Presidential Election 2025

FF are counting on a re-election now. It's the only thing they can do other than openly back a rival.

I can almost say with certainty that the current **** getting flung at either candidate is emerging and getting amplified by FF

The election is over , some bookies have paid out. This bickering is pointless as a famous Governor once said.

Give over Oscar. Set integrity aside when it’s inconvenient? Taking ten seconds to reject dirty tactics doesn’t derail a campaign - it shows leadership and character. Ignoring it just looks calculated, which anyone watching can see it is.

I have to say I'm quite bemused that some people genuinely believe there's some sort of massive conspiracy against Catherine Connolly involving the mainstream media.

Just because they asked tough questions of her based on her actions and statements.

The media that are apparently in bed with Government are the same media that also reported positive things about Catherine Connolly and completely sunk Jim Gavin, ruined his reputation, and put Micheal Martin in crisis mode.

Almost as if the media…..write things that they think the public will be interested in, and get them views, and are actually not some Government controlled monolith….

How?

Don’t you remember Padraig Flynn’s ultra sexist and derogatory remarks to attempt to demean her as a woman and mother?
Look them up - another classic foot in mouth Flynn moment. Lenihan went down in flames after it.

That’s just a lazy excuse for poor behaviour. Saying "campaigns get dirty" shouldn’t be used to excuse it. That’s exactly the kind of attitude that turns people off politics and away from voting.

This was a former senior party figure openly encouraging smears against a rival candidate to a national audience. Pretending it’s just normal campaign behaviour is wilfully ignoring how corrosive that is to public trust.

If anything, people should be calling that out loudly. Heather Humphreys said nothing to distance herself from it - no condemnation at all.

You can be absolutely sure you will not see CC’s campaign resorting to that kind of behaviour. She debates on substance, not smears.

But they are relevant.

If someone feels it's appropriate to hire an ex-prisoner convicted on gun charges to work in Leinster house and advocate for their rehabilitation, it's not completely out of field to ask them other hypotheticals that test said judgement/opinion.

As I said, the media destroyed Jim Gavin. The same media were only delighted to share footage of Catherine Connolly showcasing her excellent soccer footwork that won her many fans.

There's no conspiracy, no collusion, no grand Government control room dictating the course of coverage. Just a media pushing anything they think the public will take interest in.

Hardly a shock the media would chose to give coverage to Ivan Yates commentary, why wouldn't they? He said something incredibly inflammatory.

The media also reported heavily on former and sitting FF members calling for Martin to be removed, claiming he can't lead the party into the next election, even saw one where he was called a dictator by sitting FF members.

All sides are getting it from the media, it would be absurd to think there's some vast sweeping collusion against Connolly.

There's loads of them, they're amusing and they do serve to illustrate how absurd much of the media framing has been - hopefully Harry and Pat know these are just jokes and don't try spin them!

But he is FG and wears that badge proudly - there's no way FG were happy with that intervention, notwithstanding he's a bit of a bufoon.