So Michael D IS running again!

L1011

blackwhite wrote: »

AFAIK an MEP is supposed to have a pre-nominated alternate named so if they resign their seat, or die during the term, the alternate automatically assumes their seat.

These are Liadh's, not that its even vaguely likely to be required:

1. GOULD, THOMAS, 121, Cathedral Road, Cork.
2. O’LEARY CHRIS, 17, Loughmahon Road,
Mahon, Cork.
3. FUNCHION, KATHLEEN , 28, Whites Castle,
Knocktopher, Kilkenny.

Hotblack Desiato

L1011 wrote: »

These are Liadh's, not that its even vaguely likely to be required:

1. GOULD, THOMAS, 121, Cathedral Road, Cork.
2. O’LEARY CHRIS, 17, Loughmahon Road,
Mahon, Cork.
3. FUNCHION, KATHLEEN , 28, Whites Castle,
Knocktopher, Kilkenny.

Can't be right, none of them have their names in Irish

alaimacerc

Watching Joan Freeman's 6-1 appearance back now. It's chronic.

"Let me first explain what wellness is..." 'Explains' that 'wellness' is 'well-sbeing'. No pshyt psherlock. Are shrinks all idiots? Or do they just think that everyone else is?

The "ordinary" duties of the president are to do what the government tells them. You'd think after dropping the ball so spectacularly on the radio, she'd maybe have cracked open a copy of the constitution and actually read what the president's powers are.

"I haven't implied there's something up [with the dragons], other people might have implied that." Sure Joan, you couldn't possibly comment. Apart from the fact that you're incessantly commenting.

Shooting for 5th place, on this sort of form. (But doubtless there's a mini-Dana "good Catholic" vote that will act as a floor, pretty much regardless.)

alaimacerc

Eric Cartman wrote: »

Peter casey being attacked in the indo and on the journal thismorning for saying travellers arent an ethnic minority and are 'basically people camping on somebody elses land' , also in a journal quiz yesterday he was the only one to not just up and agree with a blanket amnesty for those in direct provision to remain.

Even a broken clock is right twice a day i suppose.

Or right-wing at least, which is good enough for some.

mrbrianj

naughtb4 wrote: »

Its anyone but Michael D for me

Not taking part in the debate means he is not credible

Stick on the TV tonight.

Cork Boy 53

Gallagher needs a stellar performance in the Pat Kenny debate tonight if he is to remain in second place. Based on this latest poll, Ni Riada is well placed to overtake him. I assume there will be at least one more poll before election day.

Loafing Oaf

alaimacerc wrote: »

Shooting for 5th place, on this sort of form. (But doubtless there's a mini-Dana "good Catholic" vote that will act as a floor, pretty much regardless.)

Pretty low floor, if the performance of the actual Dana in the last election is anything to go by. Still, she didn't actually come last, so the bead-rattlers might keep Joan just ahead of Peter Casey.

alaimacerc

Rhineshark wrote: »

Mind you, can see the dogwhistle worked for some in the thread. And that is all it was - a hail Mary for support by having a go at the wasy target of Travellers.

It's hardly even a dogwhistle. Its prejudice by megaphone. The only actual deniability here is that, by assumption, he'll assert they're not an ethnic group, thus it can't be "racism" per se.

And that other people sharing that prejudice will obvious row in to say "naaaah, not prejudice".

MrMusician18

Sycamore Tree wrote: »

Peter Casey has started the inevitable transition to right wing government. I can see him gaining in the polls now and giving more confidence to those who want to set up a right wing party in Ireland.

It could be a precursor to him setting up his open party, although libertas have angled in the past for the same electoral market and gotten nowhere.

That said Libertas was around in a different time. The party system we have is particularly weak at the moment.

eastwest

Nekarsulm wrote: »

Did Ni Riada resign as an MEP to run for President?
After the election, will this trigger an election for her seat, or will it remain vacant untill the next round of EU elections?

They appoint a sub, as far as I know. If she gets elected, which would be a miracle.

alaimacerc

Hurrache wrote: »

I don't think it's racist to say they shouldn't have been given ethnic minority status. Did he say he wants to remove that status?

