Why bother electing a president

Pretzeluck

Seriously, his power are almost nonexistent. Is it to give a false sense of democracy and keep everyone thinking that their vote does something?

Gremlinertia

It seems better than whoever the leader of the party in power is getting the title automatically imo.

flookdgates

Yeah it does seem pointless and a shameful waste of our money. I don't understand why Midget Parasite Higgins is popular or what he has achieved during his presidency? It seems like a big meme being forced by the journal and similar clickbait sites that he is the nation's harmless old grandad with the Michael "Tea" Higgins tea cozy etc. In reality he is a short-statured and short-tempered little commie afraid of having a to get a real job, aggressively calling others wanker on radio when losing the debate.

Victor

I refer you to the dissolution of the 23rd Government of Ireland and the shenanigans that Fianna Fáil tried to pull when they didn't have a Dáil majority.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/24th_Government_of_Ireland

Peregrinus

What Victor said. The President's powers are insignficant, until they're signficant.

KevRossi

I think the post should be kept. But no more than €100,000 in wages and a €50,000 pension.

Has one or two significant powers, but being the state representative he saves us sending some of the other politicians abroad constantly.

Bob Harris

An election is fairer (marginally) than eenie meenie miny mo.

_Brian

While the role is mostly figurehead of the country it does have some important duties.

I’d always want the keep the role and think Michael D has done a fine job, he’s intelligent and eloquent and represents us well, sure he could dress a bit better. But I’ll happily vote for him again and have no doubt he will be re-elected.

The cost point is mute as many of the duties would still exist and go to a politician who would no doubt spend equally as much if not more.

From a national pride of the republic it’s important to hold our heritage in a valued place and understand its value.

tabby aspreme

Gavin Duffy on rte 1 now, his best shot is he wants to make Ireland more inclusive.

Eggs For Dinner

A Republic needs a President. I'd rather elect one than have the position given out as a jobs for the boys by the political hacks

Beechwoodspark

Gavin Duffy is on morning Ireland at moment. Not a bad interview. I’m open to hearing more from him.

flookdgates

_Brian wrote: »

...Michael D has done a fine job, he’s intelligent and eloquent and represents us well...

I hear that a lot in discussion about Higgins but please be specific. What has he achieved during his term as president? How has he changed Ireland for the better? If the benchmark for success is "he hasn't ****ed up" then we have depressingly low standards. Calling someone a wanker on radio isn't intelligent or eloquent btw. It's typical of a hot-head losing the debate.

weldoninhio

Eggs For Dinner wrote: »

A Republic needs a President. I'd rather elect one than have the position given out as a jobs for the boys by the political hacks

Don't the "boys" decide whether to run a candidate or not??

Anyone should be able to run.

tabby aspreme

Beechwoodspark wrote: »

Gavin Duffy is on morning Ireland at moment. Not a bad interview. I’m open to hearing more from him.

As a media advisor and coach for two of our Taoisigh I'm sure you will, all this country needs is a PR guru as President

endacl

Pretzeluck wrote: »

Seriously, his power are almost nonexistent. Is it to give a false sense of democracy and keep everyone thinking that their vote does something?

We do it to give you something to disingenuously ‘misunderstand’ and start a stupid thread about.

seamus

Gavin Duffy is a ****ing chancer.

Michael D came out yesterday calling for a ban on gambling advertisements around sport. Do you think a "businessman" like Duffy would? No way, too many fingers in the pies to risk upsetting his networks.

The only thing Duffy is interested in is increasing his profile. Elected at 58, retire at 65 to two decades of expensive speaking engagements in rooms filled with red-nosed pigs.

ohnonotgmail

flookdgates wrote: »

I hear that a lot in discussion about Higgins but please be specific. What has he achieved during his term as president? How has he changed Ireland for the better? If the benchmark for success is "he hasn't ****ed up" then we have depressingly low standards. Calling someone a wanker on radio isn't intelligent or eloquent btw. It's typical of a hot-head losing the debate.

