If there was an election tomorrow, who would you vote for?

wretcheddomain

This thread being spurred on by the latest round of polls which show that:

The second poll, the Sunday Independent / Millward Brown poll, conducted between 15 January and 24 January suggests support for Fine Gael is at 30% up three since last November's comparable poll.

Labour is indicated to have 12% support up 3 points since the last Sunday Independent/Millward Brown poll.

Fianna Fáil is at 26% up two points. Sinn Féin at 16% down five points and Independents and Others at 16% down three points.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2014/0125/500162-opinion-polls/

In terms of how I'd vote, well, it's pretty simple as far as I can see:

1. Sinn Fein are a bag of tools who couldn't formulate a realistic economic agenda even if their lives depended on it. It's a no from me. The Sesame Street leadership of Gerry Adams is another factor that makes the party, for me, impossible to vote for.

2. Fianna Fail are constantly distancing themselves from the past actions of their party but a) don't seem to accept proper responsibility and b) still consist of TD's who were involved in the downfall. I don't see any reform but I do see political blather so there's no positive reason to vote any of them back in as far as I'm concerned.

3. Labour are the only party whose members are the antithesis of the cause they claim to represent. They're currently a malignancy on the back of the Fine Gael government and have proven they're absolutely useless and have no backbone for their supposed causes.

4. Independents are just that, independents. Independent voices with no real defining impact hence why the poll merges them with 'other'. The Socialist Party are just unrealistic fantasy idiots who spend the vast majority of their time extolling the virtues of Marx and Engels.

5. Fine Gael, for all their faults, is the least worst of the political parties in the sense that they've been integrally involved in the furthering of our economy, much further than I believe the other parties could have done. As with all parties, they have innumerable faults, all of which will probably be presented below, but I believe they're the least worst and in this regard I'd have to place my vote with them.

Who would you vote for and why?

Capercaille

Forget Sinn Féin, Socialist and most Independents. Vote for the others reluctantly.

carlmango11

If Fianna Fail get back in we deserve everything we get.

Axel Lamp

Anyone but Sinn Fein

wazky

Whoever flashes a bit of cleavage in the election posters gets my vote.

And no, not the male kind.

Phill Ewinn

Independent

Waits for "but dey have no real power"

Red Kev

Green Party.

supersonic64

When will we forgive Fianna Fail? Everytime i see one of their polititians on a Prime Time or Vincent Browne panel asking a Government politician why the're not doing this and that and the other,I think why the hell didn't you do it this last 10yrs or whatever.
I know that some of the younger ones are adding value Michael McGrath and Dara Colleary for example but the legacy of the last FF Government still looms large.Heard Micheal Martin on with Ivan Yeates during the week and he was still spouting same old same old.Yeates was taking him to task about the likes of Mary Coughlan Sean Haughey and Bull O'Donoughue running in the upcoming elections.Some things don't change, still what's the chances of the good folk of Donegal and Kerry returning Sweary Mary and the Bull?

Clandestine

None.

The socially liberal parties are too socialistic
The capitalist parties are too socially conservative and not free enough for me.

P_1

Right now it'd be a spoiled ballot from me.

Cee-Jay-Cee

Much as i dislike Kenny & Co, I will admit they have done reasonably well in rescuing the country and I hope Kenny comes good on his sentiment that middle working class families have been hardest hit and does something to alleviate the tax burden on them.

Sinn Fein are a joke, they have no political prowess or ability. Jerry Adams is a complete clown and the sooner they get rid of him then the sooner they'll gain a little credibility.

FF, while they talk a good game have a long way to go before people forget how they sunk this country. I like Michael Martin but as already said there are still too many dinosaurs in the party that they need to rid themselves of.

Independents: Ming Flanagan and Mick Wallace...need I say any more.

Labour: Meh.

KOTSC

Direct Democracy Ireland + followed by Independents in preference.

mikom

Pants party............... party in the pants.

Menas

Shane Ross will get my vote. I love his work on the PAC.

That aside, probably labor and fg.

Stojkovic

ABFF.

bcmf

None of them.

RayM

I can't even bear to listen to party politicians any more, so I'll either vote independent or (if there isn't a decent independent candidate running in my constituency) just not bother voting at all.

