General Election 2011

I would be surprised if McNamara topped the poll in Clare, he will probably get a seat but historically there is very little support for labour in Clareā€¦Fine Gael will take 2 alright, I would say a good majority of the farming community in clare would be fairly staunch FG supporters and their vote will remain solidā€¦FF will get one seat I would say and even then it is far from a foregone conclusion

Its like that episode of the simpsons where the two Aliens run for President

But what are you going to do about it? Itā€™s a two-party system; you have to vote for one of us.
[murmurs]
Heā€™s right, this is a two-party system. Well, I believe Iā€™ll vote for a third-party candidate.

Go ahead, throw your vote away.

Its either FF or FG/Labour, bar electing a Sinn Fein party with no actual policies.
The greens are finished (thank fuck)
The other candidates wonā€™t run enough people to get into power.

There is no option for real change.

Agreed re McNamara, would be stunned if he topped the poll. Seems to be a bit better than the usual nobody that Labour nominate but thats not saying much. Would expect FG to pick up two seats and Dooley to retain his. The last seat could go anywhere, the fact that Hillery is the only West Clare candidate, (in theory; he is originally from there though has lived in Dublin for many years), could help him but it will be a struggle for him. If McNamara can pick up transfers then he may well sneak the last seat.

Are SF running anyone? Heard recently that they may not have a candidate?

wouldnā€™t be surprised if they didnā€™t, doubt they would get close to winning a seat, shannon town and a few pockets of West Clare aside iā€™d doubt they would be much support for a SF candidateā€¦their resources would be better used elsewhere

[quote=ā€œJulio Geordio, post: 537406ā€]
Its like that episode of the simpsons where the two Aliens run for President

But what are you going to do about it? Itā€™s a two-party system; you have to vote for one of us.
[murmurs]
Heā€™s right, this is a two-party system. Well, I believe Iā€™ll vote for a third-party candidate.

Go ahead, throw your vote away.

Its either FF or FG/Labour, bar electing a Sinn Fein party with no actual policies.
The greens are finished (thank fuck)
The other candidates wonā€™t run enough people to get into power.

There is no option for real change.
[/quote]

Thatā€™s a fallacy-
FG/Lab havenā€™t been in govt since 97 if their election isnā€™t real change then I donā€™t know what is??
We are in the middle of the reign of most corrupt and incompetent government ever and people still spout this shite
Sufferin jaysus

They wont be a real change though. Itā€™ll still be a load of Gombeens with nothing but local politics on the brain. You think they wouldā€™ve done any different?
Corruption isnā€™t confined to FF.

Sadly Julio is right, FG/Lab have advocated the same policies as the governemnt since 1997. There are no significant policy differences. Essentially its about personalities and if Enda had one then FG/Lab would have been in governemnt since 2007. The only groups offering a differnet view are SF and the ULA. Whilst they may do relatively well in the election they will be setting the policy agenda in the next governemnt.

Sorry that should read

ā€œWhilst they may do relatively well in the election they will be NOT setting the policy agenda in the next governemntā€
Reply Edit

There will be real change, for a start any new Govt will renegotiate the crazy interest rate that we are going to pay on this bailout.
Maybe Iā€™m naieve, but I do think FG/Lab would have done something different, for one I donā€™t believe we would be in the current IMF/ECB situation that we are in today if they were in Govt,
Corruption and pulling a stroke is intrinisic to the mindset of FF- it may be present in the other parties but it isnā€™t in their DNA like it is in FF. Look at yesterdayā€™s fiasco, it all came from Cowen trying to pull a stroke.
We have a very wide political spectrum from centre right to left, arguably since the PDs demise we are missing a right wing (in economic terms) party but there is plenty of choice, probably too much as Iā€™d have a big concern that weā€™ll have a load of independents in the next dail, but its not true to say that there will be no change in the next government as long as it isnā€™t FF/Green.
Labour/FG will bring a certain set of policies, Lab/FG/SF would bring another different set of policies, Lab/SF/Independents another set entirely.
Its up to the electorate to make the change happen

Sorry but I donā€™t buy that for a minute, there are/were plenty of policy differences even between FG and Lab before you ever get to comparing what a coalition would have done vs. what the current crooks have done
FG would have approached the Anglo issue v differently and are on the record in this. The Anglo problem is the key driver of our current situation.