It is not his job to change the country. It is his job to represent it. And that he has done with dignity and good humour.

Its far to long an office to hold, seven years is it?, but i do agree it should not be handed out or go unchallenged it would just water down the position for me.

I hope someone runs against president Higgins i just wouldn't like him to get another seven years by the fact that no one ran against him.

Also couldn't we just text in our votes for this rather than going to a booth?

flookdgates

ohnonotgmail wrote: »

It is not his job to change the country. It is his job to represent it. And that he has done with dignity and good humour.

A dwarf walking around in an oversized suit is not what I'd call dignified. As for humour, it's more laughing at him than with him.

ohnonotgmail

flookdgates wrote: »

A dwarf walking around in an oversized suit is not what I'd call dignified. As for humour, it's more laughing at him than with him.

Having a well educated and well spoken person representing us abroad can only be a good thing. Plus he has 2 lovely dogs. Who doesn't like nice dogs?

whisky_galore

weldoninhio wrote: »

Don't the "boys" decide whether to run a candidate or not??

Anyone should be able to run.

"Anyone" can't run for president, you need to have serious money to even consider running.

Xterminator

flookdgates wrote: »

A dwarf walking around in an oversized suit is not what I'd call dignified. As for humour, it's more laughing at him than with him.

Its your comments that are not dignified. i didn't vote for MichaelD but i have been very impressed with the way he has conducted himself while carrying out his duties.

As for the comment the office of president has no powers or value, as the old slogan goes, Before you make up your mind, open it.

flookdgates

ohnonotgmail wrote: »

Maybe he swiftly withdrew it because it is bollix?

Did you know Varadkar was gay before he officially came out?

weldoninhio

whisky_galore wrote: »

"Anyone" can't run for president, you need to have serious money to even consider running.

Nope, the politicians decide if you can run.


You may be nominated as President by at least 20 members of the Oireachtas (that is the Dail and the Seanad) or by at least 4 local authorities.

ohnonotgmail

flookdgates wrote: »

Did you know Varadkar was gay before he officially came out?

How is that relevant?

Squatter

tabby aspreme wrote: »

As a media advisor and coach for two of our Taoisigh I'm sure you will, all this country needs is a PR guru as President

I'm pretty sure that you were trying to be sarcastic, but actually you're 100% correct!

flookdgates

ohnonotgmail wrote: »

How is that relevant?

I suspect you are clueless about the personal lives of senior politicians in Ireland. You only believe Higgins is a happily married heterosexual because that is the image RTE spoonfeed you. I operate within political circles and could write a book on the stories I know. Politicians are normal people too - they go to Tescos, they go to restaurants, they take taxis, they go to bars...some may even be seen stumbling out of gay bars drunk at 2am

ohnonotgmail

flookdgates wrote: »

I suspect you are clueless about the personal lives of senior politicians in Ireland. You only believe Higgins is a happily married heterosexual because that is the image RTE spoonfeed you. I operate within political circles and could write a book on the stories I know. Politicians are normal people too - they go to Tescos, they go to restaurants, they take taxis, they go to bars...some may even be seen stumbling out of gay bars drunk at 2am

Why would i care about their personal lives when said personal lives do not interfere with their work? I have stumbled out of many gay bars drunk at 2am and that is nobodies business but mine.

Berserker

Eggs For Dinner wrote: »

A Republic needs a President. I'd rather elect one than have the position given out as a jobs for the boys by the political hacks

Why can't Leo do both jobs?

seamus wrote: »

The only thing Duffy is interested in is increasing his profile. Elected at 58, retire at 65 to two decades of expensive speaking engagements in rooms filled with red-nosed pigs.

Agree with you 100%. My BS detector went into overdrive when I heard him. He knows how to appeal to the masses, so he'll do well. He's started the ball rolling on the equality spiel already. He'll be set for life if he gets that gig and he knows it.

flookdgates wrote: »

Here is a story Boards desperately wants to bury. It's an open secret in political circles that Michael D Higgins is a closeted gay man with his lover "Kevin".

