Half-baked Irish presidential candidates?

lazygal

Is it time for a thread on our own homegrown oddities?

Like Joan Freeman?

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/knock-cured-my-eczema-says-presidential-hopeful-joan-freeman-37291980.html

magicbastarder

kevin sharkey's most recent one (that i've seen, there's probably been more since) is to call for the death penalty for criminals who attack old people in their homes.

smacl

Looking at the current line up, I'm not hugely inspired by any of them. As is often the case these days, it seems to be a matter of voting for the least weak candidate. Gemma O’Doherty maybe?

lazygal

smacl wrote: »

Looking at the current line up, I'm not hugely inspired by any of them. As is often the case these days, it seems to be a matter of voting for the least weak candidate. Gemma O’Doherty maybe?

Ugh, don't encourage her. :mad:

Hotblack Desiato

magicbastarder wrote: »

kevin sharkey's most recent one (that i've seen, there's probably been more since) is to call for the death penalty for criminals who attack old people in their homes.

Sure what's violating the constitution and ECHR between friends.

JF is a looney tune also, she just hides it better most of the time. There was a video floating around where she said on stage at some religious conference she'd appointed "god" as the Pieta House CFO... wonder what the charities regulator would make of that.

smacl

lazygal wrote: »

Ugh, don't encourage her. :mad:

I honestly know nothing about her. I'm guessing she doesn't qualify for least worst then?

ELM327

magicbastarder wrote: »

kevin sharkey's most recent one (that i've seen, there's probably been more since) is to call for the death penalty for criminals who attack old people in their homes.

There should be the death penalty for a few things tbh
(rape, murder, child abuse)

smacl

ELM327 wrote: »

There should be the death penalty for a few things tbh
(rape, murder, child abuse)

Ah here, the clergy are struggling hard enough to keep their numbers up already :pac:

Hotblack Desiato

smacl wrote: »

As is often the case these days, it seems to be a matter of voting for the least weak candidate. Gemma O’Doherty maybe?

Have you read any of her tweets at all?

lazygal

smacl wrote: »

I honestly know nothing about her. I'm guessing she doesn't qualify for least worst then?

She said the state had Veronica Guerin murdered and Tony Blair was somehow involved with the Madeleine McCann case.

Hotblack Desiato

She's also managed to alienate (and anger, and hurt) the relatives of Mary Boyle who disappeared in the 1970s. GOD's "campaigns" are all about her. She told the relatives that only people anointed by GOD were allowed use the #MaryBoyle hashtag and started bad-mouthing a cousin who wouldn't comply and spread nasty rumours about him. She's flat out nuts.

lazygal

Hotblack Desiato wrote: »

She's also managed to alienate (and anger, and hurt) the relatives of Mary Boyle who disappeared in the 1970s. GOD's "campaigns" are all about her. She told the relatives that only people anointed by GOD were allowed use the #MaryBoyle hashtag and started bad-mouthing a cousin who wouldn't comply and spread nasty rumours about him. She's flat out nuts.

Did the same to relatives of a murdered priest, Fr Molloy.

Hotblack Desiato

Just search for #SueMeGemma on Twitter :rolleyes:

smacl

Ok, so not Gemma O’Doherty then. Anyone else in the line up that anyone here has anything good to say about? For me Trump supporters and God botherers get binned immediately, and 'Dragon's Den' celeb's seem a little too close to ex 'The Apprentice' hosts for my liking. Bilbo for a second term?

magicbastarder

the only person miggeldy has to worry about is sean gallagher. and i wouldn't vote for gallagher if you put a gun to my head.

recedite

http://www.thejournal.ie/gavin-duffy-4204494-Aug2018/
Duffy is a terrible nice fella, he deserves it.


Apart from him, there is the woman who does a very entertaining Marilyn Monroe impression, and the ghost of a lad called Delaney who died in a residential institution in 1970. Either of which would be nearly as good.

smacl

magicbastarder wrote: »

the only person miggeldy has to worry about is sean gallagher. and i wouldn't vote for gallagher if you put a gun to my head.

Same and also goes for some random last minute shinner where that gun is a distinct possibility

recedite

smacl wrote: »

some random last minute shinner

A "carefully selected" shinner I think. Apparently they are scouring the ranks for a disabled lesbian, or someone with equivalent appeal.


The incumbent is still in with a good chance, but if wee Michael is unable to reach the required quota it will be a sad day for Cuba .

magicbastarder

recedite wrote: »

Duffy is a terrible nice fella, he deserves it.

in the words of clint eastwood, deservin' ain't got nothin' to do with it.

robindch

lazygal wrote: »

Like Joan Freeman?

