Pre-Election Poll. Your vote!

Digi_Tilmitt

Takin a poll to see who boards users would vote for.

Digi_Tilmitt

The poll didn't appear. I must look like a right Muppet..........

Typedef

Yes you do hehe, I'm joking of course
/aside hehe


Not Fine Gael - Waaayyy tooo right wing

Not Fianna Fail
Reasons: Treaty of Nice will be put before electorate again, I voted against, I thought the treaty effectively disenfranchised Ireland and we spent 800 years trying to gain autonomy etc.
If the party was more in line with Charlie M and his comments about the rejection as "healthy" or if I thought that governmental types would respect the way I cast my vote in good concience by not asking me to cast it again then I might well vote FF. If Bertie and co didn't get the result they wanted on Abortion or Neutrality would we have to trapse back to the polls until the government was satisfied? I disagree with the opening of Shannon and other airports to US military planes.

Labour : Maybe , but possibly too left wing to run the economy, though possible tactical vote to keep out FF/FG.

PD: Would probably do good for economy, but the PD's are in government right now and I think our current government is too right-wing and authoritarian, telling the people how it is instead of reflecting the people's views.

I will probably vote for the Greens or I may tatically vote to get non FF/FG candidates elected.

I could vote SF again - tactical voting to keep out FF/FG.

TwoShedsJackson

Originally posted by Digi_Tilmitt
The poll didn't appear. I must look like a right Muppet..........

Belisarius

lol ,A Classic Castor

Digi_Tilmitt

Well i'd vote for Green comme or workers/socialist parties.

FF/PD's: Corrupt and way to right-wing.
SF: Possible drug barons.
FG: Not as bad as FF and the PD's but a bit right for my liken.
Labour: Not a true leftist party, it has swapped its polices for votes.

Aspro

Labour : Maybe , but possibly too left wing to run the economy, though possible tactical vote to keep out FF/FG.

Labour too left wing? What a joke. There is no ideological differences between any of the big parties. Labour are the same as New Labour in Britain. A former social democratic "left" party that has shifted wholesale to the right.

As for the running of the economy - during the entire Celtic Tiger what have we seen?

The rich got extremely rich.
The rest of us didn't.
One in four children in Ireland still grow up in poverty.
The health service is in a mess through years of under investment.
Likewise the education system.
And the rest of our services that the big parties want to privatise:
Water, Bin collection, Electricity, Sewage etc.
Insurance companies ripping off young drivers.
Politics that has become cronyism and gangsterism with the odd "tribunal" or two to cover up the truth.

We need politics that is campaigning and community based - truly representative of ordinary people that exposes the inequities in our society and fights for a better one.

So as a Socialist Party member obviously I advocate voting for the Socialist Party.

Joe Higgins T.D. - Dublin West
Cllr. Clare Daly - Dublin North
Lisa Maher - Dublin South
Mick Murphy - Dublin West
Mick Barry - Cork

Terran

Socialist Party. They would never get in really, because no-one seems to like them, but they'd have my vote. (Plus, I don't think they are well represented in the Dáil, this is unfair.) Failing that, any Socialist/Left Wing Party would do.

Typedef

While Irish politicians are corrupt ...
this one is squeaky clean,
clean enough to lynch some Moslems ...errr I'm sure I meant crusade against moslems, crusade? No that's not politically correct, I meant scrap five major international treaties - because that's how diplomacy works : D

Tom Dunne

I have to say, I couldn't see myself voting for any of them. Not one stands out enough for me to say I would vote for them.

Normally, I am not a cynical person. When it comes to politicians, though, I just don't have time for them.

TD.

Blitzkrieger

rofl - nice one Castor

I'm going to vote for whatever con-artist says he'll tackle the car insurance issue.

Aspro

If you're interested in the car insurance issue, Blitzkrieger, you should check out www.mijag.com

This is the Motor Insurance Justice Action Group which was set up by members of the Socialist Party and we have put the issue firmly on the agenda for the next election seeing as it was ignored by all other parties up until now.

