Election called for Saturday 8 February

Wanderer78

EmmetSpiceland wrote:

FF are the party of the nod and the wink. Spivs and gougers, to a man.

Policy wise, there's virtually nothing between them

Christy42

hatrickpatrick wrote: »

Agreed. This was one major factor in the 2016 US election in fact, the negative campaigning ("We're not saying we're good, we're just saying the other guy is sh!te") seriously turned people off.

I'm all for attacking this government's record, seriously hope they get a right thrashing at the ballot box, but provide examples of what you'd do differently if you got elected FFS.

Negative campaigning keeps the focus on the opponent. If you say what you would do differently it gives people a chance to attack it (whether it is a good idea or not). Don't give details about what you would do.

To use your US example using childish nicknames worked. "Healthcare will be so easy" worked. They will probably work here too unfortunately.

And so people will copy the strategy. Or as much as they can get away with.

Water John

FG would be Christian Democrat in the European tradition, FF would be Social Democrat lite.

Feisar

banie01 wrote: »

What alternative party is there that can draw enough support to actually hold enough away to form a significant pillar of a coalition?

I honestly don't think the greens will have more than 4 seats.
Labour are still being whipped for their last stint in coalition.
Sinn Fein have been labelled by both main parties as not coalition material.
The rest of the left is a basket of idealogy over policy.

I 100% agree that change is desperately needed, but where will that change come from if there are no viable alternative parties to actually lead a government?

The only viable option I can see would be a Labour led government. It won't happen I know however it's the only plausible option I can see.

FF/FG - same same
SF - tramps and their economic policies are a joke
Greens - lets car pool in Ballyhaunis
Independents - grand for a medical card or a pothole
Rest - Basket cases

2020Vision

jimmycrackcorm wrote: »

I've a good paid job, private health insurance and paying a low rate mortgage.

Who should I vote for?

FF did the most damage to the country since the foundation of the state. SF want to tax me more but we won't get any better services, voting independent is a waste of my time going to the major box.

The greens might be a choice but too small to effect real change. Labour to help the unions blackmail conjurers, nope.

I have never stuck my fingers in an electricity socket, but hey, why not for a change.

But Sinn Fein will abolish your Property Tax! And Eoin O'Broin will solve the homelessness problem - possibly by buying surplus tents from Libya.

And, with Pearse "the Magician" Doherty at the helm, they'll coerce the insurance companies to slash motor insurance rates!

And Louise O'Reilly will solve the HSE problems by magically recruiting thousands of nurses from God knows where.

Not forgetting that Mary Lou will insist on a Border Poll which, I'm reliably informed, will reunite the country within five years.

With visionary and thoroughly credible policies like that, only a fool would refuse to vote for Sinn Féin!

is_that_so

EmmetSpiceland wrote: »

Not impressed that it’s on a Saturday, especially on the day of a Six Nations “match”. Very poor planning.

Can’t help but feel that the Irish political “swing” is going back to FF.

That’s seems to be the way we do it. Give FF a good run to wreck the country, let FG come in to clean up the mess and make the hard decisions, then “reward” them by booting them and putting FF back in charge.

Match is not on until 16.45 and it's at most 3 hours worth.

Billcarson

2020Vision wrote: »

But Sinn Fein will abolish your Property Tax! And Eoin O'Broin will solve the homelessness problem - possibly by buying surplus tents from Libya.

And, with Pearse "the Magician" Doherty at the helm, they'll coerce the insurance companies to slash motor insurance rates!

And Louise O'Reilly will solve the HSE problems by magically recruiting thousands of nurses from God knows where.

Not forgetting that Mary Lou will insist on a Border Poll which, I'm reliably informed, will reunite the country within five years.

With visionary and thoroughly credible policies like that, only a fool would refuse to vote for Sinn Féin!

And the great vision of fg and ff? Ff had great f**king vision over a decade ago didn't they????

pure.conya

john9876 wrote: »

What's the logic behind having it on a Saturday?

not much logic in it being held on the sat really, it's the actual date it's being held on thats significant in this instance, something to do with the electoral register and anybody that registered after 15/02/19 wont be eligible to vote in the upcoming general election unless you're on the supplementary register, people only have until Thurs week (Jan 23rd) to make sure they can vote in this upcoming election

Bishop of hope

Billcarson wrote: »

Bishop of hope wrote: »

In your opinion!
And mine

Please don't misquote me, I didn't say that and you have it all as my quote.

Dyr

2020Vision wrote: »

But Sinn Fein will abolish your Property Tax! And Eoin O'Broin will solve the homelessness problem - possibly by buying surplus tents from Libya.

Only way Eoineen will be importing tents from Libya is if there's a family of refugees in each one.

Eoin housing answer is the same bull**** that social planning utopians have been pushing since the 60s

hots

ELM327 wrote: »

I shall be voting, FG, they haven't given me a reason not to and, as there's no one in Ireland further to the right fiscally but retaining left wing liberal views for social issues, they have my vote. I voted FF until 2011.

Pretty much same here, socially they seem pretty liberal, fiscally they're the closest thing to something I agree with... if the greens weren't a bit mental you'd probably want to throw a few of them in there for good measure... same for labour.

jimmycrackcorm

Wanderer78 wrote: »

Do our economies truly function for our societies?

Our political system is locked down by fg and ff, there's very between them

It isn't locked down by FF/FG. It's locked down by the voting public between right and left of centre. We are largely centrist.

Contrast with the UK where there is a very clear divide between hard right and hard left that is locked down by the FTTP system that prevents anything centrist.

Snow Garden

is_that_so wrote: »

Match is not on until 16.45 and it's at most 3 hours worth.

Ireland match is a 14:15 kick off.

It will be mostly FG supporters going to that.

