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To give Kenny his due, he was a craftly little fecker and a much better leader than Varadkar. He was also a good campaigner. Coveney has the ability to appear sincere and ordinary. I'm not sure that Donohoe is quite as media friendly but he has ambition and he is a lot smarter than most of the other FGers. If things go completely pear-shaped for FG then the next leader will need to rebuild the party and that means a lot of local campaigning.
Regards...jmcc
Don't be surprised to see the SocDems doing better. They are a classic "nice but dim" vote recipient. The co-leaders are getting close to retirement but there is a younger "issues" group that is very media friendly. To some extent, they are going to be in direct competition with Labour and, to a much lesser extent, with the Greens. It might take some time for them to develop into a "none of the above" kind of party. The problem with estimating the SocDem support is that it is highly geographically concentrated (much like PBP/Socs/Independents) and the sample size used by most polls is not large enough to accurately estimate the support of smaller parties. It might benefit from the cult of Saint Greta voters who may be looking elsewhere after the realpolitik of the Greens.
I think Coveney would be a very poor leader. Another Enda. He has to rehearse what he wants to say unless he is repeating Brexit/Backstop every 10 seconds. His competence has been exposed lately. And he has been caught telling porkies recently. Paschal is the only one left with leadership qualities.
Yes it does as that’s exactly what it is.
I've a particular interest, not quite adoption but connected, one of many issues he and his department are supposed to be dealing with so to speak.
"woke green rubbish" really says it all. No thanks leave you to it.
Do they? All I ever hear from real people is complaints about the crippling cost of energy and how the likes of the Green policies are actively making them much much poorer. All stemming from the climate alarmists and their chicken licken narrative of doom. Next election anyhow we will mercifully see a Green wipe out. It can’t come soon enough.
As for the other parties they’ve all bought into this woke green rubbish as they think it’s some kind of vote getter and box tick exercise to look all caring and down with the Grettas with their made in China I phones on Instagram
It doesn't really matter if you do give a "hoot" or not, the majority do. As pointed out many times on other thread every party now has a Green agenda, so not sure why you are talking about the left been obsessed?
Correction- ALL issues
I couldn’t give a hoot about climate “change”. Interesting how it falls politically and who are the fanatics for all things climate “change”- big government, big regulation, big taxation and big control- sounds like a socialists wet dream. I wonder why the left obsess so much over it?
Extraordinary comment, I've long thought this chap completely out of his depth on this particular issue.
I’m from a staunch blue shirt family. They won’t be getting a preference anywhere. I’d say the same for the rest of family too. I don’t know who FG supposedly “represent”- but for sure and certain it ain’t Leo’s “early risers”.
As for mr Coveney- there seems to be some chatter in the media that this is a somehow competent or great politician? I don’t know what or who they are looking at?
What's left of their support, which combined has fallen from the heady heights of 86% to just over 40% at the last GE. Poll trends suggest this is still in decline.
Tell us, what data are you basing the supposition that they 'won't' vote for other parties on?
Thank Christ. They are the very worst of all the other parties spun into one. A rump of privileged leftie elitists of the Hilary Clinton mold. Big spending, big taxation, big government, nanny state regulation of the minutia of your lives, gender identity, endless of banning of every pleasure or comfort you may have had in your life- the only blessing really is these useless Ditch hurlers will NEVER EVER govern as evidenced by one of their “leaders” Ms Shortall who couldn’t hack it for five seconds.
SF “might” govern next time as they’re out of excuses. What’ll be more interesting is watching this rump of rats scramble for excuses not to.
O'Callaghan is an establishment candidate and, more importantly, a Dublin candidate. He was smart enough not to take a junior minister job while he was more suited to the Justice portfolio. Instead, FG gave it to McEntee (not a good move). DBS was a very tricky election because it would have been an easy FG win had Varadkar and his clique of mediocrities not engaged in that fight with Kate O'Connell. I don't tink it was winnable for FF and it was one time where the opinion polls were accurate. The propaganda from RTE and the IT for Bacik helped but the real reason why she won was simply because FG and FF screwed up. That will not happen in the GE. It was wise of FF not to waste too much money on the election.
