Irish Elections This Thursday!

fada

Well who will vote , who are you voting for and you will form government?

Heineken Helen

I'm going after work to vote... Joe Higgins is getting my no. 1. After that I've no idea so I'm gonna vote party. Probably the green party will get my vote. Either way it's gonna be a new government hopefully. I woudn't mind Fianna Fail again if they're in coalition with labour or the greens... I don't want Fianna Gael and I certainly don't want the PD's anywhere NEAR a new government... I think this was Fianna Gael's election to lose cos people DID want a change, but once the undecideds saw Enda Kenny :eek: I think that swayed a few people into thinking what we have isn't too bad.

Hitch-Hiker

i'll be voting Derek McDowell (Labour) No.1, richard Bruton (Fine Gael) No.2, and Finian McGrath (independent) No.3. I want a change. Fianna Fail have been in way too long. having said that though, I don't know if Enda would make a grea Taoiseach.
The Sinners and Greens can go fuck themselves. Especially the Sinners, bloody criminals. They'll be at the bottom of my list. Greens are about as useful as a pair of sunglasses on a bloke with one ear.
2 fianna Failers in my constituency - Sean Haughey is pretty good, but Ivor Callely is a greasey little slimeball, worse than most politicians so I'm praying he gets voted out.
We have one less seat this time around too, so there'll be a bit of a scrap for that last one. It'll be interesting to watch the outcome.

Heineken Helen

It WILL be interesting indeed. I'm quite looking forward to the outcome.

I reckon if FG and Labour had ran with Pat Rabbitte as possible Taoiseach, they would have had more of a chance. He's much more natural and comfortable of a talker. I think Enda Kenny may have ruined any chance that coalition had.

PJ_Lukin

To all the people from my ancestral motherland, Please get out and vote. I am an elected person here in the States and I once last an election by a single vote. So please remember,
Your vote counts,EVERY VOTE COUNTS. Please exercise your right to vote!!!

Heineken Helen

PJ_Lukin wrote:

To all the people from my ancestral motherland, Please get out and vote. I am an elected person here in the States and I once last an election by a single vote. So please remember,
Your vote counts,EVERY VOTE COUNTS. Please exercise your right to vote!!!

I see everyones point regarding that and I do know there have been elections won and lost by a single vote... BUT who's to say any of those who DIDN'T vote actually cared for any of the candidates anyway. I doubt there were many people thinking 'damn, if only I'd voted I coulda elected THIS asshole instead of the other asshole' and I'm not calling you an asshole . I know ya mean well but I don't believe people should vote just for the sake of voting when they really don't care either way. I'd rather those people DIDN'T vote to be honest with ya

Hitch-Hiker

PJ_Lukin wrote:

To all the people from my ancestral motherland, Please get out and vote. I am an elected person here in the States and I once last an election by a single vote. So please remember,
Your vote counts,EVERY VOTE COUNTS. Please exercise your right to vote!!!

I'll be voting, don't you worry about that.

Rhinocerous Surprise

Just voted. Independent for my first choice, but then Fine Gael and Labour. I want a change. Hilariously, I think I might be interviewing Trevor Sargent in the coming week or two.

Heineken Helen

Rhinocerous Surprise wrote:

Just voted. Independent for my first choice, but then Fine Gael and Labour. I want a change. Hilariously, I think I might be interviewing Trevor Sargent in the coming week or two.

Really?

moho

1. Nash (Labour) 2. O'Dowd (Fine Gael) 3. Neary (Greens) then the other fine gael candidates, independants, fine fail and finally with Sin Fein right at the bottom.

Rhinocerous Surprise

Heineken Helen wrote:

Really?

Yeah, I was on my way back from college, ran into him at the train station. Introduced myself, said I was the co-owner of a small local website (true), and asked if he'd be willing to give us an interview. I've just got to arrange the when and where. I'm in the middle of exams right now though, and I think he might be busy for one reason or another...:p

Edit: To give you a small taste of the website's wretchedness, I'll put up this link to our guide to these elections...
http://www.freewebs.com/alnkirk/election07.htm

Rhinocerous Surprise

Well, looks like it's Fianna Fáil again. Think Labour will go in with them?

Heineken Helen

Rhinocerous Surprise wrote:

Well, looks like it's Fianna Fáil again. Think Labour will go in with them?

of course labour will go with them if that's how the numbers work out... let's just hope it's not the fucking PD's again :eek:

I don't think they should be allowed rule out certain coalitions before the election... cos we know they'd all do anything to get into government. If FF need SF they'll take them :rolleyes: .