We are awaiting the full report of the Motor Insurance Advisory Board on the insurance of younger drivers which is due out soon. But the preliminary findings confirmed what we have been saying all along - that the insurance companies are liars - they make most of their profits off the extortionate premiums charged to younger drivers and not losses as they claimed.

N.B. The car protest to Fianna Fail's Ard Fheis should be a good event and a nice embarrassment for Bertie and his cronies. Be there.

Aspro

Socialist Party. They would never get in really, because no-one seems to like them, but they'd have my vote.

Thanks for the vote of confidence Terran, we appreciate everyone's support but as for no-one seeming to like us I think you could confine that to the establishment and right-wingers. They despise us. And rightly so. We expose them for their hypocrisy and the lie that they represent ordinary people.

We've only been in existance for four years and we already have a T.D. and a councillor and are well remembered as the people who organised the campaign that defeated the hated Water Charges. Bin Charges and Car Insurance are going to be at the forefront in the next election and we're one of the few people fighting on those issues.

People who were former Labour voters or even people leaning towards the Shinners as an anti-establishment vote are coming to us.

So watch this space.

b20uvkft6m5xwg

Originally posted by Digi_Tilmitt
PD's: Corrupt

PROOF ??????
Please show me??

Digi_Tilmitt

Originally posted by 80project


PROOF ??????
Please show me??

Hah, we all know they are corrupt. If there was proof they would be in jail but we all know it.

Which is more left the socialist party or the workers?

b20uvkft6m5xwg

Digi...

I was actually being very serious in my original post. I have no problem w/ ppl labelling other members of other parties corrupt-ie....

Fianna Fail- Too many to mention
Fine Gael- Michael Lowery
Labour- Councillors involved in Liffey Valley planning irregualrities

but I do mind you calling the PD's Corrupt. To the best of my knowledge There has been no substaniated allegations against any member of the PD's.

Also barring you producing any evidence you have also libelled the PD's.

Please reply....

Chaos-Engine

FF: too corrupt, too right wing, economic polices get worse every year(should be increasing tax not lowering it), treaty of nice and selling the ppl or ireland off after it was a "NO"... We voted NO because it was for democracy in europe not because we don't want the czechs... Cause i want expansionof the EU more than Germany does ....

PDsIF there was a worse party than FF it is the PDs.... The really meaning of "PD" = Profit before Democracy...

FG Just the same as FF but farmers(i don't have anything against farmers i just am not one)....

Labour Was thinking about voting Labour but there policies are actually ANTI-Left.... Even somewhat more so than FF... I mean any True left wing party would be interested in giving ppl-power... What did LABOUR stand in the Nice Camp? Where r they standing in the Abortion camp?.... They certainly don't want to give ppl the power of choice... They might get a 3rd preferance vote from me just so FF/PDs/FG don't get one

SF Decommisioning and NI stuff is NI politics and i don't consider it when i think about voting SF.... They have good socialist policies and i would definitly trust them for standing up for equal rights between EU member states and not the 2 stream system the other above parties supported.... SF would probably get my 2nd preferance vote... (I predict a SF/Labour coalition in the next 10 yrs)... Unfortunitly SF r extremly catholic, family, old style FF society style. Which means a not too liberial social atmosphere... Maybe some MORE censorship in society and such like...

Greens Maybe SF and Greens are neck and neck for my 2nd preference... They r pritty much the same ... However i would probably trust SF with the economy more (we will see who gets the 2nd pref nearer the election date)

Socialist Party Pritty sound Leftist party however yet again we discover more censorship and degrading of civil rights.... I don't know... We will see

SWP... Socialist Workers Party and/or "Globalise the Resistance" REAL SOCIALISM.... REAL DEMOCRACY... REAL FREEDOM... unfortunitly they probably won't have any canditates

all in all i am very pissed with the irish political scene... I am seriouly thinking of standing for government in my late 20s ...
VOTE ME IN THEN ...

In The EU a "Left to Centre left" party is in power in every member state except "Spain"(The Spainish Civil war and ETA politics will mean it will take over 50yrs for one to come to power),
"Italy"(Italy is a very wierd place, Why did i ever learn Italian??? Berlisconi is super corrupt hehe)
and "Ireland"(We have no Left wing parties even with 1 TD in teh Dáil)

All in all very disapointing

Manach

FF - for they seem the most conservative & nationalist. If they are venal, it is just a reflection of our own society.

