Leo has lost his lustre

Cluedo Monopoly

I was a fan of Leo pre 2011 and I thought he would become a great leader. My hopes were dashed.

But hey let's not get carried away about Enda. Less of the revisionism. He was a brutal leader. He achieved nothing. He had zero vision and little courage. He was leader of a government that achieved a massive majority and effectively has no opposition (FF were disgraced). He had massive opportunity to reform this country (Health, Public sector, Garda Corruption, Justice System, Planning etc etc). What did he do? Nothing. As I said he had zero vision and achieved nothing. Many of his TDs learned to be as adept at cronyism and corruption as the FF boyos.

Furze99

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

He may well be entitled to a private life but note I said 'rightly or wrongly, passed judgement'. For some people, that maybe approval or indifference, others would disapprove. The relative numbers you can debate but I suspect most would think it unbecoming for a tánaiste. These are the facts of political life and nought to be done about it.

Furze99

Personally I have no problem with Leo being the first openly gay taoiseach and leader of FG, a welcome breath of fresh air. But in this situation he needed to manage that private life very, very carefully and with the utmost probity. The electorate still have a sense of conservatism on such matters.

blanch152

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120366236#Comment_120366236

I don't think he needed to manage his private life very, very carefully.

All the video did was shine a light on some of the hidden bigots out there.

Larbre34

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120366236#Comment_120366236

In fact it seems to have made zero difference to polling, one way or the other. I think a vast majority of the Irish electorate would just as soon be well served by their politicians and not give a stuff about their private lives, so long as they aren't straying into the criminal or corrupt.

As it happens, I think FG did choose the wrong leader with Varadkar over Coveney and I think he has proven to be a better ditch hurler than half-forward menace, but he hasn't been dreadful either, just given to lowering himself to some of the muck thrown at him, which he hasn't needed to do.

As an FG supporter, I have heard rumours he may hang it all up before the '25 election though and l can see the plausibility of that suggestion. So we could see a leadership contest in late 2024, with Leo retaining the big chair until the Dáil is dissolved and the new leader going to the Country.

whisky_galore

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120366236#Comment_120366236

I don't think many people had a problem with it, it isn't the 1950's anymore.

Furze99

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120366920#Comment_120366920

Maybe I'm just reflecting the greater conservatism of rural Ireland? But then maybe rural Ireland is not where future elections will be won or lost. I dare say though that the FG TDs would know what I mean.

Larbre34

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120366934#Comment_120366934

Of course they would, but then, they were the ones that voted him into the leadership and his sexuality and home life was already something he'd spoken publicly about by then, so any reservations now would be hypocritical.

FrancieBrady

Lost his lustre in the Clinton house too. Has he no filter?

https://www.newstalk.com/news/varadkar-apologises-for-off-the-cuff-remark-about-clinton-and-lewinsky-1447467

RetroEncabulator

He’s a bit too fond of snide remarks and it results in gaffes.

The reality is that he’s the Taoiseach and there’s a level of diplomatic awareness involved in that role. Seriously, where did he think he was!? It’s not a chat with your buds in the pub or a cringy speech at a wedding…

Let’s just hope the audience has a sense of humour. Although, being the US there’s an element who are quite capable of being completely literal, unable to comprehend slagging, utterly pro-faced, hyper sensitive end very easily offended by any criticism.

I don’t think the usual format of those speeches is a ‘roast’ …

standardg60

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120367889#Comment_120367889

I'm sorry for him personally but it's a cringefest at this stage

bucketybuck

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120366920#Comment_120366920

There was more of a problem with him attending a festival in London that his government would have banned in Ireland at the time.

pjohnson

Leos speech writer must've been off that day.

Embarassing.

whisky_galore

Bit of a kerfuffle in the States, Leo turned down an invitation to lunch with business people who have invested billions in Ireland only to lunch privately in the very same hotel.

https://extra.ie/2023/03/16/news/irish-news/varadkar-snub-american-business

FrancieBrady

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120368579#Comment_120368579

He seems to have a knack of having a disater every time he goes over. Remember how a previous trip became all about him and favours for Trump because he had no filter on what he said publicly.

Count Dracula

I really like him, i mean that. He stands up to chunts and anyone who does that gets my vote.

But I do think he is a bit doomed to failure here. The cosy PR that initiated the spring of young 30 something Fine Gael TD's has become worn out. It has lost its hue and to be honest I am not sure how much fight there is left in the dog. What is Lucinda Creighton doing now? What is she up to, what is she pioneering and being ignored at? It kind of epitomises the sojourn of your average female, head nodding politician clinging along wondering if they will ever be listened to. Wondering where Mary Robinson developed her unparalleled eumph, drive and verve from?