Can we blame the Joey Carbery injury on FG?

Feisar

At the end of the day we are a small open economy on the edge of Europe. Decisions made by the likes of Google or Microsoft have more effect on us than our mickey mouse local politics.

Snow Garden

Feisar wrote: »

At the end of the day we are a small open economy on the edge of Europe. Decisions made by the likes of Google or Microsoft have more effect on us than our mickey mouse local politics.

Don't forget Apple!

is_that_so

List of retirees(there may be more)

FG Kenny, Noonan, Deasy, Daly, McLoughlin, Coffey(Sen),
SF O Caolan, Ferris, Adams, O Brien
Lab Penrose and Ryan
Finian McGrath Ind

Abel Ruiz

Wanderer78 wrote: »

Fg cleaned up the mess?

Do you not remember 10 years ago?
Do you remember the cabinet at the end when they all started to resign?
They jumped when they knew the public hated them!!!
Do you not remember the double budget in one year?

I member!

L1011

is_that_so wrote: »

List of retirees(there may be more)

FG Kenny, Noonan, Deasy, Daly, McLoughlin, Coffey(Sen),
SF O Caolan, Ferris, Adams, O Brien
Lab Penrose and Ryan
Finian McGrath Ind

https://adriankavanaghelections.org/2018/08/10/tds-32nd-dail-eireann-who-will-not-be-contesting-the-next-general-election/

Likely to be kept up to date. Doesn't cover Senators.

is_that_so

Labour candidates

https://www.labour.ie/people/

FG
https://election2020.finegael.ie/candidates

FF
https://www.fiannafail.ie/candidates/

Greens
https://www.greenparty.ie/our-people/candidates/

SF don't seem to have a list yet.

NuttyMcNutty

Thelonious Monk wrote: »

So you think it's an entirely pointless exercise? All those stupid posters printed for nothing...

Wait, they got the printer working?

jimmycrackcorm

Billcarson wrote: »

100% the I'm all right Jack's .
I'm all right too ,happy enough with my lot but I will still not be voting either FG or ff.
Sf for me.

The implication is that people who are "I'm all right Jack" don't care for issues such as housing and health. People with good jobs still need their employers to be able to hire employees that need homes to grow and stay profitable.
Even with private health insurance, I still have to use A&E where required.

But as you choose SF, am example why I don't vote for them is their plans to punish with extra tax anyone earning over 100K. What will that do to fix the health system that needs more consultants? Multinationals moving here create many well paid jobs but that extra punishing tax will just make it harder to attract then here as they need to attract in their key managerial staff from abroad.

2020Vision

is_that_so wrote: »

Labour candidates

Labour are certainly ripe with experience! Emmet Stagg is 75, Joe Costello is 74, Joan Burton will be 71 on 1 Feb, and Jan O'Sullivan is a mere nipper at only 69! Also, their ex-TD Tommy Broughan is 72, if he's running again.

It's just as well that Mickey Dee Higgins got elected President, or he'd probably be there too at age 78!

In FF, the oldest candidate appears to be O'Cuiv at 69.

FG?

is_that_so

2020Vision wrote: »

Labour are certainly ripe with experience! Emmet Stagg is 75, Joe Costello is 74, Joan Burton will be 71 on 1 Feb, and Jan O'Sullivan is a mere nipper at only 69!

It's just as well that Mickey Dee Higgins got elected President, or he'd probably be there too at age 78!

In FF, the oldest candidate appears to be O'Cuiv at 69.

FG?

Possibly O'Dowd. I think he's 71.

DellyBelly

I voted for FG the last 2 elections when I would have voted FF before then however i think it's time for a change in Ireland. I'll be voting FF this time. Give them a chance to add new ideas...

RocketRaccoon

2020Vision wrote: »

But Sinn Fein will abolish your Property Tax! And Eoin O'Broin will solve the homelessness problem - possibly by buying surplus tents from Libya.

And, with Pearse "the Magician" Doherty at the helm, they'll coerce the insurance companies to slash motor insurance rates!

And Louise O'Reilly will solve the HSE problems by magically recruiting thousands of nurses from God knows where.

Not forgetting that Mary Lou will insist on a Border Poll which, I'm reliably informed, will reunite the country within five years.

With visionary and thoroughly credible policies like that, only a fool would refuse to vote for Sinn F!

As opposed to the top notch job ff/fg have proven they are capable of doing?

ELM327

Feisar wrote: »

At the end of the day we are a small open economy on the edge of Europe. Decisions made by the likes of Google or Microsoft have more effect on us than our mickey mouse local politics.

unless the likes of SF or the loony left get in and kill FDI by increasing CT rate

JeffKenna

ELM327 wrote: »

unless the likes of SF or the loony left get in and kill FDI by increasing CT rate

Greens are already voting for that in Europe.

2020Vision

RocketRaccoon wrote: »

As opposed to the top notch job ff/fg have proven they are capable of doing?

Exactly.

ELM327

JeffKenna wrote: »

Greens are already voting for that in Europe.

Greens are a whole 'nother level of loon.

Dyr

2020Vision wrote: »

Labour are certainly ripe with experience! Emmet Stagg is 75, Joe Costello is 74, Joan Burton will be 71 on 1 Feb, and Jan O'Sullivan is a mere nipper at only 69! Also, their ex-TD Tommy Broughan is 72, if he's running again.

It's just as well that Mickey Dee Higgins got elected President, or he'd probably be there too at age 78!

In FF, the oldest candidate appears to be O'Cuiv at 69.

FG?

Many years ago Labour ran a campaign poster along the lines of "Remember the Sick, the Poor & The Elderly...Vote Labour"

It was unintentionally funny then and its even funnier now given they're all as old as dust.