Calleary always seems to be a follower rather than a leader (much like Martin). Cowen, I think, wants to be the kingmaker and he's a fighter. Eamon O'Cuiv would have been an interesting leader of FF and might well have expanded the FF vote. He was removed as deputy leader by Martin. He had campaigned with an SDLP candidate in an election in the North and the neo-Unionist Martin didn't like that. Willy O'Dea wold have been great for soundbites and arguments. There's something inherently creepy about Martin when he is put under pressure during interviews. He keeps doing his ratman clawing actions. The backroom FF people have tried to coach him but he keeps doing it.
McGrath might be a good leader and, apart from the MILFman incident, seems quite good choice. However, with is background, he might be better in Finance. O'Callaghan is smart and would appeal more to the Dublin element of the FF vote (it lost a lot of votes there).
A lesson in what exactly? It's a post which has nothing to do with the actual question. The claim was that FF and FG are the same, then the poster said that FF and FG are getting transferred, when I offered a reason why I was told I was wrong and they had "facts and data"
When I asked for these "facts and data" what I got back was a post about parties like Labour, a dig at teachers etc but not a single fact or data to back this up. Comments about Cowan etc
That is an opinion, nothing else. Which does nothing to suggest my opinion that FF and FG voters at this stage will vote for anyone apart for a certain party.
So please explain why someone who claimed to have fact and data, didn't provide any of them and you want me to thank them?
Apart from FF voters, Labour voters. There was a floating vote that used to move between FF and Labour but Labour became too close to FG. The Labour vote was a kind of trickle down vote where its TDs depended mainly on transfers to get elected. When those transfers disappeared (2016) the party effectively disappeared too. As it has been out of power for so long, most voters consider it just another fringe party and are concentrating their preferences on parties that may be in government with a sufficient number of seats. The fear of SF is also going to drive some older FF or FG voters into voting for the devils they know. The most logical thing for FF and FG to do would be to announce an electoral pact and have a joint candidate strategy. Without them, SF could get close to enough seats to form a government with only a few non-SF TDs because FF and FG candidates would fratricide (nightmare scenario for FF/FG) each other with only the poll-topper FF/FG candidates getting elected. The next GE is going to be a rural battle and it would be better for FG to have Coveney as leader (or even Donohoe).
I could not get the speculation on Jim O`Callaghan. Other than perhaps them looking for someone from Dublin. He just strikes me as a rather cranky cantankerous individual that would fight with himself if there was nobody else around. Whatever chance he may have had he blew it with the Dublin Bay South by-election. Conroy may not have been a great candidate, but he did look to have worked to make sure there was no chance of him having to run alongside a sitting FF T.D. come the next G.E.Had he had any cop on he would have worked to try and get her a half decent return as her going on the ticket next time around was not going to stop him taking the one possible seat there.
Calleary as far as remember was deputy leader, but whether he still is I have no idea, but I cannot se him getting it. McGrath I have seen mentioned but going back again to Cork may not appeal to enough to get him the gig. The other lad that was sacked that caused resentment could be a different story. Cowen appears to be well got with FF members and that sacking and this turf war will be doing him no harm either.
Pity Willie O`Dea would not go for it, but far as I know he is bowing out. At least with the bold Willie you would be guaranteed a bit of entertainment.
Did Roderick just blurt this out or did he think about what he was saying???
Can you see FG getting 2nd preferences from anywhere? I cant even see FF voters giving FG preferences after the way Leo and Simon have behaved. Every seat will be a fight.
I think you should be thanking him for the lesson to be honest.
No facts or data! What post are you replying too because it cannot be the one @jmcc posted.
Pure Karma. :) There were some moves among backbenchers a while ago with virtual rubber chicken meetings being held on Zoom. The firing of the Calleary and Cowen to appease FG didn't go down well among the FF backbenchers and Jim O'Callaghan was being considered as a replacement. That wsa before FF polled 5% in the Dublin Bay South bye-election with Deirdre of the Sorrows. I think, from reading various reports, that Martin is becoming increasingly isolated in FF. A few good opinion polls for FF could see it all kicking off again as FFers regain their confidence.
So no facts and data?
