Conor McGregor

Annasopra

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121417442#Comment_121417442

You're not making any sense!

A) He isn't in a party

B) No County council in the country would have anything like the numbers to nominate him

Kevin Sharkey, Sarah Louise Mulligan, Gemma O'Doherty didn't get the numbers. They are all in the same political mould.

It's batshit delusional to think any County Council would nominate him, never mind more than 1

Esel

A Scumbag Millionaire (TM) is still a scumbag.

Annasopra

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121417512#Comment_121417512

Do you charge for this comedy?

Gregor Samsa

The only way McGregor's supporters are entering a polling station is if you set one up inside a Foot Locker or Canada Goose shop, and they decide to loot it.

silliussoddius

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121417856#Comment_121417856

….

pjohnson

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121418121#Comment_121418121

The fact the embedded image is broken makes it even better.

Citizen Six

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121418145#Comment_121418145

Just you I guess.

pjohnson

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121418199#Comment_121418199

Might be a mobile thing.

prunudo

If the last few years has thought me anything, it's that 'never' is a dangerous word to use when it comes to politics and the world we live in.

Trump will never be President of US.

Uk will never vote to leave EU.

Russia will never invade Ukraine.

They will never restrict peoples freedom for that long.

SF will never be the most popular party.

So anyone who says there will never be a far right party or leader in Ireland or that C McG will never be elected in Ireland are very niave and haven't been paying attention to the playbook in other countries.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121418329#Comment_121418329

Agree 💯.

It would be bloody dangerous to write him off and I think people are very naive. The man is a threat.

If he did enough lines tonight and set off on twitter he could trigger young lads onto the streets again and he **** knows it.

Collie D

Has he actually mentioned the Presidency? Apologies if he has but I missed it. Even so, on the 1% chance he was elected President it’s a pretty ineffective role and I’d be more worried about the Aras than any political mess he could create - Del Boy’s bedroom springs to mind.

creeper1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121417496#Comment_121417496

Sounds like a simple plan anyone could pull off. Why don't you try it yourself?

pixelburp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121418329#Comment_121418329

You can't just pick any old celebrity and say "future political leader" and it be true cos something something Brexit. Not everything becomes possible because some other unlikely swing happened; not least because for starters McGregor hasn't made any noise about politics (Trump had through the past, and was a registered Democrat IIRC fadó) and has not shown any appetite or competence for public service. At least Trump adhered to the perennial fantasy that business leaders make good political ones.

While I'd debate McGregor's popularity outside of the internet - a place that invariably swims in extremes - and if anything, the lingering opinion I get is distaste for the man, not adoration as some peerless ambassador. Especially outside working class urban areas, the guy's seen as a thug.

As to the far right, "never" is a good guess cos our system is often coalition based thanks to Proportional Representation and no historical tolerance for political extremes (fascism and communism largely passed us by). Even if a far right party became suddenly popular, PR would likely require climbdown to find itself a government partner - as we'll see in Holland in the coming weeks as Wilders himself must find a government partner and park lunacy like exiting the EU.

prunudo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121419412#Comment_121419412

I agree, it unlikely to happen, but never say never. As you say he is a thug, I can't stand the man and everything about him, from the crassness to drugged up followers and fanboys.

Still though, doesn't mean I can't see a blacklash coming against the established parties. If they keep labelling people and failing to listen it feeds into the likes of a C McG type narcissist gaining popularity.

Annasopra

I reckon McGregor would be thick enough to run, take donations off Elon Musk and break all our electoral laws.

pixelburp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121419442#Comment_121419442

We're already getting the backlash, it's called a Sinn Fein government and it'll make international headlines for a host of reasons. The DUP will have a collective aneurysm and there'll be tremors felt. Not getting into the weeds of what is suitably far from "established parties", cos if you think Eirigi or the National Party are biding their time, "never say never" is doing a lot of heavy lifting.

A lurch any further along the left or right axis isn't gonna gain traction cos when the rubber hits the road, Irish people have more immediate concerns than demonising immigrants. As I said we simply don't have an appetite for populism or far right politics.

Annasopra

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121419469#Comment_121419469

SF are a catch all party in terms of support in reality though. A lot of SFs support is not necessarily left wing at all. And there is a question of how much of SF support is about hard-core nationalism.

