Fine Gael Demographic

Would not necessarily be impossible for SF to form a government without FF or FG involvement on those numbers. Obviously would depend on the makeup of the independents. I've said it before but if a non-FF/FG government was even remotely possible, there would be massive pressure on all sections of the Left top make it happen.

I think SF are positioning themselves for a coalition government deal with FF or FG at their Ard Fheis atm. Dropping their rejection of the SCC with caveats is a big move.

They will merge, sooner or later. No other long term solution makes sense. It'll probably begin with electoral pacts and so forth, and will take a decade or two to complete, but it will happen.

Grand theory if you think the FG demographic isn't changing. But it is and very quickly too.

I wouldn't rule it out, is all I am saying.

A couple of years ago I would have adamantly ruled out FF and FG coalescing.

Look at the vote FG can now muster if you have problems understanding how the demographics are changing. It isnt that long ago ceilings of the high teens were being talked about for SF.

The party to gain the most will be the one in opposition when and if SF are in power imo.

Not balancing the books is ok. LOL.

Probably something the SF spoofer finance rep would say. The country is riddled with debt ffs. Let's not pile more welfare handouts on to an already inflated welfare state. FF and FG have done enough damage there.

this is now well proven, go outside of politics for this one, theres now sufficient evidence to support, a deficit run economy is far more safer than a primarily credit run one, but not problem free of course, once again, graph supplied! we truly need to get over this one, oh and deficit money doesnt necessarily need to be only given to those on welfare, even though pup has proven, given citizens on welfare more money directly benefits the economy, as this money is spent into the economy, but providing the economy with more public money via deficit spending is far better, as private sector money, i.e. credit, generally just moves towards asset markets, inflating asset prices, in particular related to property and land markets.

the whole planet is riddled with debt, its how our economic and monetary systems work, i.e. credit and debt! without it, there would be no economic activities, period, but again as the graph shows, private debt has now become the far more dangerous of the two, so pick your poison!

But how does it come to be FG rather than FF that is doing the deal with SF. Can you sketch out the circumstances where that could happen? FF turn them down but FG are up for it?

I don't see why it has two be a two-party coalition. Plenty of left-wing parties up for a deal with SF. IMO FF+Lab+SD+whoever will always be a prefereable lineup of coalition partners than FG for SF.