Presidential Election 2025

It appears poor auld CC has lost the plot,the tankie reveals herself,ask the people of Galway west,we knew she was a loose cannon for years.

Ok well i consider this an obvious incident of friendly fire - but i have to genuinely disagree with your opinion

Catherine Connolly has said nothing wrong

• In my opinion, stating that Hamas should have a role in the future of Palestine, is 100% wrong. Whether she wishes to believe that or not, is her business; but as a presidential candidate she is open to huge criticism on this error alone
• Germany re-arming is as a result of Russian Aggression, aimed squarly at Europe. Comparing it to Hitlers re-arming in the 1930s is plainly nonsensical.
• Saying that the US is an Imperial power is wrong. Please understand I am NOT a fan of US Foreign Policy, and i realize how unstable the US is at present. But the US is not an imperial power on the same tier as Russia.

i could go on, as her views on blaming NATO (defensive organization) for Russia (Non Nato Member) invading the Ukraine (Also, Non Nato Member) borders on embarassing - but she hasnt brought NATO up for discussion in this campaign (yet - maybe i shouldnt have mentioned it, i dont want to give her ideas)

She's trying to be true to her views but she has to be mindful to her backers in SF, SD and Lab

If i were to hazard a guess, id say these parties probably want to her to win the election. Which, quite honestly, she has little chance in doing if she continues down this path

The point about the RTE headline was that they led with it as if her point was controversial when it isn't

Sorry, i genuinely do consider this a controversial topic. I am not a fan of Trump, i detest MAGA, and i believe US has made horrific mistakes in its foreign policy during the last few decades. But it is NOT an Imperial Power. IMHO

This is what i mean when i wish she would leave the tricky topics alone - she is opening herself up to obvious criticism, and in doing so, damaging her chances - and the left in general

Look I dont know what to say, but less than 48 hours in, she is setting fires which wont go out for a while - she could have steered the ship safer, and gave JG and HH a serious run for their money. But instead she insists on bringing devisive internation issues to the forefront of a presidential election - and that is an error.

Exactly, Connolly seems to show less and less “cop on” when she speaks. She is causing damage to her own campaign. It is not as if any candidate attacked her. She is causing herself trouble on her own.

To me Connolly sounds to the left of Labour and more PBP in tone. Sure, PBP are a party which the majority of Irish people struggle to take seriously. Grand if a local TD is needed to protest a local issue. But utterly hopeless when it comes to broad national appeal.

Jayus, even SF changed their tone over the years. Less of the PBP type rhetoric. Becoming much less Euroskeptic.

Well, I suppose he didn't quite get to marching up and down oiutside the Dáil with a placard. Which would have been the next step. But not the role of President, whether I support the placard message or not.

SF rolling in behind Connolly was bizarre. They'd have been better going a celeb route and picking Dana than rolling in behind her.

Theres a chance Connolly will top the poll due to a unified leftwing support. However there was some division in the Labour Party, with Alan Kelly saying he disagreed with some of her foreign policy views.

There have been 4 popular vote Presidential elections since 1990 and the Left have won 3 of them. They seem to be better at them than Dail Elections.

We will see. Michael D Higgins had widespread support in the press. Does Connolly have similar levels of press support? I have doubts. INM is now owned by Mediahuis, a Belgian company. Will they be okay with her views on Russia-Ukraine, and criticism of German rearmament?

She may attract a protest vote, such as over Scoliosis. But while I think that issue hurt FG a bit in the election, it wasnt enough to change the government.

Delighted actually. Go back to thread begining I was on the Connolly train from day one.

No, I think you're bitter. The prize was there. The best answer to obdurate unionists about not being wanted in a UI - a border Presbyterian being elected and SF could have said they backed that person. They didn't have to agree with any government policies - they could have made a strategic principled position in aid of what they claim is their overarching goal. Some SF officials have publicly acknowledged they missed a trick.

They tied themselves to someone highly likely to finish last.

SF backing FG is as likely as me marrying Taylor Swift.

SF should have nominated anyone, if none of the TD's wanted it then fcuk it go for Dana or Jim McGuinness but do something other than backing a liability.

McGregor would have had opinions and possibly be more stable than Connolly has been in interviews.

Having opinions and expressing them isn't always the right thing.