Presidential Election.

Load of garbage in my opinion.

Arguing and debating endlessly about a UI is rubbish.

There will be a UI when the naysayers feel they would be better off in an UI.

Then and only then…… we need a bit reality here, not lofty idealism pumped out from the fireside.

Surely past experience has demonstrated that over the years.

And their in lies the issue. Which of the two candidates currently running for president do you think most represents a middle ground with respect to a border poll?

Who do you think would be better placed to speak with the UUP on it? Perhaps the presbyterian from a unionist heritage who now fully embraces the republic and it's constitution? The person with a shared heritage with those in NI who will need to be convinced to vote for a UI? Or the candidate who has continued to speak 'As Gaeilge' as a point of differentiation and supremacy between her and the other candidates?

You may live to regret what is most likely to happen next Friday if a UI is high on your political agenda.

A UI will never happen until rank and file loyalists (i.e. people with views like francismcm and blanch on these forums) change their minds.

Again if you think a UI is going to be achieved by plámas and sweet talking that is your delusion.

The person or persons that will achieve a UI (or for that matter preserve the UK Union) are those that will speak honestly.

You're understanding of how to influence people to agree with your position is very misguided. We are never going to get a UI unless we convince those currently opposed to it that it will be in their best interests. We have to sell the idea to the Unionists. Plámas is a greater weapon than honesty in that regard.

Pity you didn’t write some of HH’s speeches - she might have had a better chance in this election - you’ve eloquently outlined why HH has a valuable contribution to make to lasting peace on this island and to bring communities of both sides together which is the starting point of an UI- whilst she briefly mentions this in the debates , it tends to be rattled off in an insignificant manner - her message of being a former credit union manager gets more airing - she’s run a terrible campaign for someone who could actually make a positive difference in the presidential role

I am not a loyalist. I am Irish and have voted FG, FF, Labour and Independent in various elections down through the years. It is people like me that would need to be convinced to vote for a U.I., because if there ever is a border poll we here south of the border will be asked if we want a U.I too, and my vote will be the same as yours. It will be up to us to decide if we want to pay for it, to put up with probably increased security risks etc.

Think of it in party political terms. Martin hates SF and wanted SF to nominate a candidate so that the election would become an FFG versus SF contest. This was before McGuinness dropped out and things went pear-shaped for FFG. Martin was forced into nominating a candidate and that did not go smoothly. FG selected its Kamala Harris candidate. SF had planned to name its candidate in September and by then, FF and FG were in trouble. It endorsed Connolly because a combined Left would have a much more powerful political effect on FF and on FG. A Connolly win would show Martin up as completely incompetent. For FG, a Connolly win would be yet another contest were FG didn't win the presidency and it would copperfasten the perception that FG wasn't a major party like FF and SF. There is a lot more at stake in this election than the presidency.

Connolly would be highly restricted in what she could say as president and she acknowledged the difference between the role of the president and that of a TD. There may be a lot of virtue signalling and that's most of what a president does. Higgins was a bit of an anomaly in his second term but he owed his position to FF and FG endorsing him in 2018 and not running their own candidates.

Ironically, SF endorsing Connolly is almost the mirror image of what FF and FG did with Higgins in 2018.

Dream on, a chara, indulge in your idealistic reveries as you sit snugly beside the auld turf fire.

One little fact to dwell on : Calling for things to happen is totally different to driving, funding,and implementing them.

One would do well to pay heed to that.

When common sense and reality scream “ that’s a bad idea” it’s common sense not to push it.

That should be fairly obvious.

We're not talking about Higgins.