It's not necessarily racist to say they shouldn't have been given ethnic minority status, especially if he had some nuanced and sophisticated argument as to why some other course was better public policy.

But he didn't. He said it at the start of a cliché-ridden attack on Travellers (they don't pay tay, drive down house prices, are all squatters, etc).

marieholmfan

naughtb4 wrote: »

Its anyone but Michael D for me

Not taking part in the debate means he is not credible

If it is anyone but Michael D Vote Joan Freeman and help turn the tide of suicide.

VinLieger

marieholmfan wrote: »

If it is anyone but Michael D Vote Joan Freeman and help turn the tide of suicide.

How exactly will she do that? Surely she could do far more work to help that issue by not being burdened with the multitude of onerous duties as president?

Penn

VinLieger wrote: »

How exactly will she do that? Surely she could do far more work to help that issue by not being burdened with the multitude of onerous duties as president?

Completely agree. I respect her work and her goals, but becoming President isn't the way for her to do so, and may even be detrimental to those goals.

alaimacerc

MrMusician18 wrote: »

It could be a precursor to him setting up his open party, although libertas have angled in the past for the same electoral market and gotten nowhere.

That said Libertas was around in a different time. The party system we have is particularly weak at the moment.

Libertas; The Irexit Irish Servitude to Britain Party; Renua; the Christian Solidarity Party; DDI; the Jeff Rudd Pers-- eh, Party; Identity Ireland; the Catholic Democrats; the National Party. Who did I miss? All fishing in the same nasty little pond of right-wing populist nonsense, none of them with electorally detectable success.

Of course, that doesn't mean it'll never happen. You could argue that FF are becoming a little bit economically left (these things are very relative!), and the FG is becoming a little bit socially liberal. Lots of the independents are very much "right-leaning", much as they're utterly opaque as regards articulating any incoherent ideology. So the political compass maths is that you have a firm-right movement conservative party to hoover up that weakly contested space.

Acting against that is the ongoing Civil War baggage, and that the tacking of FF and FG likely really does track that of their segments of middle-ground opinion. And traditionally, there's not that much of a spread to political opinion here. When the electorate moves, a lot of it moves as a lump. Just look at the two referenda on the eighth. a mere generation apart.

alaimacerc

marieholmfan wrote: »

If it is anyone but Michael D Vote Joan Freeman and help turn the tide of suicide.

Or alternatively, someone who's not in the bottom three, both in opinion polling, and on the "OK-cringey" spectrum.

alaimacerc

Rhineshark wrote: »

I kinda expected Ni Riada and Duffy to go up, Freeman down a bit. Wasn't expecting quite such a jump for Ni Riada though.

Big improvement for Riada, definitely, but from a very low base. Clawing her way up towards the supposedly loyal SF voter floor!

alaimacerc

FrancieBrady wrote: »

Public not buying the Freeman show.
Gallagher will be hoping that his non appearance doesn't hurt him more or he will drop to third.

At this point, third wouldn't even be a drop, per se, as "well within the margin of error".

alaimacerc

rovertom wrote: »

This wasn't just a change of mind. Its was a clear strategy employed to help get him in there cause there were genuine queries even back then that he was too old. He knew if he got in, he was going to sit it out for the 14 years.
And it was a very clear statement at the time that he wouldn't be seeking a second term.

It's amazing that with some people, the less evidence they have for something, the surer they are it must be the case.

Lack of evidence just proves the insidiousness of the groupthink coverup! Etc, etc.

hotmail.com

marieholmfan wrote:

If it is anyone but Michael D Vote Joan Freeman and help turn the tide of suicide.

We get it. You are a Freeman supporter. Have you got anything else to say?

alaimacerc

Atoms for Peace wrote: »

Just like smeagol was corrupted by the power of the ring into the grotesque gollum in lotr, so to has Mickey D been corrupted by the trappings of power and wealth into an arrogant self righteous creature.

The odds trapping and a decent bit of money, sure, but like Freeman, I think you maybe need to do your revision work on the whole "power of the presidency" lark. They're very limited, and he's not exercised any of them. Just the completely routine functions of the office, like granting a dissolution of the Dáil when it must by the constitution be granted. And having a think about referring some bills to the supreme court... but not actually doing so.

hotmail.com

Casey has ensured a larger turnout for Michael D.

alaimacerc

Matt Barrett wrote: »

There's no way she got to fill out a question and hand it in arriving at the very last moment.