Rhinocerous Surprise

Heineken Helen wrote:

of course labour will go with them if that's how the numbers work out... let's just hope it's not the fucking PD's again :eek:

I don't think they should be allowed rule out certain coalitions before the election... cos we know they'd all do anything to get into government. If FF need SF they'll take them :rolleyes: .

Bah. My first year voting, and I'm already sick of all the parties.:rolleyes:

Heineken Helen

Rhinocerous Surprise wrote:

Bah. My first year voting, and I'm already sick of all the parties.:rolleyes:

All of them? Looks like we're only gonna have one... this is pretty fucking bad! I don't like the thoughts of this at ALL... considering FF and their corruption history. At least they hopefully won't have the PD's to lead them further down the dictatorship line :eek:

Well I suppose the people have spoken yep, we've really shown them we won't take their bullshit.

Heineken Helen

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/05/24/europe/EU-POL-Ireland-Election-Explainer.php

Hmm... you learn so much from foreign websites

The system encourages multiparty democracy, and means a half-dozen parties plus a field of loose-cannon independents all have a chance to take part in the next government. No party has won a parliamentary majority on its own since Fianna Fail in 1977.

The government experimented with electronic polls in 2002, but experts found that the software available could not cope with the complexity. So this election will mean at least two days of calculation by head and hand — a tradition that many Irish people support because of the suspense and ballot-center bonhomie involved.

Heineken Helen

http://www.newstatesman.com/200705240013

The Progressive Democrats, (PD) sit on the liberal (right) side of the spectrum. Formed in 1985 they are currently headed by Michael McDowell. They hold 8 seats in the Dáil and are campaigning on a platform of low taxes, healthcare, pensions, crime, helping families and stamp duty. Despite their slogan, Don't Throw It All Away they are on course to drop seats this election and lose their share of government.

Huh????????

fada

Rhinocerous Surprise wrote:

Well, looks like it's Fianna Fáil again. Think Labour will go in with them?

Most parties non assoiciating with others will change with how each has a chance of getting into power with Fianna Fail.
The one Minister we had in my constituency I didn't give him any vote. .

Hope to hell that the Greens don't get in.

JordyWordy

itll be funny to see what areas the greens would get to have an influence in if they do get in - their biggest problem is they'd be a disaster economically if in total control, but implemented realistically some of their policies would be very welcome, also considering the last govenrment was trying to be greener (windfarms all over the country, new railways being built etc) - maybe the greens would provide the impetus to actually complete these plans...itd be more interesting than whatd become of a FF / independents government anyway!

macgyver06

i vote for Dave King

Heineken Helen

JordyWordy wrote:

itll be funny to see what areas the greens would get to have an influence in if they do get in - their biggest problem is they'd be a disaster economically if in total control, but implemented realistically some of their policies would be very welcome, also considering the last govenrment was trying to be greener (windfarms all over the country, new railways being built etc) - maybe the greens would provide the impetus to actually complete these plans...itd be more interesting than whatd become of a FF / independents government anyway!

I agree totally... I actually wouldn't mind a FF/green party. And I've been saying what you've said that over the next five years we're going to have a much bigger emphasis on green policies... so who better to implement them? Now's their chance.

Anyway it's much better than FF/PD :eek:

JordyWordy

Heineken Helen wrote:

Now's their chance.

Anyway it's much better than FF/PD :eek:

sums it up nicely! although i did love McDowell tearing into the other party leaders on the tv debate, purely from an entertainment point of view he'll be sorely missed : "the left, the hard left and the leftovers"

and asking Gerry Adams if the Northern Bank paid for his holiday home? what a fallen hero

Heineken Helen

JordyWordy wrote:

sums it up nicely! although i did love McDowell tearing into the other party leaders on the tv debate, purely from an entertainment point of view he'll be sorely missed : "the left, the hard left and the leftovers"

and asking Gerry Adams if the Northern Bank paid for his holiday home? what a fallen hero

he was definitely entertaining anyway... and congrats to FF for allowing PD's (shite as they were) to take almost the entire blame for all their uselessness. I missed that debate I saw the boring one. I think the whole Ahern/Kenny campaign was just too fucking polite... Enda needed to get in there with all the dirt.

forgotten_child

None of these parties are all ireland parties, Sinn fein are the only all ireland party.

While the parties in the south washed their hands of the irish people in the north during 40 years of british oppression sinn fein stood by their side.

The parties in the south are becomming more right wing and more interested in individuals rather than the irish people as a whole moving forward.