Digi_Tilmitt

Originally posted by Chaos-Engine
FF: "Italy"(Italy is a very wierd place, Why did i ever learn Italian??? Berlisconi is super corrupt hehe)
and "Ireland"(We have no Left wing parties even with 1 TD in teh Dáil) All in all very disapointing

Strange thing about Italy, the have one of the biggest Communist Party in Europe. 4% in the last election.

Joe Higgs is a TD for the Socialist Party, thats Left. Also you could even consider Greens a bit left because they seem decent People.

Digi_Tilmitt

Originally posted by 80project
Digi...

I was actually being very serious in my original post. I have no problem w/ ppl labelling other members of other parties corrupt-ie....

Fianna Fail- Too many to mention
Fine Gael- Michael Lowery
Labour- Councillors involved in Liffey Valley planning irregualrities

but I do mind you calling the PD's Corrupt. To the best of my knowledge There has been no substaniated allegations against any member of the PD's.

Also barring you producing any evidence you have also libelled the PD's.

Please reply....

Okay I have no Proof and I probably attacked them because they have attempted to graft a Human face to a diabolicle Party. That goes for all the right-Wingers, why don't you just admit your only for profits and don't give a dam about the ordinary people.

swiss

Originally posted by Digi_Tilmitt:
Okay I have no Proof and I probably attacked them because they have attempted to graft a Human face to a diabolicle Party. That goes for all the right-Wingers, why don't you just admit your only for profits and don't give a dam about the ordinary people.

Oh dear. Accusing the PD's of corruption, then admitting that you have no proof of any corrupt activities - then calling them (and all right-wingers) diabolical. Not entirely fair, IMO. The steriotype does not always ring true. Putting aquisition of wealth before the needs of people is of course reprehensible, but at the same time I can understand the basis of many of the policies of so called "right wing" parties, including the PD's. Encouraging enterprise does help benefit the economy as a whole, and even if the entrepreneur does reap the majority of benefits that may arise, the resultant wealth that is created both helps the government help the disadvantaged of society (social welfare payments are a significant drain on government resources, created by tax receipts) and encourage more consumption, thus (given the multiplier effect - which essentially states that National Income levels will rise in line with the level of consumption) increasing levels of wealth as a whole.

As for who I'd vote for:

Fianna Fáil:
Not likely. There's a certain arrogance about them, that has been tamed somewhat by the advent of the tribunals, but yet remains - and was extremely evident in the O'Flaherty affair. Their clear divisions over an issue as fundamental as Europe are also a considerable problem for them. They have done some good work, however, and have amongst their ranks some of the most intelligent and conscientious representatives on this island.

Fine Gael
Probably, yes. They are the party which, I feel, correlates most closely with my own politics. (I'm slightly left of center - and despite accusations that FG are right wing - I think they've moved slightly more left in recent years). Their influence has waned somewhat in recent years, having an image of engaging in conservative politics. However, like the Sprite ad, in politics - Image is nothing, thirst is everything. Despite Michael Lowry, I also believe that they are amongst the most honorable of the current political party crop.

Labour
Hrm, I would consider voting tactically for Labour, if only to help bring about a FF/Labour coalition (as opposed to a FF/SF coalition). I would rather see FG in government. This is the next best alternative. They have, to an extent, lost their leftist image, since they seem to keep every option open in the event of a coalition government.

Sinn Féin
Never, never, never. Well, not until they completely repudiate their links with the IRA, renounce all violence, and promise never to bring the gun into Irish politics again. And I can believe them. Which won't be for a very long time (if ever). They're also too leftist for my liking.

Socialist Workers Party
Sinn Féin without the terrorist links. There's probably more to them than that, but I'm just not that left-wing.

