So Michael D IS running again!

ouxbbkqtswdfaw

expectationlost wrote:

he not taking the full salary, 250k instead of 325k, I think, Higgins as a social democrat sees its more important to keep the high status of the presidency so he can use its influence when its needed.

You're joking, surely?

pixelburp

8j1w94vbmnlt05 wrote: »

Actually I think most of our politicians would fit the above description, when you get to know them. It's the voters who are cynical. (They generally haven't a clue, only out for what the politicians can get for them. Not interested in the national interest). That's why I say there are lots of people who could do the job as well as or better than O Higgins.

Why does he not give someone else a chance?

Well we're having an election, so the chance has been given. Short of stepping down, but I don't see why he should if he believes he is still the best man for the job. And based on the quality of the other candidates, I honestly think that's the case.

Do you think any of the other candidates could do the job as well or better than Higgins?

expectationlost

8j1w94vbmnlt05 wrote: »

You're joking, surely?

thats the only reasoning I can think of, I think the salary is too high though.

ouxbbkqtswdfaw

He will of course be reelected. But I think he should have stepped down and let someone else have the job. New broom and all that.

expectationlost

8j1w94vbmnlt05 wrote: »

He will of course be reelected. But I think he should have stepped down and let someone else have the job. New broom and all that.

do you think the president should only serve one term?

ouxbbkqtswdfaw

expectationlost wrote:

do you think the president should only serve one term?

Yes, seven years is a long time.

pixelburp

8j1w94vbmnlt05 wrote: »

He will of course be reelected. But I think he should have stepped down and let someone else have the job. New broom and all that.

Which someone else though? Change for changes sake is not a valid approach IMO if the alternative are a mixture of businessmen and people who seem to be fundamentally ignorant of the position they're running for. For all we know Higgins WAS going to step down, but on seeing the quality of candidates decided he was the only person who would take the position seriously.

expectationlost

8j1w94vbmnlt05 wrote: »

Yes, seven years is a long time.

I agree, write to your TD and tell to write a referendum bill to that effect. For the moment he can serve 2 terms.

ouxbbkqtswdfaw

So we are going to reelect him because of the inability of the other candidates to register an impression. Fair enough. But I think it's a job that you would grow into.

We will never know the capabilities of any of the others, because O Higgins is not giving us a chance. I dare suggest that they are all people of integrity, and would perform the mostly ceremonial duties as well as Ohiggins.

Mr. O Higgins should have kept his promise.

expectationlost

8j1w94vbmnlt05 wrote: »

So we are going to reelect him because of the inability of the other candidates to register an impression. Fair enough. But I think it's a job that you would grow into.

We will never know the capabilities of any of the others, because O Higgins is not giving us a chance. I dare suggest that they are all people of integrity, and would perform the mostly ceremonial duties as well as Ohiggins.

Mr. O Higgins should have kept his promise.

a guy who solicits funding for a political party from a convicted fuel smuggler has integrity?

pixelburp

8j1w94vbmnlt05 wrote: »

So we are going to reelect him because of the inability of the other candidates to register an impression. Fair enough. But I think it's a job that you would grow into.

We will never know the capabilities of any of the others, because O Higgins is not giving us a chance. I dare suggest that they are all people of integrity, and would perform the mostly ceremonial duties as well as Ohiggins.

Mr. O Higgins should have kept his promise.

I never said they didn't make an impression: quite the opposite. I said they are charlatans out either for populist sabre-rattling, or canny businessman about whom I'm cynical of their motives. In all cases I think their motives generally are suspect, and more fundamentally - some are literally ignorant of the duties of the President. If you don't know what the job entails, you shouldn't apply or get it, let alone the Presidency.

So no, I don't want them to 'learn on the job', or think Higgins should give someone else a go; it may be a ceremonial position, but that doesn't mean any old spoofer should be allowed waltz in for a crack at the job. If Higgins wants to run again, that's his right.

And why do you insist on calling him O'Higgins? That's not his name. He's Michael D. Higgins.

feargale

8j1w94vbmnlt05 wrote: »

So we are going to reelect him because of the inability of the other candidates to register an impression. Fair enough. But I think it's a job that you would grow into.

We will never know the capabilities of any of the others, because O Higgins is not giving us a chance. I dare suggest that they are all people of integrity, and would perform the mostly ceremonial duties as well as Ohiggins.

Mr. O Higgins should have kept his promise.

Mostly ceremonial my eye. The president is the last bastion of protection of the Constitution. President Hillery met that challenge with aplomb on one occasion.
The president is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces. Think of the implications of that.
The president has a crucial role in relation to the constitutionality of legislation.

Aside from integrity, experience as a legislator or lawyer, preferably both, are the most essential qualifications for the presidency, not a track record as a tv star or a proven record of self-enrichment, however legitimate.

If you think he or she is there to play golf with Trump and to open the Puck Fair you may as well vote for that óinseach who thought she was funny making a joke of the presidency when she addressed Dublin City Council. Bravo to Mannix Flynn for giving it to her between the eyes,

eastwest

feargale wrote: »

Mostly ceremonial my eye. The president is the last bastion of protection of the Constitution. President Hillery met that challenge with aplomb on one occasion.
The president is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces. Think of the implications of that.
The president has a crucial role in relation to the constitutionality of legislation.

Aside from integrity, experience as a legislator or lawyer, preferably both, are the most essential qualifications for the presidency, not a track record as a tv star or a proven record of self-enrichment, however legitimate.

