Presidential Election 2025

CC has both virgin and RTE interviews complete now. HH doesn't have her virgin media interview until next Monday, four days before the vote. Does CC have any other appearance scheduled for next week? Seems a bit unbalanced if both candidates are not on during the final week.

It may actually be a positive for her, Paul Murphy isn't exactly very popular in most parts of the country. It'll be interesting to see how this plays out.

But I do concede that it's not something that HH will want to have to deal with this week. But its interesting to see how the electorate will react to this. It could back fire and be perceived as a political stunt by Murphy and the left.

Well you are entitled to your opinion.

I could say the same thing about your position @FrancieBrady , with you and many other Connolly supporters highlighting a non-existant 'smear campaign', directed against CC.

I would love to debate you and others about this 'smear', which seems to be living rent free in your heads, and lacks corporeal form. What I have seen, without doubt, is politicians, and portions of the media, holding a torch up to Connolly on the many contentious views she has. All of which are REAL, and worthy of examination. The fact it hasnt landed with the electorate is fine, I hand that to you. I concede, the electorate has not graded these fiascos and positions as being important points of consideration.

But they are real issues and controversies. They havent been embellished, they are factual. Connolly has a shockingly extreme foreign policy view of the EU, our European Allies, the war in Ukraine, 'western imperialism', and the United States. And it was also correct to question her judgement RE the Eirigi fiasco, and how she handled it.

A More Important point as we move forward

As a lefty, my consolation prize is that a possible Left Wing surge may occur, which will carry on toward the General, Local and European Elections. Which were always far more important to me. Policy will be at stake in these elections, and I want to see Left Wing parties triumph toward breaking the FFG Duopoly. But I remain very worried that the left will continue to allow their activist fringe, to be the tail wagging the dog. In proper parliamentary elections, there will be more organized and credible opposition, compared to this 2 candidate race. And in those situations I will be very concerned by Connolly adjacent Independents, courting controversy and damaging the chances for the left as a whole. I would also be really worried if a Left Wing Coalition were to end up dependent on the votes of a few 'principled' independent TDs from the Connolly gene pool. I view this type of politician as being unstable, and likely to rebel against their coalition partners. I could see situations where such Independents would walk, collapsing a left wing government, for the sake of 'principle'; thereby handing back power to FFG.

On this last point, i genuinely ask you for your position. And i also ask if you acknowledge these risks? This election is totally odd, @FrancieBrady . I honestly see us, along with other CC supporters on this thread, as being more naturally alligned. At least i hope that is the case when it comes to more crucial elections. I do worry though, that Connolly's radical left wing attitudes are infectious to the left vote as a whole. And that could be very damaging.

That will cheer up some people who were looking for proof. It is like FG has no adults running its campaign. She simply should not have said it and not repeated it. RTE management will probably be breathing sighs of relief that RTE is not liable.

As a lefty, my consolation prize is that a possible Left Wing surge may occur, which will carry on toward the General, Local and European Elections. Which were always far more important to me.

Policy will be at stake in these elections, and I want to see Left Wing parties triumph toward breaking the FFG Duopoly. But I remain very worried that the left will continue to allow their activist fringe, to be the tail wagging the dog.

In proper parliamentary elections, there will be more organized and credible opposition, compared to this 2 candidate race. And in those situations I will be very concerned by Connolly adjacent Independents, courting controversy and damaging the chances for the left as a whole.

I would also be really worried if a Left Wing Coalition were to end up dependent on the votes of a few 'principled' independent TDs from the Connolly gene pool. I view this type of politician as being unstable, and likely to rebel against their coalition partners. I could see situations where such Independents would walk, collapsing a left wing government, for the sake of 'principle'; thereby handing back power to FFG.

What you are looking for is the left wing to become more like FF FG.
They SHOULD NEVER do that.
FF FG have lost distinction and no longer stand for anything but a cling to power.

To be Left wing is to be 'activist' and they should continue to plough that furrow.
What I hope they have discovered, and Connolly could be the vanguard in this, as she has voiced it, is that a Left Alliance can function on the understanding that 'core values' is what is important. Disagreement on various issues is ok, as long as the 'core' holds.
TBH and you might need to re-evaluate, you remind me of someone who likes to think they are Left wing (wears the Che T-shirt etc) but when it comes to giving the left your vote, there is always a reason why you don't. I ahve grown up with people like that. They have changed but won't confront it.

In fairness it was an “issue” to be raised in the public interest - knowing the background as to why she recruited this individual is a natural question given the court case and sentencing and nature of the crime - it’s not like she was a reformed shop lifter or burglar - it’s blooming serious.
I don’t think we’ll ever know the true reason she recruited her- maybe it was a leap of faith - maybe it was something else - who knows

They are motivated to turn out and vote and don't care about her problems.

The FG campaign have simply failed to convince they are 'problems'.

Perhaps parsing and actually spinning falsely what she is about was a wrongheaded tactic to begin with. Don't treat the electorate like fools in other words.
Send your candidate out to debate what she actually stands for.

Point of fact, i dont want Connolly to be the Vanguard of anything. 

The only way a Left Alliance holds is if they adopt the Connolly suggestion - a belief in 'core values' the 'activists' included in that core.
You start getting Alan Kellyish huffy about that and the whole thing falls apart from the core outwards.

Well I was 100% joking. The other chap, was not however. I've no idea how they have come to that conclusion beyond something ridiculous like what I said.

if the core values are

• Caring more about Protesting against Israel over Gaza, then they do about getting into Government
• Blaming 'the west' for the crimes of Autocratic states in the east
• Attacking the EU and European Allies for behaving pragmatically, and shoring up their defenses

I cant support any of the above.

You can accuse me of becoming 'Alan Kellyish' if you want. But by your logic, you will end up with a few dozen Connolly adjacent independents, sitting next to a shrunken Left Wing group of parties - said indos, can howl at the moon for all to hear and see

While FFG remain in power, on the government benches, incentivising big business, stripping social supports, and giving tax breaks to billionaires.

But you can sit confidently at home, holding your principles tightly. And knowing that you did the right thing!

Well done!

BTW if you want to actually engage in the debate; could we actually discuss whether you could ever vote for Left Wing Parties that could actually get INTO GOVERNMENT??? Maybe look at the hypthetical constituency that i outlined, where would your votes go?

or are you really saying that you would be delighted with the scenario above

i thought so - i wasnt 100% sure, but i replied anyway! An who knows maybe ireland can top the group! COYBIG!!!!!!

I haven't suggested there are no problems, I am suggesting the problems identified are not as big with the voters as has been suggested or adamantly insisted on, depending on who's posts you read here.

The inability to see what was not connecting with the audience is down to Humphreys campaign team who seem to be stuck and cannot change direction. And Humphreys really should have known better than to get herself embroiled in a defamation suit.