Leo has lost his lustre

standardg60

Having been a fan initially i have to say i'm now finding him extremely dithery and am unhappy with the change of leadership. Can't help but feel the leaking controversy has affected him personally and rightly so, despite the official findings imo it was disgraceful behaviour for a Minister. MM seemed so much better as a leader and comes across as still being as such, feels a bit like king Charles after the queen, everybody knows Leo is now leader but it just justn't feel right.

I think he should have resigned now for both him and the Government as a whole, and for FG going forward. I don't see how he can occupy the moral high ground anymore.

A leader who gushes over and writes on official paper to Kylie Minogue and who is surprised that the real Downing Street is smaller and unlike the Downing Street portrayed in Love Actually, not to mention Instagramming his refrigerator, socks and other such fuckery cannot be taken seriously.

RetroEncabulator

Can anyone actually remember why they got rid of Enda? In hindsight, he was quite likeable.

I wouldn't exactly be a major fan of FG, but that leadership change never made much sense to me.

AMKC

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058286205/leo-has-lost-his-lustre

MM seemed so much better as a leader and comes across as still being as such, feels a bit like king Charles after the queen, everybody knows Leo is now leader but it just justn't feel right.

I disagree.

Leo is a much better leader. When he got back he hit the ground running getting g lots done like the North sorted hopefully just waiting on them priks in the DUP to say they are happy if they are capable of that and other stuff. He is only human and there is only so much he can do but I thought the only reason MM was there was because they agreed to it and so he would not be the only FF leader to not be in power as Taioseach at some stage. Can't have that now can we.

FG and FF Agreed to having MM in for a bit and then Leo as that's why they decided to work together for the Country.

growleaves

On intnl women's day he was lecturing the nation about the division of household responsibilities.

The home is a private sphere Leo! Who does the ironing and what not isn't a Government matter so butt out

Water John

Leaving aside the politics, objectively Michael is a much better PM than Leo.

Loafing Oaf

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120355330#Comment_120355330

He said in 2016 he wouldn't lead FG into another election. Any party leader who makes that sort of advance announcement of his retirement is basically a dead man walking and sure enough be barely lasted another year as taoiseach. Bertie Ahern did something similar and had an even shorter final stint as taoiseach. Micheal Martin appears to have learned from their experiences and is keeping everyone guessing about his retirement plans

Water John

The TDs in FF are always complaining Michael never tells them anything anyway.

Brussels Sprout

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120362234#Comment_120362234

PM?

Nice bit of alliteration there, op. Fair play.

Brussels Sprout

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120355330#Comment_120355330

The perception at the time was that he was too wooden in front of the microphone and cameras especially when it came to debates. In contrast, Leo Varadkar had cultivated a reputation for being a polished media performer and a lot of people in FG thought that he'd take them to the next level electorally. It.....hasn't worked out that way.

Anecdotally I know someone who who saw them both in action with American CEOs. She said that Kenny was amazing. Smooth, charismatic and had them eating out of the palm of his hand. In contrast, Varadkar was stilted, awkward and generally stand-offish.

Performing in front of the media and performing one on one are two entirely different skill sets.

FrancieBrady

Where had he it last?

salonfire

Leo is an excellent performer in the Dail in debates against SF. He's good at media interviews and not afraid to speak his mind be it social welfare cheaters or advocating for those who want to work. That's what you want in a leader.

He's a qualified doctor. You don't get there by being a spoofer or without intelligence.

The most that people can pin on him is a GP deal that was mostly public or about to be made public. He's doing something right if that's all people can muster up.

The "Leo the Leak" sheep don't give a toss about GPs, don't know the first thing about GP contracts, or haven't even heard the National Association of General Practitioners until then.

FrancieBrady

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120362928#Comment_120362928

If any of that was true there would be electoral success. He hasn't achieved any really.

Loafing Oaf

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120363003#Comment_120363003

In fairness I think this

He's a qualified doctor.

is probably accurate...

mrslancaster

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120355330#Comment_120355330

Will we see enda back for the next presidential election?

blade1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120362928#Comment_120362928

Hi Leo.

FrancieBrady

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120363023#Comment_120363023

My bad.

RetroEncabulator

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120363079#Comment_120363079

Doubtful.