Heineken Helen

forgotten_child wrote:

None of these parties are all ireland parties, Sinn fein are the only all ireland party.

While the parties in the south washed their hands of the irish people in the north during 40 years of british oppression sinn fein stood by their side.

The parties in the south are becomming more right wing and more interested in individuals rather than the irish people as a whole moving forward.

I agree with your last sentence... there is NO left wing party in Ireland to vote for... but the people spoke in elections as far as northern governing goes and like it or not, it has to be respected!

As for Sinn Fein... :eek:

And... eh... 40 years??? Wasn't it a wee bit longer? Like 800 or something?

forgotten_child

Heineken Helen wrote:

I agree with your last sentence... there is NO left wing party in Ireland to vote for... but the people spoke in elections as far as northern governing goes and like it or not, it has to be respected!

As for Sinn Fein... :eek:

And... eh... 40 years??? Wasn't it a wee bit longer? Like 800 or something?

so youll have to agree with all of it im afraid unless you are in denial? sinn fein are the only all ireland part (fact)...so are you in denial or didnt you see the first line? you just seen the last line..mm funny that isnt it.

and youll have to agree with the rest because its also fact....


Yes the people spoke, 40% of the people in the six counties are and irish republicans, meaning they believe in an irish republic. They voted for sinn feins strategy, and that is to use this as a pathway to a united ireland, because with the good friday agreement sinn fein argued and got in place, north south bodys for the first time ever...if you think the question of the north is settled your wrong. its simply (an agreed future) for orange and white to work along side each other and do their fighting in the assembly instead of on the streets. so think about what your saying, its not been settled lol far from it.

the irish fight for freedom has been going on for 800+ years, i think thats what your refering to?

im talking about the fight in the north, this past 40 years, when irish men were taken from their homes and locked up with no crime commited and no court trial, irish men died on in jails along the north over the 40 years without a wimper or even a word from any politician down south, and they call themselves irish men and have the balls to stand under the tricolour, how dare they. men and women died so that people in the six countys could see a day when the could call themselves irish, without any help from the politicians in the south. they were too busy snuggling up to the british prime minister to worry about who was being treated like dogs in the street in their own country.

you need to have a good look at your conscience if your voting for people like the green party and labour.

JordyWordy

forgotten_child wrote:

...if you think the question of the north is settled your wrong.

i dont think anyone here claimed the "question of the north is settled". but it is not the place of the people in the republic to decide the norths fate.

forgotten_child wrote:

you need to have a good look at your conscience if your voting for people like the green party and labour.

what have the green party got to do with northern ireland? i personally think that the current process of taking differences into politics and off the streets (as you said) is great, but requires a respect of both sides. people from the north who wish to remain in the union have also died due to their religion/beliefs: you cant over-simplify the conflict like that

forgotten_child

JordyWordy wrote:

i dont think anyone here claimed the "question of the north is settled". but it is not the place of the people in the republic to decide the norths fate.



what have the green party got to do with northern ireland? i personally think that the current process of taking differences into politics and off the streets (as you said) is great, but requires a respect of both sides. people from the north who wish to remain in the union have also died due to their religion/beliefs: you cant over-simplify the conflict like that

looks like youve avoided everything ive just said, and then said something really stupid just to top it all off.

of course the people of the south have a major part to play in the conflict resolution..dont be silly.

its up to every body on the island of ireland, and even the people of great britain...so please dont come off with something as silly as that.

everyone must work together and not wash your hands of this...the people in the north are as much if not more irish that the people in the south and we all must play our part.

as bobby sands said on his death bed.. "everyone republican or otherwise has his or her own part to play"

now if you believed in what bobby sands died for or if you dont, you cannot argue with that statement...

saying the people in the south have nothing to do with it is the attitude that fanned the flames of the conflict over the years, thats why now its getting better, because people like paisly and adams are starting to see that the only way forward is if we all work for a future.

JordyWordy

forgotten_child wrote:

of course the people of the south have a major part to play in the conflict resolution..dont be silly.

its up to every body on the island of ireland, and even the people of great britain...so please dont come off with something as silly as that.

everyone must work together and not wash your hands of this...the people in the north are as much if not more irish that the people in the south and we all must play our part.

as bobby sands said on his death bed.. "everyone republican or otherwise has his or her own part to play"

saying the people in the south have nothing to do with it is the attitude that fanned the flames of the conflict over the years, thats why now its getting better, because people like paisly and adams are starting to see that the only way forward is if we all work for a future.