News of Ms Freeman has reached the Irish Times:

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/religion-and-beliefs/presidential-election-joan-freeman-s-no-vote-and-knock-cure-1.3623538

Must have been some eczema indeed if she's still dining out on the story 40 years later.

ShooterSF

As a pointless job the only criteria for me is less state expenses. I went for our current El Presidente last time as he was the oldest and therefore as far as I understand, the one most likely to draw less of a presidential pension and whatever perks over time and this time it's doubly so as the less presidents we elect the less money they sponge.

Turtwig

Pardon my total ignorance why do these people want to be President? And why on earth do the councils nominate them?

pleas advice

+1 on the thread title OP, fair play.

Under His Eye

Something should be put into the constitution that people must be alive to run for office.

robindch

Under His Eye wrote: »

Something should be put into the constitution that people must be alive to run for office.

A bit like the US presidents being required, by precedent, to release their tax returns - Agent Orange notwithstanding of course, since he doesn't pay taxes - it would be interesting if politicians generally took exams before elections on law, civil society, sociology, economics, geography, climatology, history and so on - and the results were published.

recedite

ShooterSF wrote: »

I went for our current El Presidente last time as he was the oldest and therefore as far as I understand, the one most likely to draw less of a presidential pension and whatever perks over time and this time it's doubly so as the less presidents we elect the less money they sponge.

This is the best argument so far. There can't be more than 5 or 6 years pension in him by the end of the next term, if he even lasts it out.

Cabaal

robindch wrote: »

A bit like the US presidents being required, by precedent, to release their tax returns - Agent Orange notwithstanding of course, since he doesn't pay taxes - it would be interesting if politicians generally took exams before elections on law, civil society, sociology, economics, geography, climatology, history and so on - and the results were published.

But if we did that it would clearly be a government cover up because the results would be fixed and apparently if you knew this you'd know too much and the government would kill you.

So I heard from one of the people wanting to be president.

We're through the looking glass here people!

_Brian

As far as I can see this will be a two horse race between Michael D and Sean Gallagher.
For me Michael D has done a decent job for the little there really is in it.

I see nothing in Sean at all, if he had a graw for making changes in the country he should run for TD and get himself into government, but he’d never be voted in. He’s still a stained character from his brown envelope gaff, he stumbled over it so poorly that there is enough doubt that he actually did handle this brown envelope. It even shows that he’s no good to be speaking in pressured situations if he couldn’t vehemently speak his version of the truth, he looked and sounded like a man caught out and having to make up a lie on the spot.
He’s just out spending RTmoney massaging his ego and when he looses he will still blame RTfor it.

magicbastarder

as has been pointed out - if sean gallagher has been entertaining notions of running for president again for the last seven years (as he clearly has been) - what groundwork has he done in the last seven years to prepare? being a dragon does not count.

lazygal

FF groundwork it seems.

magicbastarder

Ms Burke, who also goes by the alias Bunty Twuntingdon-McFluff, introduced herself as a PR executive and laid out plans to turn Áras an Uachtaráin into a “hunting lodge and spa” where “wealthy guests would pay top dollar to hunt the deer in the Phoenix Park”.
Ms Burke also proposed introducing a reality TV show called ‘In Your Áras’ which would follow the daily life of the president.

Addressing the cathaoirleach, Lord Mayor Nial Ring, Councillor Mannix Flynn interrupted Ms Burke’s presentation, which he described as “outrageous” and “deeply offensive” .
...
Ms Goretti Moylan, who will begin a degree in law next week, called for the museum shop to be removed so that the remains of a dinosaur could be displayed in the Dublin museum.
...
In relation to the “housing thing”, Mr Groarke said the Government should take note of the “beautiful houses” built by the Amish communities in the United States. “They don’t have much furniture but they have beautiful houses. We should talk to them and see how they do it.”

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/dublin-city-council-votes-not-to-endorse-candidate-as-%C3%A1ras-race-turns-farcical-1.3628498

Hotblack Desiato

Ms Burke was taking the piss which is more than can be said for the other two.

recedite

Ms. Burke also had a serious point to make, as explained in the video here.
Councillors heckled her and shouted her down, perhaps uncomfortable at seeing a mirror being held up to their soul.


I'm leaning towards The Black Priest from Father Ted myself. You remember that guy from Africa, or was it Donegal.

Kevin Sharkey's aspirations are modest...

