Fianna Fáil Leadership Challenge Underway

crafty dodger · 18-01-2011 02:55PM

Funny how Clowen cant keep off the airwaves now that FF has a problem. He was even on the Right Hook the other day (Desperate times for FF when they will even acknowledge Newstalk)

When the country was going down the tubes before Christmas Clowen was nowhere to be found when people wanted to understand what was going on and needed the facts

Ah but now his leadership of FF is in jeopardy ...now that is a crisis for the country according to Clowen!

steelcityblues · 18-01-2011 02:58PM

amacachi wrote: »

Really? Only source I can find says that Cowen got more votes than Bertie in the last election.

When's the result likely to come out? Delighted if Cowen stays.

Who cares - the bottom line is there were either a lot of tribal gombeens, or just plain naive and stupid voters in all of those constituencies. Same for every constituency actually.

ArtSmart · 18-01-2011 02:59PM

crafty dodger wrote: »

Funny how Clowen cant keep off the airwaves now that FF has a problem. He was even on the Right Hook the other day (Desperate times for FF when they will even acknowledge Newstalk)

When the country was going down the tubes before Christmas Clowen was nowhere to be found when people wanted to understand what was going on and needed the facts

Ah but now his leadership of FF is in jeopardy ...now that is a crisis for the country according to Clowen!

straight forward as that sounds - it's actually true.

InchicoreDude · 18-01-2011 04:38PM

Lenny proving yet again what a spineless self-serving spoofer he is. What utter waffle we had to endure during his interview. I loved how he was totally contradicted by both Sean Power and John McGuinness, who both are basically saying he is lying. No surpise as we all know Lenny is a compulsive liar.

At the time of the FG leadership issue, people were ssaying that FG was a divided party etc (They are still saying it).However, after readong John McGuinness's comments, it seems FF are even more divided.

Why do people think that just because Lenihan has said he is supporting Cowen that it is automatically Cowens victory???

Hope Hanafin comes out and says who she is supporting - Would really ruffle some people if she opted for Martin now.

secman · 18-01-2011 04:49PM

Hopefully Cowen will win the vote this evenening, as I would like to see him at the helm when FF get their worst ever election results in the history of the state. Should Martin win and lead FF into the GE and suffer a bad result, Cowen would undoubltly lay claim that he would have done a better job. He has been a very poor Leader and I want to see the final nail in his political coffin.

Just my tuppence worth.

Secman

DoesNotCompute · 18-01-2011 04:51PM

The fun and games continue; Lenihan's lack of spine becomes more apparent as rebel TDs reveal the Lenihan had privately voiced concerns about the oafish bufoon we call An Taoiseach, only to indicate he will be supporting Clowen in tonight's vote...

http://www.examiner.ie/breakingnews/ireland/lenihan-under-fire-over-leadership-u-turn-489815.html

Secman wrote:

Hopefully Cowen will win the vote this evenening, as I would like to see him at the helm when FF get their worst ever election results in the history of the state. Should Martin win and lead FF into the GE and suffer a bad result, Cowen would undoubltly lay claim that he would have done a better job. He has been a very poor Leader and I want to see the final nail in his political coffin.

hear, hear!

Jeboa Safari · 18-01-2011 04:51PM

Jaysoose wrote: »

You might want to check your history books, bertie ahern was elected..brian cowen was not voted for by the people of this country.

You might want to check how the system works then, Brian Cowen was voted for and elected.

KerranJast · 18-01-2011 04:57PM

Michael Martin odds on being next FF leader have shortened and Brian Lenihans have lengthened due to Lenny's spectacularly ham fisted attempt to have his cake and eat it.
Even if Cowen wins tonight, Martin now comes out smelling like roses because he at least took a stand.

SB-08 · 18-01-2011 05:03PM

^I agree. I first thought Martin's half arsed heave was damaging to his future chances but due to Lenny's lies to his own supporters and Hanny's lack of leadership with her love for fences - both have blow their chances. Martin being the only one who has the balls to go against Cowen will almost ensure he will by the next FF leader. Even though his attempt against Cowen has been very half hearted, mainly due to him not resigning, and even though he will likely lose the battle in todays vote - I believe he will win the war and be elected to new FF leader after the election.

steelcityblues · 18-01-2011 05:18PM

Green voices have been noticeably absent from the airwaves in recent days. :rolleyes:

FreudianSlippers · 18-01-2011 05:49PM

When will we know the result of the vote, tonight?

InchicoreDude · 18-01-2011 05:56PM

Green voices have been noticeably absent from the airwaves in recent days.

Well its not their leadership issue.So I dont know what you would expect them to say about this.

InchicoreDude · 18-01-2011 06:40PM

Why are only the TD's eligible to vote on the leadership issue?

If the leadership comes up again after the GE, Will it still only be TD's that will be able to vote? It seems strange that TD's who will soon be retiring are voting (Particuarly if they are friends with Cowen). Also, if it comes up again after GE, the voting will only be between a handful of TD's (potentially). How exactly do they decide who can vote on these kind if issues?

