General Election 2011

[BlueArmyOriginal]

No, it's because the parties are incompatible particularly economically! FG & SF should consider an accord, after all they both voted for the bank guarantee.

I can't see SF making serious gains

Really? I can see them getting some of FFs rural working class votes no? It's my scariest thought of the election so far!

[sarah_lennon]

FF will never poll less than 18% despite op polls of less than 8%. The privacy of the polling booth etc, it's a religion to some. SF have little credibility and the more they push Mary Lou onto the airwaves to talk about "mandates" the happier I'll be!

[Leinsterman]

SF have little credibility and the more they push Mary Lou onto the airwaves to talk about "mandates" the happier I'll be!

Or Adams .... or O'Snodaigh or anyone else in that party.

Doherty is smart but can't be everywhere at once.

[fourthirtythree]

I think the PD's were not helped by the publics perception of the parties then leader MMcD.

Surely you mean his actual personality, not just public perception? The guy is an idiot of the first order. A complete blustering fool, and the fact that he is an utterly obnoxious cnut without a single redeeming feature makes it impossible for people to find an excuse for him.

And don't forget: the PDs and FF (particularly Harney, McCreevy, and Ahern) are responsible for deciding not to regulate the banking sector and boasting that it was the wild West here. This collapse is an actual result of policy decisions driven by PDs for brain dead ideological reasons and acquiesced to by a lazy, financially, and historically illiterate Fianna Fáil.

[tate]

Labour will not do a deal with SF. People suggesting otherwise are mischief making. You can take that as F.A.C.T.

Besides FG could do a deal with SF and nobody's raising that

thank god for that.

Like bluearmy said the thought of SF in government is enough to give me the heebie-jeebies

[Dexter]

I don't know who would be worse in government, Joan the moan Burton and co, who the fock is going to pay for all these givebacks/reversals they are promising anyway.

Would this be the same Joan the Moan who said that Labour would only tax the rich yet in her "alternative Budget 2011 manifesto" said that Labour would reduce personal tax credits by €250?
That'll hit just the rich alright.

Also, when the likes of Labour come to the door, people should ask this one question:
"If you are so disgusted by the cuts and rises in taxes in the budget, why did you vote to approve the Finance bill?"

They class families that earn over 40k as rich though.. the easiest group to target for more tax seem to be families with kids with one or both parent earnings - no fear of demonstrations on the street as they're too busy trying to earn a living.
I'm not just talking about Labour here btw..

[Hornet]

Labour will not do a deal with SF. People suggesting otherwise are mischief making. You can take that as F.A.C.T.

Besides FG could do a deal with SF and nobody's raising that

thank god for that.

Like bluearmy said the thought of SF in government is enough to give me the heebie-jeebies

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/bre ... ing42.html

Adams has just resigned his seat in Westminster, and in doing so has become the Baron of the Manor of Northstead. Oh the irony, (or is that the Barony).

[Broken Wing]

FF will never poll less than 18% despite op polls of less than 8%. The privacy of the polling booth etc, it's a religion to some.

With FF it's a case of "They're all a shower of wasters!.... except our fella. Sure didn't he sort out [some meaningless thing FF TD claimed credit for]. I'll still vote for him but the rest are just a shower of wasters."

This mantra will be repeated in ballot boxes up and down the country, although some particularly angry people might teach FF a lesson by only giving them the second preference, and there'll still be far too many FF TDs in the 31st Dáil.

[Broken Wing]

Mícheal Martin elected 8th leader of FF.

Mícheal Martin has demanded a recount.

[leinster80]

I think the PD's were not helped by the publics perception of the parties then leader MMcD.

Surely you mean his actual personality, not just public perception? The guy is an idiot of the first order. A complete blustering fool, and the fact that he is an utterly obnoxious cnut without a single redeeming feature makes it impossible for people to find an excuse for him.

And don't forget: the PDs and FF (particularly Harney, McCreevy, and Ahern) are responsible for deciding not to regulate the banking sector and boasting that it was the wild West here. This collapse is an actual result of policy decisions driven by PDs for brain dead ideological reasons and acquiesced to by a lazy, financially, and historically illiterate Fianna Fáil.

Agree with all the above!

[Darce]

I think the PD's were not helped by the publics perception of the parties then leader MMcD.