Furze99

The snogging video story showed Leo in poor light. That's where I'd mark the fall from grace.

salonfire

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120363375#Comment_120363375

That shows up the creep how knew who it was, took out the phone to record before anything actually happened, then released the recording with the knowledge of the damage and intrusion of private life it entailed.

Why do we have people going around bars recording people? If it was someone recording young women getting the shift and releasing it, they'd be hounded.

Furze99

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120363423#Comment_120363423

But it wasn't some young woman - it was the Tánaiste and leader of FG. Middle Ireland has looked at this and rightly or wrongly, passed judgement.

Seth Brundle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120363454#Comment_120363454

It was someone out for the night minding their own business. He was not there in a work capacity but someone thought that they had the right to record a moment between him and someone else in a setting where some patrons possibly don't want to be seen in public.

You may disagree with his politics. You may disagree with his actions. You may disagree with anything else in his public/work life but he is entitled to a private life!

FrancieBrady

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120363796#Comment_120363796

Fully agree Seth. I also totally disagree with Furze that this was were the rot set in, It wasn't, the man failed at his first election as leader.

standardg60

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120362730#Comment_120362730

Never thought he had the charisma anyway, what he espoused was the honest politician, getting up early in the morning and above any accusation of acting through personal interests. That is gone now so not sure what he has left.

Coveney seems to have disappeared off the face of the earth meanwhile, not sure what's going on there.

Brussels Sprout

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120363079#Comment_120363079

I actually backed him at 40/1 about a year ago as I thought that he came out of his political career relatively unscathed and FG has never had a President before. Now it looks like if Mairead McGuniness goes for it (and she'd be the FG horse) that she'd be the big favourite (just checked and Kenny is still 40/1).

Augme

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120363796#Comment_120363796

If some patrons don't want to be seen in public then they probably shouldn't be in a public bar.

salonfire

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120364364#Comment_120364364

It was the release of the recording that was wrong, not seeing him in public and not the actual recording itself. The person who released it is so petty and small minded, probably frustrated at their own failures in life, that he had to resort to sharing someone else's life in public.

Can't have someone whose smarter, wealthier, more articulate and more successful having a night out now could we.

Strumms

Before he was even Taoiseach he never struck me as a person who’d I’d trust politically, like and want to vote for.

he only really had lustre with his own supporters. Not many people on the fence with this individual.

he accepted the position of and acquired the responsibility for and as the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport….around 2011 I think….

On being queried as to his suitability for a sporting portfolio .. he said that while he knew "a lot of facts... I don't play ‘the’ sports."

which was a totally disgraceful disingenuous statement…. “ I have no interest in sports “ was the correct, accurate and truthful answer. At odds with his initial statement..

subsequent to this statement, the media were given opportunities by him to film and photograph him swimming and playing rugby….as if to lend credibility to his appointment….a conniving PR exercise.

lost his lustre ? I’d say you can’t lose what you never had, he’s just being found out, great to witness it… be nice if his constituents would choose more wisely at the next election.

growleaves

I never knew much about Leo until he became Taoiseach.

His micro-management style just drives me crazy though.

He personally took a hand in, along with Frances Fitzgerald, the cancellings of George Hook and Kevin Myers. He also made a statement about that Kerry priest controversy while it was raging.

I would like someone as Taoiseach who when asked about some stupid controversy just says, (in paraphrase) "We don't comment on that because its beneath our notice. We govern the country and author legislation, we're not trying to manage people's lives in real time."

Unfortunately due to the size of the country and the way it is settled it is just about feasible to daddy everyone. Hence McQuaid-style paternalism in the past and latterly a kind of politically liberal paternalism.

Brussels Sprout

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120364423#Comment_120364423

Vardakar should have been wiser too though.

I think most people would agree that he's entitled to a private life and if he's not breaking the law then more power to him. However it's 2023. Famous people, like him, are likely to be recorded in public, especially if they put themselves in scenarios like he did. Ideally it wouldn't happen but that's the reality of the situation. He should know that better than anyone since there have been many videos taken surreptitiously of him in public over the years.

Putting himself in that situation shows a lack of judgement, naivete or even recklessness in his own behaviour.