Progressive Democrats
No, I don't believe so. I think that they're essentially a right-wing form of Fianna Fáil. I had believed that they were somewhat more honourable than Fianna Fáil - I feel that Des O'Malley (despite the whole Arms crisis thingy) is an honourable man. However, their dogged determination to stay in Government with Fianna Fáil despite all the controversies has eroded my confidence in them.

Greens
Too leftist. I also disagree with their stance on Europe. They could be good in coalition with either FF or FG, if only as a moderating influence, steering them towards center-left policies.

Other/Independants
No. Giving fringe groups or independants too much lobbying power in government (as evidenced by the independants in the current government) is, I feel, bad for the country as a whole, as they tend to 'play to the local gallery' and engage in parochial politics at the expense of the national interest. (Too many current sitting TD's are engaged at that at present - but that's another story)
Other parties tend to fall either into the extreme left (Irish Communist party) or the extreme right (The National Front). I don't subscribe to the policies of either extreme. (Both of these parties were against the treaty of Nice, by the way - an interesting joint position)

Aspro

Originally posted by Chaos Engine

Socialist Party Pritty sound Leftist party however yet again we discover more censorship and degrading of civil rights.... I don't know... We will see

What are you talking about????

Censorship and degrading of civil rights????

b20uvkft6m5xwg

Originally posted by Digi_Tilmitt


Okay I have no Proof and I probably attacked them because they have attempted to graft a Human face to a diabolicle Party. That goes for all the right-Wingers, why don't you just admit your only for profits and don't give a dam about the ordinary people.

Potty Talk :rolleyes:

OSiriS

Socialist Party Pritty sound Leftist party however yet again we discover more censorship and degrading of civil rights.... I don't know... We will see

I think you are refering to a form of fascist communism of the kind Stalin brought to the old USSR. True Socialism does not reflect those views.

Digi_Tilmitt

Originally posted by 80project



Potty Talk :rolleyes:

Whatever, I know I can't convert you because you seem to really for what your sayin. You claim to be center-left, then why vote for the right-wingers?

b20uvkft6m5xwg

Originally posted by Digi_Tilmitt


Whatever, I know I can't convert you because you seem to really for what your sayin.

Pardon ??

Originally posted by Digi_Tilmitt

You claim to be center-left, then why vote for the right-wingers?

When did I claim to be centre-left ??
Are you presuming I'm a member or supporter of the PD's??

My issue with your comments were based on an issue of fact- of which you have yet to repudiate and as of this post you are still libelling the PD's as being corrupt:)

Digi_Tilmitt

Originally posted by 80project


Pardon ??



When did I claim to be centre-left ??
Are you presuming I'm a member or supporter of the PD's??

My issue with your comments were based on an issue of fact- of which you have yet to repudiate and as of this post you are still libelling the PD's as being corrupt:)

OK, I accuse the PD's of being corrupt as I cannot state with proff that they most definetly are.

b20uvkft6m5xwg

Originally posted by Digi_Tilmitt


OK, I accuse the PD's of being corrupt as I cannot state with proff that they most definetly are.

Sorry to say this again but...

PARDON ??

TheAuditor

Originally posted by Chaos-Engine
In The EU a "Left to Centre left" party is in power in every member state except "Spain"(The Spainish Civil war and ETA politics will mean it will take over 50yrs for one to come to power), [/B]

What are you on about Chaos-Engine? The PES (Socialist Party of Espana) ran Spain from the death of Franco to the 1997 election, where Jose Maria Atnar and his right wing coalition took over from Felipe Gonzalez:p

Typedef

Looks as if in Bertie Ahern's constituancy ie my constituancy that a
Sinn Fein candidate may stand a chance of getting elected so this candidate will get either my first preference or second preference.

Any other credible (non FF/FG) candidate in this constituancy stands equal chance of tactical 1st or 2nd preference non-FF/FG vote.

Pity the Greens don't seem to have anyone strong in this area, I might vote Labour, but as I say the SF candidate looks strong enough to take a seat or if no seat is taken @ least shake up the FF/FG vote enough to make people notice the significant disaffection with mainstream parties.

Digi_Tilmitt

What I am sayin is that I cannot prove that the PD's are corrupt but I expect and accuse them of being corrupt.