Colm R · 18-01-2011 07:01PM

Any white smoke?

ArtSmart · 18-01-2011 08:13PM

SB-08 wrote: »

^I agree. I first thought Martin's half arsed heave was damaging to his future chances but due to Lenny's lies to his own supporters and Hanny's lack of leadership with her love for fences - both have blow their chances. Martin being the only one who has the balls to go against Cowen will almost ensure he will by the next FF leader. Even though his attempt against Cowen has been very half hearted, mainly due to him not resigning, and even though he will likely lose the battle in todays vote - I believe he will win the war and be elected to new FF leader after the election.

+1

Biggins · 18-01-2011 08:21PM

steelcityblues wrote: »

Green voices have been noticeably absent from the airwaves in recent days. :rolleyes:

Keeping their heads down, saying nothing for there is nothing they to gain - but a lot more to lose I suppose by speaking up and interfering?

Balmed Out · 18-01-2011 08:23PM

Amazed at Lenihan. I suppose people tend to have short memories but after the relevations that he canvased the backbenchers and then goes and supports Cowen Id wonder has he blown his chances of being leader in the future, though one would wonder how many ff back benchers will get re-elected. The deceit he's shown mimicks so many of the actions of ff with the IMF etc.

femur61 · 18-01-2011 08:27PM

If politics fails him he could certainly go into acting and win an oscar. Unbeleivable watching him on 6 news, he must beleive what he says because nobody else does.

maynooth_rules · 18-01-2011 08:37PM

Balmed Out wrote: »

Amazed at Lenihan. I suppose people tend to have short memories but after the relevations that he canvased the backbenchers and then goes and supports Cowen Id wonder has he blown his chances of being leader in the future, though one would wonder how many ff back benchers will get re-elected. The deceit he's shown mimicks so many of the actions of ff with the IMF etc.

Says a lot about the electorate of Ireland if this is the issue that should cost him the leadership of the party, rather than his barefaced lies, firstly concerning the bailout, which he said would be the best bank bailout in the world and cost us 5 billion and secondly for saying point blank that we were not getting a bailout only days before we agreed to one.

CoalBucket · 18-01-2011 08:39PM

IMO it is the backbenchers who have most to lose from this vote of confidence.

If you are a backbencher who's seat is at risk would you want Cowen as leader going into the election ?

Would they vote against him will they have a better chance of re-election ?

I think everybody knows that politicians would stab they're mother in the back to look after their seat. Would they be bothered whether Linehan supports Cowen or not if they will not be re-elected ?

This could be close.

later12 · 18-01-2011 08:46PM

Result expected shortly: live updates on RTE

http://www.rte.ie/news/2011/0118/politics.html

20.34 The Taoiseach is now speaking ahead of a confidence vote at the meeting.
The secret ballot will take some time but a result could come within half an hour.

gandalf · 18-01-2011 08:46PM

"And the winner of worst impression of a Taoiseach is......."

RonMexico · 18-01-2011 08:48PM

It is all over twitter that Cowen won the vote.

CoalBucket · 18-01-2011 08:51PM

20.48 Voting in the confidence motion is under way

Hope Lenihan isn't doing the counting cause he'll be there all night and still get it wrong

gandalf · 18-01-2011 08:51PM

RonMexico wrote: »

It is all over twitter that Cowen won the vote.

No its not! (Yet!)

godtabh · 18-01-2011 08:53PM

RonMexico wrote: »

It is all over twitter that Cowen won the vote.

In fairness who didn't see that coming.

What a joke

later12 · 18-01-2011 08:59PM

http://www.rte.ie/news/2011/0118/politics.html

20.55 Micheál Martin is said to have given a strong speech - Mary Hanafin is believed to have given a surprisingly short address to the meeting.

What did she get up and say, 'Habemus papam'?

naughto · 18-01-2011 08:59PM

they prob waiit for the 9 oclock news to announce it

SeaFields · 18-01-2011 08:59PM

the rte live updates are a bit messed up

20.34 The Taoiseach is now speaking ahead of a confidence vote at the meeting.
The secret ballot will take some time but a result could come within half an hour.

20.48 Voting in the confidence motion is under way

20.52 A result of the secret ballot is expected shortly

One thing that stood out tho...

The TDs who are entitled to vote had their names called from a list and cast their votes - one vote, that of Justice Minister Dermot Ahern - was cast from his hospital bed were he is recovering following an operation.

I wonder was one of them trying to make up numbers? News this morning was that Ahern wouldn't be voting.

18-01-2011 09:01PM

SeaFields wrote: »

the rte live updates are a bit messed up

One thing that stood out tho...

I wonder was one of them trying to make up numbers? News this morning was that Ahern wouldn't be voting.

I had heard a few days ago that Ahern would be voting from his hospital bed.

Fianna Fáil Leadership Challenge Underway

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