So Michael D IS running again!

marieholmfan wrote: »

Nothing suspicious about it. Can you explain why (other than a desire to have Sean Gallagher be the second placed candidate) one would describe it as suspicious.

Because she originally claimed she gave it to the Irish branch so either she lied in an effort to garner support at home OR she is unable to keep track of who she donates 65k to?

FrancieBrady

Hurrache wrote: »

What is wrong with you?

Hurrache, I told you to 'update' your view. He has said clearly that his views on hunting will have nothing to do with his presidency. Ergo-therefore- etc He will keep them 'private'.
Something many people who enter public office do.

I was merely making a very simple point which had to do with your misguided criteria for selecting someone to 'get within an asses roar of representing the people of Ireland'

Don't take it so personally.

marieholmfan wrote: »

Well I am not going to vote for Duffy as he won't clarify his links with Dennis O'Brien.

But you are fine with freemans links to des walsh who while not as well known in Ireland is very likely just as dirty as DoB? The cognitive dissonance on display by you is astounding.

Loafing Oaf

marieholmfan wrote: »

Was Robinson challenged?

She didn't run for a second term, if that's what you're asking. In fact, she didn't see out a full term.

VinLieger wrote: »

But you are fine with freemans links to des walsh who while not as well known in Ireland is very likely just as dirty as DoB? The cognitive dissonance on display by you is astounding.

Your own cognitive dissonance is bizarre.
You are so so sorry for the poor little American hypercapitalists who buy into Herbalife's business model but you feel that trying to prevent actual Irish people in America from killing themselves is dodgy!

O'Brien has damaged this country; we don't need one of his catspaws in Aras an uachtaran and neither do we need a brown envelope distributor like Gallagher or a lunatic like Casey.

ouxbbkqtswdfaw

Anyone care to forecast the voter turnout? I'd say about 43%.

rovertom

Michael D could have been re elected unopposed had he not been such a liar re seeking a second term and he guaranteed an election by holding off on declaring what he was doing for far too long.
The little man should have stepped aside. If he had, we would have got real candidates.

FrancieBrady

marieholmfan wrote: »

Your own cognitive dissonance is bizarre.
You are so so sorry for the poor little American hypercapitalists who buy into Herbalife's business model but you feel that trying to prevent actual Irish people in America from killing themselves is dodgy!

O'Brien has damaged this country; we don't need one of his catspaws in Aras an uachtaran and neither do we need a brown envelope distributor like Gallagher or a lunatic like Casey.

Nor someone who will attach themselves to anyone - just for money. That is the rationale most criminals use for what they do, 'I did it, because I needed the money'. That is Freeman's stock answer to this 'loan'.

FrancieBrady

8j1w94vbmnlt05 wrote: »

Anyone care to forecast the voter turnout? I'd say about 43%.

At the moment, I think it could be an all time low.

marieholmfan wrote: »

You are so so sorry for the poor little American hypercapitalists who buy into Herbalife's business model but you feel that trying to prevent actual Irish people in America from killing themselves is dodgy!

Seriously enough with your stupid childish strawmen, start addressing the things people actually post and stop making up your own garbage.

gmisk

FrancieBrady wrote: »

Nor someone who will attach themselves to anyone - just for money. That is the rationale most criminals use for what they do, 'I did it, because I needed the money'. That is Freeman's stock answer to this 'loan'.

That isnt at all she said the below....a great romance of our time!
Also she is being charged a shocking interest rate if its true (9%!!!)....blinded by love

For as it happened, she went out with Des Walsh when she was 19 in 1970s Dublin.
“So we broke up after less than a year. Des went his way, I went my way. Seemingly what happened was Des moved to America, moved to I think Texas, and then moved to LA.
“And I was on The Late Late last January and someone sent Des a screenshot of me on The Late Late and said ‘Is that your one Joan [Lowe]’?”
“And after 40 years, he sent me an email. We spoke on the phone.”
“The fundamental question – sorry I might seem very shallow – what does he look like 40 years later? Is he married? Does he have children? Where does he live?”

For Forks Sake

marieholmfan wrote: »

Was Robinson challenged?

She resigned a couple of months early in order to take up the UNHCR job.

It is the SIPO rate.

gmisk wrote: »

That isnt at all she said the below....a great romance of our time!
Also that is a shocking interest rate if its true....blinded by love

For as it happened, she went out with Des Walsh when she was 19 in 1970s Dublin.
“So we broke up after less than a year. Des went his way, I went my way. Seemingly what happened was Des moved to America, moved to I think Texas, and then moved to LA.
“And I was on The Late Late last January and someone sent Des a screenshot of me on The Late Late and said ‘Is that your one Joan [Lowe]’?”
“And after 40 years, he sent me an email. We spoke on the phone.”
“The fundamental question – sorry I might seem very shallow – what does he look like 40 years later? Is he married? Does he have children? Where does he live?”

Zubeneschamali

seamus wrote: »

This is the first time it's happened, mainly because four shysters and a political party have realised that they can squeeze some publicity out of it.

There would have been no election without SF, they and they alone made this happen.

The Dragons and Freeman would not have been able to get councils to nominate them except that SF very clearly stated that they would nominate someone and provoke an election, and they had the numbers to do it on their own.

blanch152

marieholmfan wrote: »

Your own cognitive dissonance is bizarre.
You are so so sorry for the poor little American hypercapitalists who buy into Herbalife's business model but you feel that trying to prevent actual Irish people in America from killing themselves is dodgy!

O'Brien has damaged this country; we don't need one of his catspaws in Aras an uachtaran and neither do we need a brown envelope distributor like Gallagher or a lunatic like Casey.