A SF government does actually open up the growth of far right with some disaffected SF supporters then looking at far right alternatives.

slay55

He’d have my vote

pixelburp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121419476#Comment_121419476

I really can't see how that tracks: SF are hoovering up the middleground, middle class vote but don't see how you look at the polls and see a simmering right wing cohort; and if anything, FF have been the preference for the socially conservative, they'll be there for the frustrated centre-right. SF like many bridesmaid left wing parties have had to soften their rhetoric to appeal to the wandering voter, but not so much there'd be a significant right wing cohort - arguably they're already gone.

"Far Right" alternatives are political detritus and it'd take a massive collective moment of head trauma for their numbers to creep above the margin of error they currently occupy. And given Irish politics' distinctly local focus, these malcontents would have to supplant all the current independents, FF, FG, SF politicians currently getting roads fixed, GAA club roofs repaired, school runs organised and so on. Justin Barrett and his ilk haven't the follow through to get their hands dirty where it matters.

Annasopra

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121419494#Comment_121419494

SF - October 2023 poll

ABC1 - 26%

C2DE - 42%

Support for SF is much higher among working classes

There is a small element of SF support that is about nationalism. If/when SF are seen to let these people down then there are alternatives who profess nationalism. I am not claiming the Far Right will goto 10 or 15% overnight but it would be naive to think a SF government wouldn't see a growth in Far right opposition given some of their support includes voters who only vote for nationalistic reasons. SFs voting absolutely does include a percentage who could decide to abandon them and look at more right wing alternatives. I'm not saying it's large. I'm not saying it's all. I am saying it exists and could look for alternatives after SF enter government.

Plus a lot of the independents are already swinging rightwards too! Mattie McGrath, Verona Murphy, Noel Grealish, Michael Collins

Sheep breeder

Just wondering where Conor pays his taxes, in this country or in another. Seems to spend a lot of time outside Ireland.

pixelburp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121419511#Comment_121419511

Fair enough re. polling but I would say that you gotta court the middle classes if you wanna govern cos all the primary issues ATM are, TBH, broadly middle class ones - but not exclusively obviously either. I'd be curious to see breakdowns of the reliability of voting that might (dis)prove my speculation cos as it is with age demographics, not every economic bracket votes en masse (as I've aged the inability of young people to vote has only infuriated me further). Do the poor and disenfranchised vote as frequently as middle class?

I mean, as to the rest I guess we'll find out sooner rather than later cos a SF led government (take your pick of minor coalition partners) is a matter of when at this stage, not if.

JVince

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121419642#Comment_121419642

His management company is "offshore"

Annasopra

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121419673#Comment_121419673

I wouldn't also assume that the entire middle class is left or liberal either. There's a conservative cohort amongst them (Followers of say David Quinn, Breda O'Brien etc) that could be pulled rightwards. As we have seen in the US with Liberal left social policy such as Roe V Wade these things can move backwards

pixelburp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121419823#Comment_121419823

They can but whereas you can easily track Roe v Wade from ... well, the very moment the case became law, I haven't seen a concerted conservative movement here in Ireland that'd make me worry. Don't underestimate the lopsided power evangelical Christianity holds over American life vs. Ireland where Catholicism has been well and truly put in the ha'penny place. A move backwards would kinda need Ireland to adapt some sudden mass conversion to religion, at a minimum.

pgj2015

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121419480#Comment_121419480

word of warning, don't mention that in public unless you want to be laughed at.

nullzero

Conor McGregor = Irish Trump.

Jesus lads, what sort of drugs are you on?

ancapailldorcha

This sort of stuff is just demented:

Is that all it takes to impress some people? Say something horrible about foreigners these days and you seem to have legions of people praising you.

Beechwoodspark

Just on my suggestion that McGregor needs rural trusted known names to join his party - some further thoughts -

The Healy Rae’s and Mattie McGraths, etc might be good candidates to join his party.

Lots of experience in Dáil Éireann and conservative, anti migrant politicians.

Another strong “potential” - Kelly Harrington.

She has a strong backing in Dublin but is a national treasure status also.

ancapailldorcha

In all seriousness, there's a National Party, an Irexit Party, and Ireland First. Like, how much more room is there for more Quisling traitor outfits?