Presidential Election 2025

I think with a good media campaign she could have got to 8-10%, but even then transfer wise she would have been dead.

Steen clearly has something about her whether we like it or not, so I would suggest she could run as a TD for Aontu next election.

Michael McDowell, Sean Canney, Noel Grealish and Michael Lowry all could have backed her and they didn't.

The government has f*ck all to do with this. Fianna Fail and Fine Gael are actively going up against each other. There was nothing stopping any of the above four from signing her nomination forms.

The fact people are trying to blame any of the parties or 'de left' for this is a nonsense. The whole thing about getting FF backbenchers to sign her papers was designed to spin this message that FF and FG aren't democratic. That is it.

It's amazing how there are so many people I look at online who are incapable of thinking for themselves.

I never cease to be amazed how much debate this largely ceremonial post generates. If I still had a vote it would be for Humphreys, a safe pair of hands who won’t make an eejit of herself.

"Lots" of Boards posters who are using the same "I don't know about her but" or pretending they want her in the race for democracies sake.

They know their own and her views are wildly unpopular so are too scared to admit they would vote for her.

She has been around for years and hasn't run. A failed attempt at a presidential nomination won't make her jump at a slim chance of being a TD with a party unlikely to govern.

Better to stay in the shadows with Iona.

I made the mistake of logging into my Facebook earlier and reading the comments under the RTÉ News post on the end of her campaign. Plenty of comments along the lines of "I'm still going to go to the polling station and write 'Maria Steen No. 1' on my ballot paper." Yep, do that, that'll really achieve something.

If Maria Steen is that keen to serve, why was she nowhere to be seen this time last year when there was a general election around the corner? Much easier to get on the ballot paper to run as a TD. We had council and Euro elections last year too. She's had plenty of opportunities.

I don't know if I would say it was a failed campaign, their was definitely worse over the years. 18 on a months notice is solid enough and their was clearly differences between her and McDowell that were never going to be solved.

You are right though I doubt she would bother running as a TD, she's clearly very comfortable financially and despite the presence of Toibin everywhere they ultimately only have one other TD so I don't think the party is on much of an upward trajectory .

There are a lot of voters out there, who don't do second or third preferences. Predictably, her fans are throwing their toys out of the pram and ignoring the fact that she put very little effort into getting the 20 nominations.

ah got you now, I missed your point initially. Yes that sounds about right. I wouldn’t vote for her in a million years.

I would have voted for her . As would thousands of others .

“ Happy “ “ now” ?

No it's not.

I don't understand why she is saying it's turned into a farce. 2 or 3 candidates is the norm for a presidential election and we often didn't even have a vote.

2011 was great fun but it's really gone to peoples heads. Elections full of supposed successful businessmen and religious nuts promising things the president can't do is not the norm.

Absolutely. If it were Haughey or even Ahern or Reynolds you could almost smile at their audacity but Martin attempting it is almost like hearing your spinster aunt is moonlighting at the local strip club. In an era in irish politics which is crying out for a political figure with a bit of character or raciness Martin has parachuted in a candidate even more bland than himself.

Listening to CC on Newstalk earlier she makes the Presidential election sound like some sort of vote on Gaza.

A legal nothingburger and she is going to be laughed out of the court, shes effectively challenging the constitution for being unconstitutional, its absurd.

This quote stood out to me and i think epitomises all candidates who were unable to get nominated

When he said he was concerned the arguments sought to be raised were not fully developed, Dr Stack interrupted his ruling to say she had just one day to prepare her application