All villages should have a girl with red hair playing a harp in the corner, someone cooking cabbage or someone burying someone outside like they used to do in the old days, he said. “This is a gold nugget that we are sitting on.

Walter Bishop

Having tried to ramp up a bit of controversy by calling for the death penalty for anyone who attacks an old person in their home, Sharkey's now out of the race 'due to the corruption of the councils.' So it's the councils' fault, and not his, right?

Oh on an unrelated note he's doing a 'Presidential' art show and releasing a single too. Quite by coincidence.

Odhinn

_Brian wrote: »

As far as I can see this will be a two horse race between Michael D and Sean Gallagher.
For me Michael D has done a decent job for the little there really is in it.

I see nothing in Sean at all, if he had a graw for making changes in the country he should run for TD and get himself into government, but he’d never be voted in. He’s still a stained character from his brown envelope gaff, he stumbled over it so poorly that there is enough doubt that he actually did handle this brown envelope. It even shows that he’s no good to be speaking in pressured situations if he couldn’t vehemently speak his version of the truth, he looked and sounded like a man caught out and having to make up a lie on the spot.
He’s just out spending RTmoney massaging his ego and when he looses he will still blame RTfor it.

The odds as we stand are



Michael D - 1/12
Sean Gallagher - 10/1
Gavin Duffy - 12/1
Liadh Ni Riada - 20/1
Joan Freeman - 33/1
Gemma O'Doherty - 100/1

https://www.paddypower.com/politics

recedite

Walter Bishop wrote: »

Having tried to ramp up a bit of controversy by calling for the death penalty for anyone who attacks an old person in their home, Sharkey's now out of the race 'due to the corruption of the councils.' So it's the councils' fault, and not his, right?

Oh on an unrelated note he's doing a 'Presidential' art show and releasing a single too. Quite by coincidence.

in fairness, the councils are corrupt. Everyone knows the different parties have a rotating arrangement with each other for any important official office, instead of competing with each other. Votes, rezonings etc all in the pockets of lobbyists. Councillors sit out from decisions that are unpopular in their own local area, or "go to the toilet during the vote" having already calculated that there are enough other councillors present from other parts of the county to pass the motion. It should not be up to these crooks to decide who gets on the ballot paper.


Its a pity Sharkey is out; we could have had Ireland's First Black President. I was looking forward to quizzing him about his birth cert too.

Hotblack Desiato

Presidential hopeful Sarah Louise Mulligan ejected from Dublin meeting

Councillor Mark Ward, chairing the meeting, at that point told Ms Mulligan that her permitted speaking time had elapsed. However, Ms Mulligan said she would “not be silenced”.

“Don’t you silence me,” she said. “I’ve got every right to stand up and speak. I can speak for Ireland.”

Ms Mulligan then took issue with a remark from councillor Dermot Looney, who suggested that Ms Mulligan would not be speaking for the people of Ireland.

The meeting was suspended moments later as Ms Mulligan shouted at Mr Looney, and approached him, demanding an apology in a raised voice. She said it was “disgusting behaviour”. She was escorted from the chamber by council staff after approaching Mr Looney.

She also said she would accompany Joanna Jordan, who recently lost a High Court case seeking to overturn the result of the referendum to repeal the Eighth Amendment, to the European Court of Justice.

“She has 500 pages of evidence where she tried to prove the abortion referendum was rigged,” she said. “I hope to travel to the European Court with Joanna Jordan because I don’t believe this beautiful country voted to murder babies.”

SDCC also listened to the voice of GO'D, the usual blather

Councillor Louise Dunne asked Ms O’Doherty how she could stand over that assertion on the basis that, on Twitter, she “blocks anyone” who disagrees with her. Ms O’Doherty replied that she blocks those who “abuse” her on Twitter.

At the conclusion of the meeting, which also heard from a number of other speakers, the council voted not to support any candidates.

GO'D is also claiming on twitter to have been 'nominated' by three councils, when she has been invited to speak by three councils but endorsed by zero councils. The truth in the news and all that.




So it seems that we won't be seeing slogans like "Get Good With GO'D - The Candidate You Can Believe In!"

feargale

I'll give no. 1 to Michael D..
If I bother to put a no. 2 on the ballot it will probably be for Joan Freeman. I don't support much of her stuff and I'm not into that Knock stuff at all, so why would she get my no. 2?
1. She at least is a serious candidate who has treated the process and the nominators and electorate with respect, unlike some others.
2. She has some record of public service, including helping people with problems, unlike some whose sole qualification seems to be their ability to accumulate money.
3. She is articulate unlike some who addressed councils. And she is well qualified professionally.

