If you don’t want to answer the question then at least have the balls to say it outright and stop hiding behind your evasive and misleading replies.
What I said was that the Fianna Fail vote in Donegal was a traditional Republican vote, much more so than counties further down south. The crux of this is that if Fianna Fail suffer a downturn in their vote that the benefactors will be an alternative republican option as was the case in Donegal in the last election where 61 % of the lost Fianna Fail vote ended up in the hands of Pringle and SF. Those are facts BTW.
Now the average national FF to SF swing in the non border areas was 14%. The average FF to SF swing in the border areas (not including Pringle) was 43%. That is 3 times the national non border rate. Do you think these factors are mere coincidence?
Your anti-establishment line is contradictory and without substance. It is proven wrong by the statistics available. You continue to waste my own time and your own time arguing against facts.
It’s going to see Sinn Fein eat big into the core Labour vote in urban areas and Fianna Fail taking bites out of the FG and Labour votes in more rural areas.
FF have lost a big foothold in the border areas. SF will top the 1st pref count in both Donegal and Louth and I think they could very well do so in Cavan/Monaghan as well.
You’re back in your rhetoric of ignoring my answers so I’m done going back and forth with you on that.
I predict that Doherty will see a drop in his vote. I’m undecided on MacLochlainn but right now I’m guessing Dessie Shields will eat into his first preferences and he (MacLochlainn) will need the transfers of the 3rd SF candidate to get elected.
I’m not back on any rhetoric. You are not answering the question, what you are doing is giving some spiel which does address the question.
I’ll try again and you might actually answer the question this time, you know a yes or a no.
Is it a happy coincidence that the FF to SF swing was three times that of the national (non border areas) FF to SF swing?
Is it a happy coincidence that this swing in Donegal was mirrored in the two other border regions?
Is it a happy coincidence that the SF and independent republican candidates have a history of eating into a core FF vote when FF suffer a downturn in first pref votes?
Is it a happy coincidence that Neil Blaney took over 30% of FF votes when he ran as an independent?
Is it a happy coincidence that Paddy Agnew and Kieran Doherty both took over 30% of the Fianna Fail when they ran as anti-H Block prisoners in the 1981 elections?
Is it a happy coincidence that alternative republican candidates have a track record of taking high % of FF votes in the border regions, particularly when the FF vote takes a big hit?
Why is this trend or pattern not repeated in other areas of the country when the FF votes dips? Why is is that the SF success plummets with regard to it’s share of the FF vote? Is it a happy coincidence that this happens or is it voting pattern that the border region FF vote has a traditional republican angle to it?
Why for instance in Meath West did FG eat into 45% of the lost FF vote and SF only 17%? Why does the pattern in Donegal and the other border areas not repeat itself nationally?
These are simple yes or no answers, so address them and address them concisely.
How about you go through them and clarify in a simple yes or no form. It will only take you two minutes.
Here they are again.
I’ll try again and you might actually answer the question this time, you know a yes or a no.
Is it a happy coincidence that the FF to SF swing was three times that of the national (non border areas) FF to SF swing?
Is it a happy coincidence that this swing in Donegal was mirrored in the two other border regions?
Is it a happy coincidence that the SF and independent republican candidates have a history of eating into a core FF vote when FF suffer a downturn in first pref votes?
Is it a happy coincidence that Neil Blaney took over 30% of FF votes when he ran as an independent?
Is it a happy coincidence that Paddy Agnew and Kieran Doherty both took over 30% of the Fianna Fail when they ran as anti-H Block prisoners in the 1981 elections?
Is it a happy coincidence that alternative republican candidates have a track record of taking high % of FF votes in the border regions, particularly when the FF vote takes a big hit?
Why is this trend or pattern not repeated in other areas of the country when the FF votes dips? Why is is that the SF success plummets with regard to it’s share of the FF vote? Is it a happy coincidence that this happens or is it voting pattern that the border region FF vote has a traditional republican angle to it?
Why for instance in Meath West did FG eat into 45% of the lost FF vote and SF only 17%? Why does the pattern in Donegal and the other border areas not repeat itself nationally?
These are simple yes or no answers, so address them and address them concisely.
I have already. You refused to acknowledge them and then added about 10 more ‘questions’ with random statistics in a bid to distract from your ignorance.
I’m not going to directed by an idiot like you. I’ve stated my case clearly and concisely. Deal with it and stop throwing your toys out of the pram because I refuse to be drawn into your little game.
No, you haven’t answered the question. You have avoided them and avoiding the questions and ignoring the facts have been the only two matters you have found consistency on.
Q: Did you go to mass today?
A: Yes
The above is the standard question and answer format, question is asked and a clear and concise answer is issued in relation to the question.
Q: Did you go to mass today?
A: I had porridge for breakfast
This is an incorrect question and answer procedure, the answer bears no relation to the question asked and the question remains unaddressed. This is the type of tactic you have engaged in on this thread. If you don’t have the balls the answer the question then just stay so, the least we are owed is to not be treated like idiots and have bare faced lies told to us.
You can can say sorry for ignoring the facts and arguing facts and prolonging a point I nipped in the bud 4 days and nearly 400 posts ago.
Or you can keep up this facade and try and deflect away from the issue. I won’t drop the issue no matter how much you wish me to show you mercy. You were fucking ignorant enough to draw it out so I will make you suffer.
No, you haven’t answered the question. You have avoided them and avoiding the questions and ignoring the facts have been the only two matters you have found consistency on.
Q: Did you go to mass today?
A: Yes
The above is the standard question and answer format, question is asked and a clear and concise answer is issued in relation to the question.
Q: Did you go to mass today?
A: I had porridge for breakfast
This is an incorrect question and answer procedure, the answer bears no relation to the question asked and the question remains unaddressed. This is the type of tactic you have engaged in on this thread. If you don’t have the balls the answer the question then just stay so, the least we are owed is to not be treated like idiots and have bare faced lies told to us.
I think strong candidates is a large element of the support but there is little doubt that there is more republican support in border counties than elsewhere and also that this republican support would have tended towards FF in the past.