Presidential Election 2025

Very poor analogy. If CC paid for the Syrian misadventure out of her net employment income, as most people would interpret "I funded it myself" to mean, there would be no problem.

A better analogy is if your employer had an Employee Morale Fund and you had the discretion to take your group out for drinks once a month. If one of your colleagues asked you "who's paying for all this?" as you ordered the fifth round, it would disingenuous if you answered "I am".

What do you think of the quality of the interviewers? Pat Kenny tried to question her on some legal issues and it was apparent that he was out of his depth and he is a very good interviewer. Some of the other interviewers were more suited to light entertainment. How does Connolly compare, in terms of communication skills, with Humphreys?

I agree with this sentiment - CC is giving answers to that specific question, but they're broadly nothing answers, but yet interviewers continue to ask the same question and just accept the answer and move on.

I don't think it's a question of interviewer skill, just really a lack of resolve to follow through on the question in favor of just moving onto another topic.

CC is a good speaker no doubt, but when pressed on Ukraine/Russia she says a lot without saying anything of substance that actually answers the question posed, and she's being let off with it.

At the end of the day I think you really just sometimes have to let the listener make up their own mind. And if listeners don't care about Russia/Ukraine, then it is what it is.

As far as CC versus Heather in terms of communications, it's beyond night and day. Russia/Ukraine aside, CC answers in incredibly fluid fashion and rarely misses a beat, and tends to offer answer of real substance that are at least worthy of reflection.

Heather's answers are 10% "Eh…Eh", 20% "Well when I was Minister…." and then 70% complete half-baked fence sitting. There's zero sincerity to her at all, and she rarely comes across as speaking with conviction.

Jim Gavin had the same problem. You didn't believe anything he was saying was actually his sincere opinion, just what he thought a populist audience might like to hear.

I wouldn't for a second deny that CC ran rings around them both (and continues with Heather), but I think a huge part of it is simply the shocking quality of candidates FF and FG put forward. That both parties are seemingly just taking these pair of titanic misfires from their respective leaders lying down is incredibly astounding to me.

Replace Heather with McGuiness and Gavin with Kelleher and these debates would be a different kettle of fish altogether.

McGuinness versus Kelleher would have been a very different election. I think that Connolly intimidates some of the interviewers because she is smart. That gives her and edge on some interviewers who have become too used to interviewing politicians who have drawn the short straw and have to represent their party on various shows.

It may come down to something as simple as voters being able to think of a candidate as being presidential. Humphreys seems very popular in FG. But she doesn't appear presidential.

Seems that the Gavin fiasco has had a major effect on FF. The Irish Times/Ipos-B&A poll hsd FF down 5%.

SF 27% +5

FG 18% +1

FF 17% -5

Lab 6% +2

SocDems 5% -1

Personal approval level for Martin has dropped 11%.

https://www.irishtimes.com/politics/2025/10/18/irish-timesipsos-ba-poll-support-for-fianna-fail-slumps/

Yep. There are some things that have to be taken into consideration. Some of the decline could be due to the budget and the IT poll is a quarterly poll. A lot has happened since July 2025 (the last poll). What makes it worse for FF is the 11% drop in Martin's approval rating. FF still has more seats than FG in the Dail. However, the Gavin fiasco has caused a major problem for FF and it could have been avoided with a candidate like Kelleher.

FFG is on 35%. SF+SocDems+Lab+PBP = 40%. The combined Left on 40% is a product of this presidential election and Martin trying to impose his mini-me candidate, Gavin, on FF. His personal approval rating is down 11% to 33%. Harris is on 35% and MLMcD on 39%. Not sure if the Sindo or the SBP will run a special poll for Sunday. This presidential election is already having an impact beyond the election.

I think we’ve seen this play before

Of course when it came to the actual year of the election and the election itself,people voted to protect their wallets as they always do

Despite the Gavin fiasco, FF supporters are still happy with Martin's leadership.

CC is ex Labour and an Independent. The independent piece is key. If she was SF alone she wouldn't be as high in the polls.

The 3 candidates were very poor. I'm no fan of CC, she's living in denial about the threat of Russia, but she's a better talker than HH.

FF and FG showed too much complacency with their picks. Labour didn't even bother thinking. So we've 2 uninspiring ladies vying for it.

Part of me is glad cc looks like winning to give the government a kick up the hole. Then I think of the nonsense she spouts and I think not.

If it wasn't for the fact I live beside the school where the ballot boxes are I would not cast a vote.