Annasopra

Phill Ewinn wrote: »

Independent

Waits for "but dey have no real power"

They don't

Phill Ewinn

mango salsa wrote: »

They don't

And for as long as people keep that attitude, they never will.

OPs poll should read

FINE GAEL
FINE GAEL

ahnowbrowncow

Fine Gael are just as bad as Fianna Fail, I don't see much difference.

I'm a bit disillusioned with politics, where's the reform Enda promised us. There's still far too many TDs, what do half of them do? The TDs in my constituency really do spend the majority of their time attending funerals and pander to the local population.

There has to be a better way to elect TD's. Plus we should have a copy of each candidates CV with a brief mission statementposted to us, rather than the normal b*ll**** leaflets, so we can see who is actually best qualified to represent us.

Arthur Beesley

Ming Wallace

Annasopra

Phill Ewinn wrote: »

they never will.

Agreed

Me?

Sinn Fein. I believe they are the only one's with the guts to take on the establishment.

questionmark?

Fine Gael, they aint perfect but they have overseen the start of the recovery and led this country out of the lowest point in its history. Enda is more wooden than a wooden spoon but I would rather someone that gets the job done than Bertie who was a good party host.

Sinn Fein, well they dont have a single policy that would work in the real world. Even putting their past too one side they have nothing to offer as a government.

Fianna Fail, un-votable for a generation. Their populist politics led to a bailout and anyone with a brain should never forget it!

Labour, well I'm not sure if they even know what they are about. Like a rabbit in the headlights since they got into power.

Independants, single issue gombeens mostly. Good for the area who elected them but useless for the country.

DDI, new party and new ideas is good. Just they dont know how to do it! Massive fail!

Greens, hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha


So even though it feels a little wrong I would say Fine Gael would be the best party to lead this country when the next election comes around.

Galwayguy35

Hopefully Lucinda and co will start a new party, they would get my vote.

Kenny is doing the best he can IMO so the local canidate would get my number 1

Labour are nothing but a bunch of idiots and I hope they get destroyed in the next election.

Manach

Does it matter?
Economically our policies are from Berlin.
Socially our policies are from Democratic party in Boston.

Tangatagamadda Chaddabinga Bonga Bungo

I'd rather vote for Hamas than Fianna fail. Not overly keen on anyone in particularly then after that.

If a new party was set up that wasn't too far left or too far right both socially and economically I'd probably give them a first preference.

ahnowbrowncow

Galwayguy35 wrote: »

Hopefully Lucinda and co will start a new party, they would get my vote.

Kenny is doing the best he can IMO so the local canidate would get my number 1

Labour are nothing but a bunch of idiots and I hope they get destroyed in the next election.

Why would you vote for her?

markesmith

I voted Labour. Given that we don't trust 'Lefties' in this country (and possibly with good reason, given the bunch of Lefties we have), they'll never make a majority government, but they're a good counterweight to FG's...ahem...Rightist/Corporatist traditions

Sunnyisland

At this stage I am very cynical of all politicians and there parties. I just don't know. But I won't give FF a look in at all, IMO it's an embarrassment and shame that there is even still a party there and that people still support it.

BanAllFirearms

Sinn Fein
Gerry Adams would do a great job running this country

token101

Me? wrote: »

Sinn Fein. I believe they are the only one's with the guts to take on the establishment.

What establishment?? What does that actually mean?? Who are they taking on??

Anyone voting for sinn fein has to be a troll!

Hedgemeister

SF would promise anything to get bums on seats on the rostrum outside the GPO for the 1916/2016 marchpast.
That's why Gerry is hanging on by his fingernails.

PropJoe10

Ned Flanders

Annasopra

I think the locals and Europeans on May 23rd will be fascinating.

I reckon a huge plethora of independents will get elected and that long term 2 new left and right parties could form from these before the 2016 election.

keano_afc

Independents, primarily. Fine Gael have flattered to deceive, they are utterly spineless. Enda cant even debate in public, and they have helped the rich get richer and done very little to move us towards an era of honest politics. The Irish Water scandal just being the latest example

Annasopra

I can't take Sinn Fein seriously. In the North they implement many of the policies they claim to oppose down south.