Surely you mean his actual personality, not just public perception? The guy is an idiot of the first order. A complete blustering fool, and the fact that he is an utterly obnoxious cnut without a single redeeming feature makes it impossible for people to find an excuse for him.

And don't forget: the PDs and FF (particularly Harney, McCreevy, and Ahern) are responsible for deciding not to regulate the banking sector and boasting that it was the wild West here. This collapse is an actual result of policy decisions driven by PDs for brain dead ideological reasons and acquiesced to by a lazy, financially, and historically illiterate Fianna Fáil.

Agree with all the above!

Pardon me but when was it the governments job to regulate Banking.

They have an independent regulatory body for that. A big no no for politicians to get involved in that business

[Broken Wing]

The government determines the level of regulation. McCreevy (seen by many as the PD's man inside FF) was all about "light touch regulation" and that was a major factor in banks playing fast and loose with the rules.

[Leinsterman]

Pardon me but when was it the governments job to regulate Banking.

They have an independent regulatory body for that. A big no no for politicians to get involved in that business

Governments appoint regulators.

Regulators enforce legislation and government policy.

Both are to blame.

[Sauvignon Blank]

Labour will not do a deal with SF. People suggesting otherwise are mischief making. You can take that as F.A.C.T.

Besides FG could do a deal with SF and nobody's raising that

thank god for that.
the thought of SF in government is enough to give me the heebie-jeebies

Ah yes, those economic illiterates would bankrupt the country and have the IMF calling oh hang on...........


Never underestimate the presence of Gombeen Man in Ireland.

[fourthirtythree]

Pardon me but when was it the governments job to regulate Banking.

They have an independent regulatory body for that. A big no no for politicians to get involved in that business

Since round about the foundation of the state. Allowing bankers to regulate banking with no democratic oversight leads to situations like 1929 and the one we've just gone through. We have centuries of financial failures and banking incompetence to show us what happens when they are not regulated.

The politicians, in this case, appoint the regulators. The current shower appointed cronies on the basis that they would do nothing as instructed, they did nothing as instructed and the inevitable happened. Bankers are incapable of regulating themselves as they know that when the chips are down there is no effective mechanism to allow them to fail (or more accurately to allow their inevitable failure to manifest itself) and governments i.e. the people, will pay up instead. It's win-win for them and they get to pick up the bonuses rewarding their "risk-taking", like the ballsy guys they think they are.

As there is still no international will to deal with this a rather large levy on the banking sector (and the shadow banking sector) is probably the only practical solution.

[Mackman15]

Perhaps Macklady 15 and i are easily bought over but listening to Michael Martin last night on PT it strikes me that the 25 seats that i believed they would return with under B. Cowen (as of last week) has probably jumped back up to 30-35 this week (esp. with Mary H. to be announced tomorrow). Given that Inda hasn't opened his mouth yet, it appears to me that FG are riding on a false high. Martin's call for 5 debates if answered will signal an FG implosion under Inda because frankly he is just not believeable. They have to be kicking themselves at this stage that they didn't change jockey 9 months ago.

By the end of this i would think you could throw a small cloak over FF, FG & LAB for all their difference in numbers.

[leinster80]

After the reading of the first paragraph I was thniking Enda wa bottling it....

http://www.rte.ie/news/2011/0127/politics1.html

Enda Kenny 1... Michael Martin 0

Didn't think Enda had it in him...... good start to election campaign for FG...

[Leinsterman]

Listening to the radio this morning, Martin got asked a few awkward questions on Newstalk.
He rabbited on about how changes could be made and then stuttered and stammered when Chris said "but you've been a minister for 13 years, why didn't you do any of this when you had the chance?"

Bear in mind that Me-hole Martin was responsible for the formation of the HSE.
For that alone, he should swing.
I'll give him credit for the smoking ban but apart from that ..... eh......
It's easy to say you're successful when the economy is going well and you can fling money at a problem.

If FF recover some of the lost ground, it will be at SF's expense.

[combatlogo]

Ah yes, those economic illiterates would bankrupt the country and have the IMF calling oh hang on...........


Never underestimate the presence of Gombeen Man in Ireland.

Preferrable to murdering-terrorist-scumbag Man, Blanky, eh?

[sheepshagger]

Claire Bryne set to host the RTE Leaders debate