness-2914447.html

So who will it appeal to and who will it exclude.

Dont forget - Labour incorporated Democratic Left the old Sinn Fein the Workers Party so Gallagher might not have expected the SF transfers anyway.

Will it appeal to the Fine Gael voters and will Higgins react ?

CDfm

Stop me if you have heard this one before

So the werent going to do a voting pact last week and now

Fine Gael in transfers bid to block Gallagher


By Colm Kelpie and Michael Brennan

Monday October 24 2011

FINE Gael is desperately trying to block Sean Gallagher from racing to victory by urging party members to row in behind Michael D Higgins.
In a last-ditch attempt to derail the Cavan businessman's shock surge in support, Transport Minister Leo Varadkar called for party rank and file to give the Labour candidate their number two vote.
He is the first minister to publicly call for Fine Gael transfers to go to the coalition partner, as Gay Mitchell languishes near the bottom of the polls and Mr Higgins has slipped to second place.
"Yes, I certainly will be giving my number two vote to Michael D Higgins," Mr Varadkar said.
"And I'd like to see Fine Gael people doing that too."
Mitchell campaign sources played down Mr Varadkar's transfer pledge as something that was always likely to happen between the coalition partners.
"It's political reality that Fine Gael and Labour supporters are likely to transfer to one another," one source said.
Taoiseach Enda Kenny has said that he will discuss the issue of a transfer pact this week with Tanaiste and Labour leader Eamon Gilmore.
A spokesman for frontrunner Mr Gallagher -- who was campaigning yesterday in Longford, Roscommon and Leitrim as two further polls showed him well in front of Mr Higgins -- accused the government parties of acting as if they were owed the presidency.
"This is typical of big political parties who seem to think that the presidency is a trophy that they are entitled to," he said. "The public themselves can make up their own mind."He said the campaign was facing a tough task because they do not have a party political machine on the ground trying to get the vote out.
In a reference to Mr Gallagher, Mr Varadkar said he was concerned about the outcome of the presidential election.
"We've learned very little as a country over the last four years," he said on RTE's 'This Week'.
Reciprocal
No Labour minister has yet come out to call for party members to give Mr Mitchell their number two in a reciprocal arrangement.
But canvassing on Grafton Street yesterday, Mr Higgins and Mr Gilmore said they would take transfers from anybody.
"I welcome number twos from any candidate," Mr Higgins said.
Mr Mitchell has said that he's going to need transfers himself, claiming the Fine Gael vote would not be enough.
In August he suggested he would benefit from a Fianna Fail candidate in the field as it would have been likely he or she would have been knocked out of the race and he would have benefited from the transfers.
- Colm Kelpie and Michael Brennan


http://www.independent.ie/national-news/presidential-election/fine-gael-in-transfers-bid-to-block-gallagher-2914676.html

And not only was SG not on the National Executive -they did not want him :pac:

Gallagher boasts of his FF links with Haughey

- Letter reveals key roles in party
- New poll gives him huge lead


By Michael Brennan Deputy Political Editor

Monday October 24 2011

INDEPENDENT presidential candidate Sean Gallagher boasted of his lengthy service with Charlie Haughey in an explosive letter which reveals the full extent of his Fianna Fail past.
The revelation comes as he races into a commanding lead in the latest opinion poll, which puts him 15 points ahead of Labour's Michael D Higgins -- and on course to become president.
In a begging letter sent two years ago to Fianna Fail members in Louth, Mr Gallagher:
? Talked about how he spent two years working with Charlie Haughey when he was on the Fianna Fail national executive 26 years ago.
? Described how he worked full time in party headquarters to raise "much needed funds" for Fianna Fail.
? Highlighted his long record of involvement and commitment to Fianna Fail "over the past 30 years".
Mr Gallagher sent the letter in January 2009 to the heads of Fianna Fail cumainn (branches) in Louth when he was seeking their support to get back on to the party's national executive.
However, his Fianna Fail links have not prevented him from becoming the front-runner in the presidential race with just three days of campaigning to go.
'The Irish Times' poll today shows he is up 20 points from its last poll at the start of the month to 40pc. Michael D Higgins is the only candidate in a position to stop Mr Gallagher from getting elected but he is trailing at just 25pc. The results are broadly in line with two other opinion polls. 'The Sunday Business' Post/Red C poll put Mr Gallagher at 40pc and Mr Higgins at 26pc. 'The Sunday Times'/Behaviour and Attitudes Poll put Mr Gallagher at 38pc and Mr Higgins at 26pc.
Mr Higgins himself attacked Mr Gallagher yesterday by hitting out at his business record -- and pointing to his own career.
"We stand for a different version of Ireland. My record is that I turned into practical realities -- I founded a TV station; I re-funded the film industry; I built these canals; Chester Beatty Library; Collins Barracks; the folk museum in Mayo; 17 theatres. That's real. You don't have to go searching in the Companies Office to find that," he shouted.
But he and his Labour Party campaign team know that time is running out to close in on Mr Gallagher -- and that tonight's final televised presidential debate on RTE's 'Frontline' will be one of the last opportunities to make an impression.
Meanwhile, Fine Gael yesterday attempted to bolster the position of Mr Higgins in the presidential election by signalling to supporters to help the Labour Party candidate. Transport Minister Leo Varadkar became the first senior Fine Gael figure to directly appeal for party supporters to transfer their votes to Mr Higgins.
'The Irish Times' poll shows that Sinn Fein's Martin McGuinness remains in third place in the race but is down by four points to 15pc. Senator David Norris is down three points to 8pc and Fine Gael's Gay Mitchell has continued to lose support, with a three-point drop to 6pc. Although Mr Mitchell insisted yesterday that he could still win, there was increasing acceptance in Fine Gael that the best he could possibly hope for was a third-place finish ahead of Mr McGuinness