Couldn't care less if the man is gay and it's one of many stories that are kept hidden about the political classes.

Beechwoodspark

flookdgates wrote: »

I suspect you are clueless about the personal lives of senior politicians in Ireland. You only believe Higgins is a happily married heterosexual because that is the image RTE spoonfeed you. I operate within political circles and could write a book on the stories I know. Politicians are normal people too - they go to Tescos, they go to restaurants, they take taxis, they go to bars...some may even be seen stumbling out of gay bars drunk at 2am

It’s a rumour yes. Been doing the rounds for years. I’ve heard salacious stories involving many politicians.

Sometimes such stories are spread maliciously.

aaakev

flookdgates wrote: »

I suspect you are clueless about the personal lives of senior politicians in Ireland. You only believe Higgins is a happily married heterosexual because that is the image RTE spoonfeed you. I operate within political circles and could write a book on the stories I know. Politicians are normal people too - they go to Tescos, they go to restaurants, they take taxis, they go to bars...some may even be seen stumbling out of gay bars drunk at 2am

Iv stumbled out of gay bars at 2am, does that make me gay?

murpho999

flookdgates wrote: »

Yeah it does seem pointless and a shameful waste of our money. I don't understand why Midget Parasite Higgins is popular or what he has achieved during his presidency? It seems like a big meme being forced by the journal and similar clickbait sites that he is the nation's harmless old grandad with the Michael "Tea" Higgins tea cozy etc. In reality he is a short-statured and short-tempered little commie afraid of having a to get a real job, aggressively calling others wanker on radio when losing the debate.

The presidency is not about achieving anything.

If people here ever read the constitution they would see that the office holds an important position in protecting the constitution and the laws of the land.

It holds the power to send back bills to the Oireacthas if there are doubts about it or to call a council of state to discuss a matter.

The president is also our Head of State which is an important role in representing the state abroad and receiving diplomats in the country.

Insulting the current President as a "parasite" etc is just childish. Do you expect the head of state to be badly paid?

Also, he won that debate on Newstalk (before he ran for president) hands down against a right wing American.

flookdgates

Funny...the people stating that Higgin's private life doesn't matter are the same ones who drone on and on about President Trump's personal life and whether he had an affair with a Playboy model. In fact the bestseller book Fire and Fury was so popular due to the fact that it provided details on the president's personal habits (eating cheeseburgers in bed, diet coke addiction, getting his steaks well-done with ketchup). The public are interested in these things whether you like it or not. Higgins lied about being a one-term president so why is it inconceivable that he is lying about his sexuality.

murpho999

flookdgates wrote: »

Funny...the people stating that Higgin's private life doesn't matter are the same ones who drone on and on about President Trump's personal life and whether he had an affair with a Playboy model. In fact the bestseller book Fire and Fury was so popular due to the fact that it provided details on the president's personal habits (eating cheeseburgers in bed, diet coke addiction, getting his steaks well-done with ketchup). The public are interested in these things whether you like it or not. Higgins lied about being a one-term president so why is it inconceivable that he is lying about his sexuality.

There's a huge difference between the US president and the Irish one. Completely different offices.

Also, Higgins didn't lie about the one term, he simply changed his mind as he's entitled to do. If you don't like it then simply don't vote for him. Easy.

3DataModem

Peregrinus wrote: »

What Victor said. The President's powers are insignficant, until they're signficant.

The one thing he could have done was actually respect the constitutional process after the marriage referendum and delay signing until the challenges were exhausted.

Of course because the right side won, it want an issue, but his job is to defend constitution and he failed to respect it... preferring to appear populist and progressive.

Beechwoodspark

It’s odd but this link seems to be dead

http://www.politics.ie/forum/irish-presidential-election-2011/173180-michael-d-higgins-sex-scandal-allegations-irish-mail-sunday.html

Anyone know what this “scandal” amounted to?

chrislad

aaakev wrote: »

Iv stumbled out of gay bars at 2am, does that make me gay?