If you think he or she is there to play golf with Trump and to open the Puck Fair you may as well vote for that óinseach who thought she was funny making a joke of the presidency when she addressed Dublin City Council. Bravo to Mannix Flynn for giving it to her between the eyes,

To be fair to her, she appeared to be trying to highlight the lack of understanding of the role among the various wannabee candidates. This albeut crude but humorous approach went over the heads of most of the councillors but it did achieve the desired result.

blanch152

An Ciarraioch wrote: »

The fact he's 88 might just put him off running for a seven-year term.

He makes Michael D look like a spring chicken.

Water John

The President may possibly have a key role to play once in their tenure. Feargale is right in that one needs a very capable mind at that time.
Remember when Cosgrove heard of the arms importation and he went to President De Valera about it. He told Cosgrove he had to take hisd information to the Taoiseach.
Cleverly, whether the Taoisech already knew or not, he then had to act.
We may have said Dev was an old man taking a pension but he fulfilled his key role at that critical point.

Larbre34

8j1w94vbmnlt05 wrote: »

He will of course be reelected. But I think he should have stepped down and let someone else have the job. New broom and all that.

What, for the sake of it?

All these putative new brooms look like old mops to me. The closest one I would ever consider voting for is Joan Freeman, I respect her hard work in mental health, but she is too religiously conservative for me, so thats out.

If Casey gets on, thats a further dilution of 35% of the vote, so I think Higgins would have to shoot the two dogs and maybe Sabina live on the 6-One news to have a chance at loosing this.

realdanbreen

Phoebas wrote: »

I'm just not seeing how it to any of the current crop getting anywhere close to the incumbent.

Well the 'incumbent' has promised to do one thing and then gone and done the complete opposite, so I guess that does set him apart from the others!

realdanbreen

brightspark wrote: »

Liadh Ní Riada promises to bring 'enthusiasm, energy and commitment' if elected president.

If I was interviewing someone and that was their pitch for the job I'd run them straight away, It's what you might hear from a youngster in 4th class.

Beechwoodspark

8j1w94vbmnlt05 wrote: »

So we are going to reelect him because of the inability of the other candidates to register an impression. Fair enough. But I think it's a job that you would grow into.

We will never know the capabilities of any of the others, because O Higgins is not giving us a chance. I dare suggest that they are all people of integrity, and would perform the mostly ceremonial duties as well as Ohiggins.

Mr. O Higgins should have kept his promise.

His name is Higgins not o Higgins

And regarding giving us a chance? There’s going to be an election so we all have a chance to evaluate the field and then decide who to vote for

Some of the hopefuls are very wealthy and can fund extravagant campaigns to “register an impression” with voters as well

Rhineshark

8j1w94vbmnlt05 wrote: »

So we are going to reelect him because of the inability of the other candidates to register an impression. Fair enough. But I think it's a job that you would grow into.

We will never know the capabilities of any of the others, because O Higgins is not giving us a chance. I dare suggest that they are all people of integrity, and would perform the mostly ceremonial duties as well as Ohiggins.

Mr. O Higgins should have kept his promise.

Yes, it's all the fault of Mr. O Higgins, although I'd point out its M. Higgins for a start.

How dare he run, doesn't he know that his luminescent presence means we won't be able to see or hear another candidate (although the candidate I've easily heard most from is GO'D)?

Maybe they should all step aside to give someone else a chance. Danaerys Gallagher has done this before and lost, but in fairness, he's encouraged the Dragon vote.

I was interested in the other candidates but Freeman is my most likely second at this point, followed by O'Riada. I just plain do not like the dragon nest. Higgins seems by far the best of the group. Mind you, the arguments raised against him so far seem a tad stretched.

Loafing Oaf

Rhineshark wrote: »

Yes, it's all the fault of Mr. O Higgins, although I'd point out its M. Higgins for a start...
O'Riada.

Eh, it's Ní Riada.

:P

Rhineshark

Loafing Oaf wrote: »

Eh, it's Ní Riada.

:P

Rofl, walked myself into that!

An Ciarraioch

Just seen this party breakdown of the RedC poll by Gavan Reilly - surprisingly, 32% of Labour voters would back Gallagher or Duffy! SF divided virtually equally between MDH and their own candidate, but FG backing for the President is remarkably strong:

https://mobile.twitter.com/gavreilly/status/1041725920262926342

Any way of showing tweets as images here?

Turnipman

An Ciarraioch wrote: »

https://mobile.twitter.com/gavreilly/status/1041725920262926342

Any way of showing tweets as images here?

Absolutely none!

An Ciarraioch

Almost certain now that Peter Casey will be on the ballot - nominated by Limerick, and Tipp also meeting today.

James Brown

realdanbreen wrote: »

Well the 'incumbent' has promised to do one thing and then gone and done the complete opposite, so I guess that does set him apart from the others!

Japers that really seems to bother you. Don't vote for him. Every PR monkey is having a go I think we're lucky to have someone of his caliber running. Thankfully he changed his mind as humans can do.

expectationlost

realdanbreen wrote: »

Well the 'incumbent' has promised to do one thing and then gone and done the complete opposite, so I guess that does set him apart from the others!

it does but he standing for election again, so that essential wipes that point out, if he had been returned unopposed it would have much more disappointing

per aspera ad astra

It's official – Ireland is f***ed. Three f***ing dragons. Three f***ing dragons.

Larbre34

Casey received nods 3 and 4, he's on.

I'm gonna pop over to Japan and punch the creator of Dragons Den in the mouth.

B0jangles

Isn't Irish Dragon's Den the thing where lads who own 3 ice-cream vans and a stall selling Wexford strawberries roleplay being billionaire entrepreneurs?