Has he? He has enriched himself, but has he damaged this country?

https://www.independent.ie/business/technology/ireland-among-cheapest-in-europe-for-mobile-bills-but-dearest-for-home-broadband-35279538.html

Ireland is among the cheapest in Europe for mobile bills. Some of that at least is down to those that won the mobile licences and provided competition. Is that a good thing for the country? Or is the country damaged as a result?

To be clear, I don't like the man, I don't like the way he does business and I don't like that he became a tax exile. But has he damaged the country?

VinLieger wrote: »

Seriously enough with your stupid childish strawmen, start addressing the things people actually post and stop making up your own garbage.

Without naming anyone in particular the attacks on Pieta House, Joan Freeman, the mentally ill etc. that litter this discussion are so internally inconsistent and disconnected from objective reality that any attempt at engagement necessarily requires an attempt to restate the 'argument' being made.

This is not 'strawmanning' ; rather it is an attempt to turn the anti Freemanite nonsense into something that can at least be rebutted rather than (as it generally is) something that is 'not even wrong'.

(unfortunately in the age of Trump we can no longer ignore dishonesty as if left unchallenged some people will believe it)

rovertom wrote: »

The little man should have stepped aside. If he had, we would have got real candidates.

Given that he's currently polling at 70% he'd have been mad to have stepped aside.

Which real candidates would we have got?

Frances Fitzgerald - Damaged goods

Hard to think of anyone in FF who is old enough to end their political career proper and who isn't entirely toxic.

Fergus Finlay wanted a run at it seven years ago but Labour wouldn't back him. Hard to think of anyone else in Labour.

SF did run a candidate. Had a hard job finding a reasonably suitable non-toxic candidate.

Any 'celebrity' type candidates could have got a run by the same route the Dragoons did.

So who?

8j1w94vbmnlt05 wrote: »

Why would anyone bother voting in this election?

Ensure the 5 eejits don't get their expenses

Joan Freeman.

Hotblack Desiato wrote: »

Given that he's currently polling at 70% he'd have been mad to have stepped aside.

Which real candidates would we have got?

Frances Fitzgerald - Damaged goods

Hard to think of anyone in FF who is old enough to end their political career proper and who isn't entirely toxic.

Fergus Finlay wanted a run at it seven years ago but Labour wouldn't back him. Hard to think of anyone else in Labour.

SF did run a candidate. Had a hard job finding a reasonably suitable non-toxic candidate.

Any 'celebrity' type candidates could have got a run by the same route the Dragoons did.

So who?

blanch152

Hotblack Desiato wrote: »

Given that he's currently polling at 70% he'd have been mad to have stepped aside.

Which real candidates would we have got?

Frances Fitzgerald - Damaged goods

Hard to think of anyone in FF who is old enough to end their political career proper and who isn't entirely toxic.

Fergus Finlay wanted a run at it seven years ago but Labour wouldn't back him. Hard to think of anyone else in Labour.

SF did run a candidate. Had a hard job finding a reasonably suitable non-toxic candidate.

Any 'celebrity' type candidates could have got a run by the same route the Dragoons did.

So who?

It is a very good question. It is too soon for Enda Kenny, he hasn't been rehabilitated yet.

John Bruton has gone even more conservative right-wing and it out of touch.

Many other senior politicians are either unpopular with sections of society - O'Dea, Noonan, Fitzgerald - because of perceived black marks or have left politics and aren't bothered - Dempsey.

Mary O'Rourke?

alaimacerc

blanch152 wrote: »

Ireland is among the cheapest in Europe for mobile bills. Some of that at least is down to those that won the mobile licences and provided competition. Is that a good thing for the country? Or is the country damaged as a result?

To be clear, I don't like the man, I don't like the way he does business and I don't like that he became a tax exile. But has he damaged the country?

I think it's clearly possible to make a case that his influence goes beyond the configuration and tariffs of the mobile companies. There's the tax situation you mention. There's the Lowry business, that still rumbles on through national politics. There's his media ownership. There's his fondness for recourse to m'learned friend, that I bet everyone commenting on him here has in their mind, even as they do so.

Zubeneschamali

marieholmfan wrote: »

Without naming anyone in particular the attacks on Pieta House, Joan Freeman, the mentally ill etc. that litter this discussion are so internally inconsistent and disconnected from objective reality that any attempt at engagement necessarily requires an attempt to restate the 'argument' being made.

No-one has attacked Pieta House or the mentally ill, so you can't re-state any such attack, only make it up.

The only "attack" on Freeman which relates to Pieta House is the point that she said she would donate her Senate salary to Pieta House, but instead donated it to a different similar charity she set up in the USA.

marieholmfan wrote: »

Joan Freeman.

How can a candidate who is actually running and is fighting for 3rd or 4th place be an example of a 'real candidate we would have got' if MDH wasn't running?

Zubeneschamali

blanch152 wrote: »

Mary O'Rourke?

[unprintable remarks redacted]

gmisk

blanch152 wrote: »

It is a very good question. It is too soon for Enda Kenny, he hasn't been rehabilitated yet.

John Bruton has gone even more conservative right-wing and it out of touch.

Many other senior politicians are either unpopular with sections of society - O'Dea, Noonan, Fitzgerald - because of perceived black marks or have left politics and aren't bothered - Dempsey.

Mary O'Rourke?

Catherine Murphy would get my vote if she ever decided to run.

But I think she does a lot of really excellent and necessary work as a TD

marieholmfan wrote: »

It is the SIPO rate.

If she ever pays it back, which to me appears doubtful.

blanch152

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/presidential-election-2018/sinn-fin-accused-of-vulgar-abuse-after-party-member-jibes-at-leprechaun-higgins-37424493.html

Free publicity for the Sinn Fein candidate. I doubt it will do her any harm.

Apart from being against flouridation of water, there seems to be no information around on the councillor.