Depends on why you were stumbling really

I had to laugh at this today

https://www.rte.ie/news/politics/2018/0730/981920-presidential-election/

You can't be, because you have no actual power.

ohnonotgmail

3DataModem wrote: »

The one thing he could have done was actually respect the constitutional process after the marriage referendum and delay signing until the challenges were exhausted.

Of course because the right side won, it want an issue, but his job is to defend constitution and he failed to respect it... preferring to appear populist and progressive.

you will have to clarify what you mean here because it was the court of appeal that decided that the returning officer could issue the certificate confirming the result. The president can do nothing before this happens.

Beechwoodspark

It’s odd but this link seems to be dead

http://www.politics.ie/forum/irish-presidential-election-2011/173180-michael-d-higgins-sex-scandal-allegations-irish-mail-sunday.html

Anyone know what this “scandal” amounted to?

Bacchus

flookdgates wrote: »

Funny...the people stating that Higgin's private life doesn't matter are the same ones who drone on and on about President Trump's personal life and whether he had an affair with a Playboy model. In fact the bestseller book Fire and Fury was so popular due to the fact that it provided details on the president's personal habits (eating cheeseburgers in bed, diet coke addiction, getting his steaks well-done with ketchup). The public are interested in these things whether you like it or not. Higgins lied about being a one-term president so why is it inconceivable that he is lying about his sexuality.

Well one is the most powerful man in the world who rules via Twitter without a filter, has had multiple affairs, has been caught on tape displaying his disregard for women (grab em by the ...), is a serial liar, has called "black nations" sh*tholes, uses his office to promote his friends commercial interests, etc.

The other is a figurehead leader of a small nation and MIGHT be gay.

You don't see the subtle difference here that might explain why the personal life of one is an important issue, while the personal life of the other isn't?

Fine, it's a point of interest for some but does it really matter if he actually is gay? What would that have to do with his role as president? I personally don't believe it but could see how a political figure of the 70s and 80s... even the 90s and 00s... would not want that public as it would derail their career and lives in Ireland of those times. So he lived (hypothetically) a lie due to the era he was born in to. Are you suggesting so if he did come out, you'd use his sexuality to condemn him?

flookdgates

Bacchus wrote: »

Are you suggesting so if he did come out, you'd use his sexuality to condemn him?

Absolutely not. Like I said, there is no stigma attached to being gay in Ireland in the current year. Which makes it all the more perplexing why he is continuing the lie. It would probably increase his popularity among the progressives to be honest.

seamus

Beechwoodspark wrote: »

It’s odd but this link seems to be dead

http://www.politics.ie/forum/irish-presidential-election-2011/173180-michael-d-higgins-sex-scandal-allegations-irish-mail-sunday.html

Anyone know what this “scandal” amounted to?

It amounted to a radio DJ pulling a desperate stunt to keep his name in the media:

Today's front page story in the Irish Daily Mail is that an allegation of a sexual nature has been made against Michael D Higgins and that a statement was made to the Gardai last Friday. The allegations go back 25 years. The complainant is a 47 year old 4FM DJ Niall Boylan.

The story quotes Michael D's campaign as stating that there is no truth to the allegations, that the complainant only himself heard the allegations third hand and has no direct knowledge of what he is complaining about and that Gardai do not seem to be taking the allegations too seriously and that no further investigation is likely to take place.

Michael D's campaign team say that they were contacted by a radio station Friday about the allegations before a complaint was made to the Gardai.

Boylan is a bastard child of Joe Duffy, George Hook and Adrian Kennedy.

Except that rather than discussing other people's petty whinges, Boylan frequently injects himself into the stories and makes them all about him.

Owryan

chrislad wrote: »

Depends on why you were stumbling really

I had to laugh at this today

https://www.rte.ie/news/politics/2018/0730/981920-presidential-election/

You can't be, because you have no actual power.

So, he doesn't have a clue, at least he let us know at the start.

