Presidential Election 2025

Time heals all wounds.

Bertie and his crowd crashed the country 15 or more years ago, but we came back stronger (not that FF were responsible for that or anything), so the crash is largely forgotten about by us that were in the middle of it (just bought a house, had a few small kids) and it was nothing to anyone under the age of about 30, they were still kids.

A longer lasting legacy for Bertie is the GFA, and he gets due recognition for his role in that, however important or not people may view it.

That legacy has taken him all over the world as someone who is seen as a peace negotiator

He was the chair of the Bougainville Referendum Commission which was responsible for the referendum on Bougainville independence from Papua New Guinea.

So his GFA legacy could help him.

But then again as soon as the campaign starts all the 2008 skeletons will be pulled out and that will be the end of him.

Wonder how many of the younger voters really pay that much attention now to the GFA,think too much of other past issues would be brought up and FF wouldn't like that .For that reason I would be surprised if Bertie got the FF ticket .

I wouldn't have her down as the favourite to win, but she would be very competitive : skilled Dáil performer and TV debater. Quite a few other candidates would come across as total lightweights in comparison once the debates were underway.

Would prefer FF didn't run anyone tbh...especially not of the caliber of bertie ahern. . FF don't deserve the presidency IMHO.

FG and FF will have to hope the electorate don't decide to give them a slapping.

That has happened before.

I think MLMD can pick up votes without that but it could certainly be the thing that pushes her over the line.

Not saying who would win but it would most certainly be all to play for.

Agree. And neither would win either, so it'd be a waste of political capital for both.

If Connolly lets herself be put forward as the unified candidate of the left, then I think the office is hers for the taking. If she gets nominated early enough then MLMD won't stand, and at the moment there's no FF hopeful with a realistic chance. If it's a straight shootout between McGuiness and Connolly, then Connolly will win every time, especially with Harris campaigning for McGuinness

Won't surprise me if they don't run someone. AS you say they don't really have a candidate and its an expensive adventure just to run a candidate to tick a box.

Maybe Martin will support Hannafin?

Connolly winning would be profoundly depressing. She has never achieved anything of note. She would be a continuation of all the worst aspects of Michael D and his ideology without the counterpoint of his charm and personality.

If she wins, it will be because a majority voted for her.

So that should read: 'Connolly winning would be profoundly depressing for me'

And the question in answer to that is - so what?

hmmm, I get what you are saying but she'll be nominated in a fanfare of PR by FG. Hard to disassociate.

Except Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael tend to attract transfers easier than Sinn Féin. So if the candidates started on a similar polling as their parties, it's much harder for the Sinn Féin candidate to gain votes versus FF or FG. And there is an especially close link now with the people who vote FG and transfer FF and vice versa, so they'll help each other out later on in the count.

Mairead McGuinness would wipe MLMD and Ahern off the floor.

The only reason SF will run MLMD will be to quietly take her off the board. If she runs for President, she will have to resign as party leader, so that is a win-win for the boys in Belfast. She is no longer party leader if she fails, and she is President if she succeeds.

Why would she want to dissociate?

She has got to where she is by being unabashed centrist, Christian democrat, wealthy farmer stock. Blue and gold blood runs through her veins and it tastes like Avonmore Whole Milk bought in Super Valu. She's John Bruton in heels.

Except, she's a far better communicator and debater than Bruton ever was, and she'll destroy her opponents by leaning in to who she is, not by trying to run away from it.