For the duration of the ā€œCeltic Tigerā€ 1997-C.2007, both FG and Labour broadly advocated the same policies as the government, low taxation and lavish spending. Both those parties manifestos in the 2007 election promised to further lower tax levels and increase spending. To suggest they would have handled the current crisis differntly is speculation. They may not have the same links to the banks as FF have but the Greens didnā€™t either and they have supported all the decisions taken.

I donā€™t remember any FG man howling with indignation at the give away budgets of the early 00ā€™s. Or screaming that the property bubble was unsustainable. Or asking where is the regulation of these banks? So I doubt they wouldā€™ve done it any differently.

WB maybe Iā€™m being cynical but I dont think there is any of em capable of running this country. Enda Kenny is too wishy washy to do what we need. We need a strong personality in power for the next few years and Iā€™ve yet to see one.

Iā€™m sure thereā€™s good men in there somewhere who have the best interests of the country at heart but they are vastly outnumbered by the cunts just looking for re-election

Ian Dempsey was asking everyone he spoke to this morning who theyā€™d vote for. Itā€™s shocking the amount of people who said theyā€™d stick with FF cos the other shower are no better.

I fucking despair for this country

FF doctored the books prior to the 07 election and had a giveaway budget to guarantee re-election, its hard to compete with that. Plenty of folk argued against the property bubble inside and outside politics- the dog on the street knew it was unsustainable, MacWilliams hardly earthshattering Popeā€™s Children was published back in 05 I think, the property bubble was well flagged. I donā€™t believe Enda or Eamonn would have told people that they should go and commit suicide for disagreeing with the direction the country was going- what a demonstration of the self regard the FF cunts have in themselves and their right to be in Govt.
There are plenty of people in FG, Lab and others in Sinn Fein, ULA (no matter that I disagree with their policies) that have more than their own self interest at heart. To be fair to the current shower there are probably a smaller number that are decent skins- I thought Lenihan was one but his recent craven actions have proven otherwise.
I would actually vote for the Shinners if it was a run off between them and the current govt.

Your point re Enda or Gilmore not telling anyone to committ suicide just emphasises that the main difference is one of personality. Youā€™re right about the property bubble being well flagged but FG/Lab didnā€™t seem to take this on board. As for a giveaway budget, my point about FG/Lab making even more ridiculous promises in the 2007 election campaign shows that they were well capable of trying to buy an election.
Look I cant wait to see an end to this governement. It has shown itself to be arrogant, smug, incapable and most of all incompotent. The problem is the alternative doesnā€™t seem any better.

Kennyā€™s speech yesterday was farcical, and the thoughts of that the smug cunt Varadkar with a Ministry really annoys me, but they have to be given the chance.
There is no alternative. If FF were left in power after this election then you may as well say goodbye to elected politics in this country.

Going on predicted numbers FG will have about 60 seats and labour about 40. Whatever you think about their personalities and policies thatā€™ll be a government with a strong mandate who wonā€™t be looking over their shoulder every five minutes to see what some jinnet in a cap in south Kerry wants.

Julio, I believe Richard Bruton was screaming this in the Dail in 04 - 05 and as usual was shouted down by FF. I believe the FG and Labour would be more prudent with the country finances than FF. FF have a history of burning the countries finanaces and FG have a history of coming in and cleaning up the mess that FF made. Also donā€™t forget that it was a Labour Finance Minister that brought in the 12.5% corporation tax that started the change in the fortunes of this country. The Rainbow Government in the mid 90ā€™s handed over a healthy Finances for the country and then FF just went nuts.

I also believe that FG and Labour would not have been so lax in terms of banking regulation that FF persided over. FF were in the pockets of the property developers and bankers and therefore couldnā€™t make the regulation decisions that would have avoided a lot of what has happened and saddled us all with the debts of the bank.

Ah no- the suicide comment betrayed a complete lack of understanding, arrongance and contempt for the electorate, nothing to do with personality
FF doctored the books, it would have been hard for FG or Labour to give a real budget based on incorrect figures

I agree with Taz here- the others (whatever combination we vote in) have to get a chance, if they go down the same road as FF then Iā€™m emigrating