SEPT 23 1989

Beechwoodspark wrote: »

It’s odd but this link seems to be dead

http://www.politics.ie/forum/irish-presidential-election-2011/173180-michael-d-higgins-sex-scandal-allegations-irish-mail-sunday.html

Anyone know what this “scandal” amounted to?

the whole site seems to have died

ohnonotgmail

flookdgates wrote: »

There were rumours about Jimmy Saville, Bill Cosby and Kevin Spacey for years too but the victims were hesitant to come up against such powerful and well-loved figures. Those that did were not believed.
I've heard the sexual allegations rumours about Higgins from many different sources but it's tough to get a prosecution so many years after the incident took place. Plus you'd be going up against the cozy cartel of the Irish media.

So now you are suggesting that not only is he homosexual but that he is a criminal as well? Probably best if you quit while you are behind.

Bacchus

flookdgates wrote: »

Absolutely not. Like I said, there is no stigma attached to being gay in Ireland in the current year. Which makes it all the more perplexing why he is continuing the rumoured lie. It would probably increase his popularity among the progressives to be honest.

Fixed your post.

So, you've no issue with him if he was gay, and you believe it would be of benefit to him politically to 'come out'. Yet you have an issue with this rumour (and that's all it is... a rumour) and are saying there's some sort of scandalous cover up?

I'm not getting what the fuss is about TBH.

flookdgates wrote: »

There were rumours about Jimmy Saville, Bill Cosby and Kevin Spacey for years too but the victims were hesitant to come up against such powerful and well-loved figures. Those that did were not believed.
I've heard the sexual allegations rumours about Higgins from many different sources but it's tough to get a prosecution so many years after the incident took place. Plus you'd be going up against the cozy cartel of the Irish media.

... and now going from a rumour that he might be gay, to being a sexual predator like Jimmy Saville. Riiiiiight. And it's all covered up by the Irish media.

Honestly, if there was truth behind that, people need to speak up for themselves but what you're saying is slanderous.

flookdgates

ohnonotgmail wrote: »

So now you are suggesting that not only is he homosexual but that he is a criminal as well? Probably best if you quit while you are behind.

Take it up against the Irish Daily Mail and Niall Boylan. If an everyday joe is sexually abused by a famous person in power, how can they ever be believed when people like you do nothing but cast doubt? I can't imagine how intimidating it must have been for the victims.

ohnonotgmail

flookdgates wrote: »

Take it up against the Irish Daily Mail and Niall Boylan. If an everyday joe is sexually abused by a famous person in power, how can they ever be believed when people like you do nothing but cast doubt? I can't imagine how intimidating it must have been for the victims.

There is nothing to cast doubt on. None of the "victims" have ever made an allegation about him. The only allegation comes from a radio DJ known to be a ****stirrer of the highest order.

Bacchus

flookdgates wrote: »

Take it up against the Irish Daily Mail and Niall Boylan. If an everyday joe is sexually abused by a famous person in power, how can they ever be believed when people like you do nothing but cast doubt? I can't imagine how intimidating it must have been for the victims.

Can you at least provide a link with your accusations? Instead of a vague "someone else said it before so therefore QED".

flookdgates

Bacchus wrote: »

Can you at least provide a link with your accusations? Instead of a vague "someone else said it before so therefore QED".

They are not my allegations. They were published by the Irish Daily Mail. See post #45 https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=107654003&postcount=45

atilladehun

This thread was about the role of president in Ireland.

As mentioned the irish president is in charge of making sure the government don't break the constitution.

The president is also required to meet other dignitaries as the president of all the people of the republic. Not just those who elected him.

Politicians in the government can't do this because they ran on some angle and should be acting on that.

They're hugely different roles and can't be mixed.

As for the accusations on the current president. You're not happy with him it seems. You'll get a chance to vote.

Gay people not coming out is their right and will remain so forever. If gravity was turned off tomorrow there'd still be people who wouldn't jump off cliffs. Our minds are funny like that.

Your latest posts seem to insinuate something illegal. I can't comment.