And who suggested that?

So she, in full outfit, wig, must have been there well before airing. The idea that the producers weren't aware is not credible.

Aware of what? That she was there? Whose idea is that? Any other straw men you'd like to argue against?

I'd say the plan was to get her to ask a question and she went off script.

I don't know how things work in detail, but I assume they have sight of more questions than they necessarily use. So they have flexibility for time and for what sort of turn the debate itself takes. If she's in the "possible question file", that hardly amounts to a "plan" on RTE's part.

The Specialist

hotmail.com wrote: »

Casey has ensured a larger turnout for Michael D.

Not quite - he's got my vote now after his comments and I would have initially voted Michael D. Refreshing to hear someone call out the PC bull**** in this country for what it is.

alaimacerc

Matt Barrett wrote: »

I am saying she was invited to be in the audience with full knowledge of who she was.

I've no idea if she just applied, or was invited. Either seems perfectly possible. Presumably they knew who she was -- as I pointed out, she'd been on the show before, talking about her previous stunt.

The idea that she was there hanging around and not noticed is not believable. The fact she was there randomly in the first place is not believable. You're free to your own opinion on that of course.

My opinion on that is that you're shadow-boxing with "ideas" of your own, here.

MrMusician18

alaimacerc wrote: »

Libertas; The Irexit Irish Servitude to Britain Party; Renua; the Christian Solidarity Party; DDI; the Jeff Rudd Pers-- eh, Party; Identity Ireland; the Catholic Democrats; the National Party. Who did I miss? All fishing in the same nasty little pond of right-wing populist nonsense, none of them with electorally detectable success.

Of course, that doesn't mean it'll never happen. You could argue that FF are becoming a little bit economically left (these things are very relative!), and the FG is becoming a little bit socially liberal. Lots of the independents are very much "right-leaning", much as they're utterly opaque as regards articulating any incoherent ideology. So the political compass maths is that you have a firm-right movement conservative party to hoover up that weakly contested space.

Acting against that is the ongoing Civil War baggage, and that the tacking of FF and FG likely really does track that of their segments of middle-ground opinion. And traditionally, there's not that much of a spread to political opinion here. When the electorate moves, a lot of it moves as a lump. Just look at the two referenda on the eighth. a mere generation apart.

Funny you should reference the 8th. Really those that voted against the last referendum (some 33%) have no political home at the moment really.

It really remains to be seen if this sizable cohort will go back to their traditional votes if a relatively right wing, less overtly religious party establishes itself.

The risk then is that the established parties will see this as a threat and move themselves to the right to win that market. It's happened to the Tories, and it could happen here.

alaimacerc

The Specialist wrote: »

Not quite - he's got my vote now after his comments and I would have initially voted Michael D. Refreshing to hear someone call out the PC bull**** in this country for what it is.

And as has been said, maybe he'll also get a bounce to 3% from the precise sort of "it's political correctness gone mad!" people he aired this prejudiced nonsense to appeal to.

I'd say "played like fiddle", but fiddles are actually difficult to play...

Adamcp898

Any reason forthcoming as to why my post was deleted?

There was nothing controversial or even mildly insulting in it.

Unless the horse-sized ducks are outraged and have reported me for drawing attention to their defeat

Loafing Oaf

MrMusician18 wrote: »

Funny you should reference the 8th. Really those that voted against the last referendum (some 33%) have no political home at the moment really.

It really remains to be seen if this sizable cohort will go back to their traditional votes if a relatively right wing, less overtly religious party establishes itself.

They haven't had a political home for more than 20 years but evidently haven't been bothered enough to do anything about it. See no reason to think such a party should establish itself this late in the day.

hotmail.com

The Specialist wrote:

Not quite - he's got my vote now after his comments and I would have initially voted Michael D. Refreshing to hear someone call out the PC bull**** in this country for what it is.

Attacking Travellers, who account for less than 1% of the population, gets your vote.

Lovely.