apologies! i didnt mean to avoid ur issue - of course people on both sides of the border & in uk are involved - great quote too - i meant that that doesnt mean everyone in the south should vote for sinn fein just because theyre the true republican party. (which is what i thought u were suggesting). the party just isnt capable of running a government in the south yet. BUT as it stands now (im sure ull agree) the only reason FF get elected is cos theyre seen as the best of a bad bunch, not because theyre a great party. the good recent changes in the north will definitley impact the next election here i think and SFs influence will grow once the new northern government is more settled.


also i would like to point out that im from the Republic and that DOES NOT make me a Republican. Republicanism is something else. It doesnt bother me in anyway at all who governs the north as long as theres peace and northerners are fairly reprsented in their goverment, which they now are.

as for the comment about them being as Irish as us i do not doubt that for one second, and i didnt say people in the south have nothing to do with it, i said its not their agenda to change the political makeup of a volatile area. there are more ways to be involved than through politics and paramilitary actions - the increasing trade links, single sports bodies and tourism boards for the country, etc......no change will work if it isnt supported by the vast majority of the northern people so thats the primary issue, then the politics of the south becomes relevant.

Heineken Helen

forgotten_child wrote:

so youll have to agree with all of it im afraid unless you are in denial? sinn fein are the only all ireland part (fact)...so are you in denial or didnt you see the first line? you just seen the last line..mm funny that isnt it.

and youll have to agree with the rest because its also fact....


Yes the people spoke, 40% of the people in the six counties are and irish republicans, meaning they believe in an irish republic. They voted for sinn feins strategy, and that is to use this as a pathway to a united ireland, because with the good friday agreement sinn fein argued and got in place, north south bodys for the first time ever...if you think the question of the north is settled your wrong. its simply (an agreed future) for orange and white to work along side each other and do their fighting in the assembly instead of on the streets. so think about what your saying, its not been settled lol far from it.

the irish fight for freedom has been going on for 800+ years, i think thats what your refering to?

im talking about the fight in the north, this past 40 years, when irish men were taken from their homes and locked up with no crime commited and no court trial, irish men died on in jails along the north over the 40 years without a wimper or even a word from any politician down south, and they call themselves irish men and have the balls to stand under the tricolour, how dare they. men and women died so that people in the six countys could see a day when the could call themselves irish, without any help from the politicians in the south. they were too busy snuggling up to the british prime minister to worry about who was being treated like dogs in the street in their own country.

you need to have a good look at your conscience if your voting for people like the green party and labour.

Ok, I'll bite :rolleyes:

Look for a start I do not HAVE TO agree with anything... and I certainly don't agree. Can I ask where you're from? Secondly, I'm not FROM the North, if I were and if I wanted a united Ireland I would vote for them... cos that's actually all they have to offer... if even that, it's still not quite cut and dry. They have no other decent policies to offer at all... my priorities are likely not the same as yours, hence the reason we HAVE different parties, and I would certainly not tell anyone they voted for the wrong party. I have my own opinions and everyone has theirs, all I can do is try and convince them I'm right... but I don't know if I am or not. And for your information I did not vote for labour, I voted socialist (Joe Higgins) no. 1 and green party no. 2.

Now, I cannot understand why you're suddenly getting so offensive. The reason I said Sinn Fein followed by :eek: is because they have nothing to offer. You may see the romantic view of a united Ireland and yes, in a perfect world, I'd love one too... but it simply is not realistic IN MY OPINION. What the fuck is Ireland these days anyway but a European state... it's NOT the romantic Ireland that you and others still argue for. As for the fight for Irish freedom that you refer to, well I'm free... and a lot freer than most countries in the world. I'm also well aware of what northern people on BOTH sides have had to put up with over the 40 years... TOO well aware, don't tell me what I know and what I don't know! I don't think either side (well, the majority on either side) WANTED that.

I come from a border town so I was brought up with a fairly one sided view of things but I've been taught by some northern protestants I've become pretty close to that the reality isn't so one sided and clear cut. It is not for me to say what's best for the people of the north. But I certainly do not think Sinn Fein or the DUP or ANY politicians have the answers.

I certainly don't recall suggesting that the issue in the north is resolved... wow, where did ya get that from? A 3 year old could tell you there's still a long long way to go but the process has began and I think we should all support it.

Heineken Helen

forgotten_child wrote:

everyone must work together and not wash your hands of this...the people in the north are as much if not more irish that the people in the south and we all must play our part.

Yes, I know that... and I also believe that quite a few people in the north consider themselves British (whether I AGREE with that or not, they've believed it from birth) and there are some who simply consider themselves Northern Irish... what happens to these people with your plan?