Pink Fairy wrote: » But they've hit their ceiling, this was the election we were told they could get 30 seats off the back of FF being destroyed ...and people actually decided to vote FF rather than Sinn Fein. This is as high as they ever go, Ferris has gone from being a poll topper in Kerry to getting in approx 4th.
TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: » Mary Lou isn't particularly likable though. Not sure that matters much to the electorate.
Buer wrote: » Doesn't matter. She's a complete shoe in with her constituency. Adams has been a complete disaster in this election in terms of his leadership. McDonald isn't too impressive but would be more articulate and well positioned to deal with the other leaders. If anyone is ever in trouble against Adams, there's a quite convenient grenade they can throw into the conversation.
TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: » Adams still romped to victory in Louth though. I don't think Mary Lou is all that articulate either and she acts like a spoiled child too. I do think a change at the top would do them good. Pearse Doherty would be my bet but it does seem Mary Lou is the obvious choice
Stheno wrote: » Adams managed to bring a second td in Louth. I find Mary Lou very fake especially with the dub accent
TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: » She's from Dublin, isn't she?
swiwi_ wrote: » TBH I'm astounded Adams is still leader of Sinn Fein, you would think he is holding them back.
CatFromHue wrote: » I suppose there's the argument of who really runs SF................
Buer wrote: » I don't think we know where their ceiling is. The fact is that they're coming on in significant leaps each election, though. They're going to top 20 seats in this election now. The most important part is who is getting seats for them though. These aren't crusty old republicans with criminal records. Ferris (64), Ellis (63) and Adams (67) are on the way out and won't contest another general election after this one. They're dinosaurs and the PR machine is working overtime to put new faces in place. Those getting the seats for them now are young, first time seat winners including 4 females so far this week. As long as things are going badly, they'll capitalise on the situation and gain further traction. When Adams is gone, I can see them moderating their lunatic economic positions (whilst maintaining their historic links). ML McDonald will be their leader and nobody should forget that she's not a Shinner at all...she's a Fianna Fáiler who only quit them because she's power hungry.
Synode wrote: » The fact they got over 20 seats with their economic policies makes me very sad. There's an awful lot of idiots in this country
Pudsy33 wrote: » They have policies?
Pink Fairy wrote: » Mary Lou will never be leader of Sinn Fein, of that you can be sure. Chances of it being someone in the Dáil are slim enough as their core power base is in the north, Doherty has a chance, perhaps. As for their ceiling, this is it. They followed the 2 most despised governments ever, and predicted 30 seats.... This is actually going to be looked on as a failure for Sinn Fein, they should have approx 15 more seats than they will end up with.....but only if they had a leader people trusted and economic policies that weren't pie in the sky, purple flying monkey shïte.
Pink Fairy wrote: Mary Lou will never be leader of Sinn Fein, of that you can be sure. Chances of it being someone in the Dáil are slim enough as their core power base is in the north, Doherty has a chance, perhaps.
Buer wrote: » aside from Renua who are batsh*t crazy.
Buer wrote: » If you're right wing or right centre (which a massive chunk of people who actually get out and vote are), there's not much choice. Since the demise of the PDs, they either go FF or FG....aside from Renua who are batsh*t crazy.
Buer wrote: » I'd be surprised if they went for a northern leader. It would completely undermine all the work they've done over the past decade to win over southern votes and try to put some distance between themselves and terrorist links. The big focus for them is to grow power in the south and get a foothold in Leinster House rather than Stormont where they're already well established. Every bookie and pundit has McDonald miles ahead as the likely successor with Doherty the only real challenger. She has been publicly groomed for the job for a long time now. It wouldn't be any massive break with tradition either given the bulk of leaders historically have been from south of the border.
swiwi_ wrote: » I see James Reilly lost his seat. He made few friends among his former profession during his time as Minister for Health that's for sure.
Zzippy wrote: » Former? AFAIK he's been back practising medicine in his GP surgery for a while now. I never liked that term "practising medicine". Feck sake, could ye doctors not come up with a more reassuring phrase for us patients test subjects! :P
TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: » Dunno now, I had some bloods taken last week and practice seems like a pretty accurate word for yer one doing it. It was like she was digging for gold in my poor arm. Still got a bruise around my elbow 2 weeks later.
Zzippy wrote: » I get my bloods taken regularly, and have had some unbelievably good and unbelievably bad nurses drawing it. One had a colleague actually grip and squeeze my upper arm as hard as he could to get blood out after 4 failed attempts on different veins. I was like a pin cushion! Then another nurse I have regularly is superb, I barely even feel the needle going in and she always finds the vein first time... let's just say I'm glad she's had lots of practice on other people!
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