To me they seem to be on the way to becoming FF lite. Populist.

diomed

Shane Ross

Sunnyisland

Hedgemeister wrote: »

SF would promise anything to get bums on seats on the rostrum outside the GPO for the 1916/2016 marchpast.
That's why Gerry is hanging on by his fingernails.

Yes your right,

That's why I am so glad we have other parties that keep all there promises and to there manifesto,s,

This seems to be turning into another SF bashing thread, Wonder what there doing right ?

Widescreen

To put it simply;I will not be voting for either a Fine Gael or Labour candidate

Reason- Property Tax farce whereby someone who sold an investment property before the end of 2013 had to pay the 2014 tax .. that was just a blatant rip off.

One bully boy step too far by the government (Ooops I mean the revenue commisioners whose responsibility that is

Sunnyisland

mango salsa wrote: »

I think the locals and Europeans on May 23rd will be fascinating.

I reckon a huge plethora of independents will get elected and that long term 2 new left and right parties could form from these before the 2016 election.

That pylon issue will cost the goverment a few votes.

Galwayguy35

ahnowbrowncow wrote: »

Why would you vote for her?

She's a straight talker, a rare commodity in Dail Eireann.

Arthur Beesley

BanAllFirearms wrote: »

Sinn Fein
Gerry Adams would do a great job running this country

Well he knows how to keep secrets anyway.

hatrickpatrick

Clandestine wrote: »

None.

The socially liberal parties are too socialistic
The capitalist parties are too socially conservative and not free enough for me.

This is exactly my issue.
It speaks volumes about Irish politics when an inevitable new party finally emerges, but is straight away blighted by absolute muppets such as Fidelma "Facebook Rape" Healy Eames.

This new reform alliance has demonstrated exactly what we need - a new party which pushes policies pretty much entirely the opposite of what these clowns are proposing.

RayM

mango salsa wrote: »

I can't take Sinn Fein seriously. In the North they implement many of the policies they claim to oppose down south.

To me they seem to be on the way to becoming FF lite. Populist.

That kind of thing is true of all parties though. Fine Gael and (particularly) Labour are implementing the kind of policies they'd be vehemently opposing if they weren't in government. And Fianna Fail are vehemently opposing the kind of policies that they'd be implementing if they were in government. Basically, every word uttered by any politician - from whatever party - can easily be countered with, "well, you would say that, wouldn't you?"

Deedsie

I would vote for Sinn Féin. This anyone but Sinn Féin lark gets tiresome.

What is wrong with voting for Sinn Féin?

Someone give me the top five reasons against it? Please leave out the troubles for this one.

Just keep it to policy issues for a moment?

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Deedsie wrote: »

I would vote for Sinn Féin. This anyone but Sinn Féin lark gets tiresome.

What is wrong with voting for Sinn Féin?

Someone give me the top five reasons against it? Please leave out the troubles for this one.

Just keep it to policy issues for a moment?

Can't list 5 because they don't seem to have any real policies. Hence, anybody but SF!

Annasopra

January February March April wrote: »

I went to a certain carwash in Santry (I won't say which one) and it was ****. My car is making a funny noise after coming out of it and the car is still fucking dirty. I was essentially robbed of 6 Euro. Thieving scum.

Is that who you're voting for?

hatrickpatrick

Deedsie wrote: »

I would vote for Sinn Féin. This anyone but Sinn Féin lark gets tiresome.

What is wrong with voting for Sinn Féin?

Someone give me the top five reasons against it? Please leave out the troubles for this one.

Just keep it to policy issues for a moment?

"Leave out the troubles for this one" is a strange criterion. It'd be like saying "Give me five reasons not to vote for Stalin besides the genocides.

Arthur Beesley

Deedsie wrote: »

I would vote for Sinn Féin. This anyone but Sinn Féin lark gets tiresome.

What is wrong with voting for Sinn Féin?

Someone give me the top five reasons against it? Please leave out the troubles for this one.

Just keep it to policy issues for a moment?

Are we supposed to leave out The Disappeared also? And the continuing criminality of the IRA members?