He cannot seem to cross the popularity barrier, he is kind of hammy in an uncomfortable way, he seems awkward. I feel sorry for bigots who can't fathom with his heritage, there is an unsavoury fervent undercurrent of patriotic narcissism in most Irish Political Parties. Like there is definitely a cohort of Fine Gael morons who deep down would rather taste the soup with Coveney, who has also capitulated from buoyant, posh school rebel, to pinstriped nepotist facilitator and kind of a "know all" suddenly? I am not feeling much Cu Chulainn off of him to be fair? He is more salad than hot stew? He has been seasoned and eaten up, we cannibalising his potency, he tastes like a Yorkie bar. Diplomacy awaits, this is what happens in the Foreign office, they develop notions and end up spoofing shight with other bureaucrats for too long. It is all posh dinner, show room interior and the substance of dried Bran Flake at 9.32 in the morning, stuck to the table like cement. Too much leering over interpreters, smiling handshakes and not enough international trade agreement.

None of them have a stitch on Mary Lou, she is like that really sound bird you have been sharing cigarettes with out the back door for the last 25 years? You really like her, she is sound out. She has bundles of old school charisma, she is an Irish politician. She talks crap, winds up the government and looks like she is enjoying it?

In saying that the Smurfs are really just molding into a rehash of old Fianna Fail, Chicken,chips and Gravy. Deep down they are goosepimple on cold tweed Irish, itchy bollick and tea drinking, always a safe bet for 55 seats or so? They must be getting the heebies now, like in less than a couple of years they are going to be starting up the tractor. That's right, I can really envisage that turning and regurgitating into something different, if nothing else. Mass government approved housing schemes, the Luas being stretched to Arklow type pf craic? I am looking forward to the Galway traffic crisis being solved by building a ski lift from the Cathedral to Eyre Square, 2 euro a go. If they had any cop they would link the north and south pier, but that makes too much sense. I reckon the Galway City Transport strategy will somehow or other be the turning point in the 100 years since we started dropping the ball full time as a nation. It is going to be catalyst for a new era in Irishness, a fresh new start full of old money generated by a dysfunctional ownership model. Like our very own Elephant in the room...an Eilifint sa seomra? I can see the Smurfs landing in their first full budget by chopping a full 80 cents of the price of scoops. That should get the public back down the boozer where they can start getting on with their lives again, it has been too long.

It really is not looking good, the only thing we can hope for is a Black Swan event to get us out of our drab misery. Maybe some pioneering Dutch pharmacist will reinvigorate the Nazi Geriatric treatment plan using synthetic processed brain inhibitors, which result in everyone indulging.... receiving intense rushes of positive emotion and Euphoria for about 5 hours, resulting in them dancing around the Mansion House in shiny tracksuits sniffing Vicks vapo rub and screaming yeh yeh yeh yeh yeh yeh yeh off the tops of their lungs.... stranger things have happened?

But Leo is sound enough, I wouldn't fancy having to chin wag over roast lamb in the White House or anything. That would not work for me at all, but I do like him. He is erstwhile and whilst he lacks savvy he will always be the man who shut Paul Murphy up, in plain truthful realisation that he had sacrificed the solidarity of his comrades, in favour of whipping up a riot and ringleading a carjacking in Baile an Obair, can you imagine bullying a woman? He nailed Murphy for life with that, no one else had the imagination. I am telling you, Varadkar might be melting marmite on the burning tarmacadam of his political relevancy, but he is the only person in existence to ever convince Murphy to a have a hard look at what an absolute pillock he is. Tony Gregory is a working class hero, at least Leo never pretends to be one, are you reading this Richard?

I must hit the coffin, enjoy your day mortals. I reckon the rumours about St Patrick speaking Welsh are not true. He was speaking something else. Shean Gaelige or post modern Saxonism. To think he was born 3500 years after they built New Grange. Wow, someone has been telling us porkies.

lots of them.

whisky_galore

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120366934#Comment_120366934

Rural Ireland is probably far more concerned about FFFGs Green partners and their policies than any of Leo's.

I think he is regarded with more indifference rather than anything else rurally. Even Bertie had the common man schtick, Leo has none of that. He is aloof, charmless and perceived not to understand regular peoples' lives. You could imagine having a pint with Bertie, or even Enda. But not with Leo, a cold fish.

pjohnson

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120368604#Comment_120368604

He doesnt have the same amount of handlers managing his output/appearances hence he makes more messes.

whisky_galore

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120367889#Comment_120367889

Just goes to show if you're charismatic and powerful (and being good looking helps) you'll get away with what would be called grooming these days.

Furze99

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120368604#Comment_120368604

Agree, Leo has been given a reputation for saying it as it is. Not sure if that's quite warranted - I think it's more the case that he doesn't always think about what's coming out of his mouth next or the consequences of certain things he does. The snogging thing isn't really important at all, but was just another moment when 'middle Ireland' winced, disapproved and the lustre was tarnished. Far more important issues at hand but these gaffs are also what voters remember.

Count Dracula

I would say he is as good a laugh and a bit a craic as any of them when he gets going. He is not the android replicant everyone makes him out to be. I am glad he is not a stereotypical pint swilling Taoiseach. But I just wish he let himself go a little bit more. He must have a charm to be leading the only party, that has ever really pioneered and steered resilient steadfast gatekept Irish Republicanism the way the John O'Mahony and Brian Boru would be proud of , or indeed the Earl of Kildare.