Who else is there to give no. 2 to? You can keep the rest.

Of course, some people would never vote for somebody whose opinions on religion differ from theirs. I have a born again Pentecostalist friend in the USA who opposed Romney's presidential bid simply because he was a Mormon. JFK in 1960 ran into a spot of bother over his Catholicism. And don't start me on Northern Ireland.Time was when religion had ceased to play a significant part in who we voted for here. Mais plus ça change! Same beast, different clothes.

Hotblack Desiato

Freeman is a liar though.

She has claimed to not know what the Iona institute is (her niece Maria Steen is a prominent spokesperson for it in print, radio, TV in two referendum campaigns) and her sister Theresa Lowe appeared for the No side in the final TV3 abortion debate. Family members on TV usually gets a person's attention? Or perhaps having any interest whatsoever in the current affairs over the last few years of the country she wants to be president of??

She's also claimed to have made God the chief financial officer of Pieta House. I haven't checked with the Companies Office or charities regulator, but I doubt that's true either.

Oh and the Knock eczema thing, she believes that to be true but loony beliefs in a prospective politician is a bad sign.

None of the above is anything to do with the fact that she's a catholic or even anti-choice. Although personally I won't vote for anyone anti-choice, doesn't matter what religion they are if any. I'd have a hard time finding many candidates in any election to vote for if being a catholic ruled out voting for them.

recedite

Hotblack Desiato wrote: »

SDCC also listened to the voice of GO'D, the usual blather..

In fairness her namesake was never really a guy for sticking rigidly to the facts either, especially in the old testament.
If we can't have Ireland's First Black President, I quite like the sound of President GO'D as my second choice.

Hotblack Desiato

:pac::pac::pac:

realitykeeper

The media are lining up to support Michael D Higgins and of course the easily influenced are going along with them. Given the special treatment being given to the incumbent, (even to the extent of reinterpreting the law) - a second term for Micheal D Higgins will not be legitimate, as least as far as this citizen is concerned. Of course, his first term was not legitimate either for obvious reasons.

On a different matter, the reason Ireland and it`s people will ultimately flounder will be because the nation was founded on a lie. And, not just any lie but purgery. The second Dáil was required to swear allegiance to a foreign monarch they had no allegiance to, so many of them lied under oath. Ireland must return to God and atone for all it`s sins or it is finished.

lazygal

Hi Gemma.

Pherekydes

lazygal wrote: »

Hi Gemma.

Not Joan?


"Make Jesus our Minister for Finance."

Turtwig

realitykeeper wrote: »

The media are lining up to support Michael D Higgins and of course the easily influenced are going along with them. Given the special treatment being given to the incumbent, (even to the extent of reinterpreting the law) - a second term for Micheal D Higgins will not be legitimate, as least as far as this citizen is concerned. Of course, his first term was not legitimate either for obvious reasons.

On a different matter, the reason Ireland and it`s people will ultimately flounder will be because the nation was founded on a lie. And, not just any lie but purgery. The second Dáil was required to swear allegiance to a foreign monarch they had no allegiance to, so many of them lied under oath. Ireland must return to God and atone for all it`s sins or it is finished.

I thought you were quoting a candidate and had just left out the quotation marks and the source, then I realised you weren't.

pauldla

Turtwig wrote: »

I thought you were quoting a candidate and had just left out the quotation marks and the source, then I realised you weren't.

For myself, I’m always amused by devoutly religious complaining about the ‘easily led’, blissfully forgetting that they will proudly refer to themselves as a flock.

Pherekydes

Don't forget groupthink! Members of the world's largest groupthink complaining about atheist or secular groupthink!

The irony, it burns...

mikhail

realitykeeper wrote: »

The media ...

Maybe it's Poe's Law at work, but that looks to be a pretty obvious bit of trolling.

realitykeeper

Turtwig wrote: »

I thought you were quoting a candidate and had just left out the quotation marks and the source, then I realised you weren't.

A lot of these comments are lost on me. Would I know what you are talking about if I watched RTE? I don`t, not these last 7 years.

smacl

realitykeeper wrote: »

A lot of these comments are lost on me. Would I know what you are talking about if I watched RTE? I don`t, not these last 7 years.

I think it is more that your posts tend to express and inflammatory sentiment that come across as rather obnoxious as has been expressed on numerous threads, e.g. here, here and here. I've come the the opinion that it is intentional trolling and hence won't be getting into discussion with you beyond that.

recedite

realitykeeper wrote: »

Of course, his first term was not legitimate either for obvious reasons.

What reasons were they again?