So you have nothing to say I was incorrect. Thank you for the update👍️
Opinion polls and history. (I think it was a recent RedC poll) They were showing that FFers were more likely to transfer to FG and vice versa. Basically what is happening is a long term merging of FF and FG because FF has moved away from its centrist and Left of centre roots. It was a political movement to some extent and the cumman system meant that it was effectively plugged into all aspects of Irish society. When Ahern and his gang got into power, they destroyed it and Cowen effectively finished it. Rather than locally selected candidates, FFHQ selected/approved candidates became the norm. The double jobbing councillor/TD link was also broken under Ahern. While this was a good thing it also disconnected the Dail's spawning grounds from the Dail. All that's left now for the wannabes and never-weres is the Seanad. Making the leap from council to Dail is much more difficult now.
Ireland used to have a 2.5 party model with Labour being the half party. There were some fringe parties like the PDs and the Greens who were useful to make up the numbers on occasion. In 2013, the political model started to change to a Big Three model and Labour's position begain to collapse. This largely went unnoticed by the political correspondents in the media because none of them have any background in analysis of data and models. The Big Three model is the most complicated because no two of the Big Three parties have enough seats to form a government.
Even as Labour support started to collapse, FG shills on various fora were claiming that Labour's support was around 10%. (FG needed Labour as its half party.) It wasn't. I called the spread on the Big Three parties for the 2016 on another forum. What a lot of people don't seem to understand is that the electorate changes.
Almost half a generation has passed since the bursting of the property bubble. Many of those who grew up in the aftermath of that FF/FG/PD caused economic disaster are now eligible to vote. They aren't voting FF/FG. The FF demographics are older and SF is better supported in the younger demographics. Would you still vote for the incompetent morons (Varadkar, Harris and FG) responsible for the Children's Hospital mess? Would you vote for the morons who nearly destroyed the economy and bailed out their bankster buddies? That's the History that is destroying the FFG vote. People who can't buy a house or find it too expensive to rent in cities like Dublin blame FFG. That's why SF is solidly around 30% in the opinion polls. FF and FG are two Right of centre parties fishing in the same puddle for votes. SF, having effectively taken much of the Left of centre has now moved to the centre and is very much the old style FF. As for "Labour", it is just another YATSE party (Yet Another School Teacher Seeking Election) adored by the Irish Times and RTE and despised by voters. On its current polling figures, it will be lucky to return two TDs after the upcoming GE.
I proved there were many many FG politicians that since 2011 (New Politics release) that have not lived the values you showed and were abusing their positions for personal gain. Do you concur? Or do you deny?
I didn't in fact, I was responding to a ridiculous comment about FF and FG, I just pointed out the values of the parties are different and you went off on some tangent trying to attack current and ex-TD's in FG as if that had some relevance.
You can review every TD in the Dail if you want, current and past, I am sure someone would read it, I certainly won't....
Finally some action. A team going in to get those lazy nurses working and remind them how good the ratio is.
HSE experts to tackle Limerick hospital overcrowding crisis (limerickpost.ie)
HEALTH Minister Stephen Donnelly has ordered the HSE to deploy an expert team to University Hospital Limerick (UHL) as part of an emergency plan to ease crisis levels of patient overcrowding, as 111 patients lay on trolleys in hospital corridors yesterday (Wednesday).
Minister Donnelly said he was “very concerned” about patient care at UHL as management struggled to deal with record levels of patients waiting for beds after being admitted to the hospital.
Figures published by the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) showed that in the previous week, at least 649 patients were cramped together on trolleys in the emergency department and along corridors elsewhere in the hospital.
However, the figures are in reality much higher as trolley statistics are not reported during weekends, which is the busiest period for many hospitals.
“It’s chaotic, the worst I’ve ever seen it in here, and that is saying something, because I thought I had previously witnessed it at its worst. There is just no joined up thinking, no communication, no plan, not enough beds, you name it, it’s just terrible in here,” said a member of staff who did not wish to be identified.
I always answer questions no matter how naive. You brought up the FFG values. So you don't like FG either - would you prefer a FF list so?
It would be ironic, but if his own take him out before December, unless their new leader said he/she was happy for him to remain until then as half Taoiseach, I honestly could not see it as happening.