I would say after his 3rd glass of Plonk he might give a nod to VP Harris, a mischievous wink from the Blanchardstown native and straight out with ,

"Does anyone know how many Privateer Man of Wars were docked in Ireland during the 17th century? There must have been a few Irish Pirates? We can't all have been performing global genocide across the globe with armies of tyrants?

I am blaming Dev for this whole USA malarkey ( hiccup etc ), it does nothing for us really. It's trashy. Your sports are crap for starters, except Wrestlemania Wrestling, the real stuff with cages and steroids. Gangster Rap was invented by the CIA to encourage white American disregard of African American Culture. They were terrified that assassinating MLK, JFK and Reggae Prophet Robert Marley would galvinise working class Americans into changing it up. They replaced Marley with the Jackson family, nice move until wee Michael started spreading his slurry everywhere, Sham On. ( bursts into self initiated hysterics looking around shamelessly wet eyed )

He would probably grab a fresh bottle at this point and start at it himself with the corkscrew real ling in his audience at this point....

"It is phucking true, the CIA were adept at using cultural identities to focus different minority communities into endeavouring to follow the rest of the Borg. Shight like your Black knackers shooting each other in drive buys not only enabled their segregation into ghettos but marginalised the actual real music lovers of African Americans, still.... (hiccup ) btw ( hiccup followed by slow down of intensity and mild burping ) ... grooving to Bill Withers, Dionne Warwick or the Isley Bros? They used the behaviours of tragic morons like Tupac or Bobby Brown to help develop the spread of chlamydia to disable the reproduction of the ghetto, it was essentially modern subtle genocide. The inception of Transamerica and all that it polarises is the CIA's newest initiative, it keeps most of your white entitled trash arguing over completely futile irrelevant crap which they have no control over while we can get on with decimating the planet piece by piece and finding new global resources to squander."

Lets just be happy that he isn't capable of that?

At least Leo is a steady pair of hands. I have always found Michael Martin repulsive and I wouldn't let my mother dance with him. He was dreadful, the poor chunt has the charisma of a runny fart in the shower, FF are completely doooomed. Bye bye.

Hiccup

road_high

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120368579#Comment_120368579

That shows up his laziness and total lack of interest in the job- if he doesn’t want to do it then resign and let someone that wants to.

Im a former FG voter and I now despise him. He’s been a complete and utter let down. As for “rewarding those that get up in the morning to work “….- don’t make me fcukin laugh

FrancieBrady

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120368912#Comment_120368912

Never like Martin either but my god, he is streets ahead at the job than Varadkar is.

road_high

M Martin was a terrible Taoiseach but his work ethic would be a lot more obvious than Leo’s. If he was in the states there’s no way he’d miss meeting business people like that. Just to reiterate he’s a terrible politician and a complete condescending wet blanket but he is dutiful at a minimum

road_high

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120367889#Comment_120367889

Again shows he is lacking in something- emotional intelligence. His types usually kiss the Clinton’s arses but he has a knack for cringey awkward moments like this. That would just be a no No comment in that situation

quokula

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120368943#Comment_120368943

I can imagine the headlines if he did dine with them - "Taoiseach caught wining and dining with American high flyers over expensive meal." "Disgrace as wealthy vested interests given direct private access to nation's leader." "Fury as small cabal of lobbyists given preferential treatment over meal with Taoiseach." "Taoiseach snubs calls on domestic government business to enjoy lavish lunch."

road_high

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120369029#Comment_120369029

No I dont think so- most people know that this is important in terms of jobs and investment in the country

bucketybuck

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120369029#Comment_120369029

Wait, weren't we told that the entire point of these jollies to the states on St Patricks day was to pimp out Ireland to the wealthy and powerful?

And you think people are going to criticise for doing what people think he is there to do?

You are full of it as usual.

Saladin Ane

He has not lost his lustre with media editors. This was a one day story. If he had a live-in female or wife back home while he indulged in that kind of behavior with another woman ........ his political life would have ended pdq. So, the media bury the story. Why? Government control. A bit like the Gary Lineker/BBC fracas across the pond. Tory muzzling of the media.

Leo is a magnet for negative publicity. His talk in the US, referencing interns and their mentors, is yet another foot in mouth job. And, this time, he was not able to blame SF. Why not? Probably because he rightly surmises that some of his less gullible followers might parse his statements and see that apart from damaging his party/government, he says little of substance.

quokula

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120369059#Comment_120369059

He did attend the organised event to do just that. What he didn't do was go on to ignore scheduled government work in order to wine and dine with a few wealthy Americans that wanted direct access. Allowing that sort of lobbying is a slippery slope and it's a mainstay of the media to take potshots at politicians whenever they're seen spending time with wealthy people in social settings rather than formal ones, so let's not pretend it's not.

He's called out other politicians in the past for doing it, and they'd no doubt be first to call him a hypocrite if he did it himself.