Presidential Election

[Donny B.]

Gas that finally the media seem to have figured out that Sean Gallagher is a stone Fianna Failer and not the "independent" non-political candidate he portrays himself as.

[sarah_lennon]

Added a poll, you can change your vote any time up to polling day! Just like real life

[MarkyDeSad]

Simplythebest wrote:

and suddenly there are snipers on top of buildings shooting her tyres out.

It was a lone gunman, there is no conspiracy.

[Schumi]

Simplythebest wrote:

and suddenly there are snipers on top of buildings shooting her tyres out.

It was a lone gunman, there is no conspiracy.

Can't have been McGuinness, he never shot anyone.

[Slipper1]

Anyone changing their vote.

[mfjoc]

Know he is not popular but I am voting for Gay Mitchell
Michael D a bit old
Do not like any of the other candidates

[Sauvignon Blank]

Anyone changing their vote.

No.

Last nights debate just reaffirmed my belief.

However, i still fully expect this comical/stupid nation of ours to elect the talking salmon that is Séan Gallagher.

[ceemec]

The debate last night was compelling viewing. Gallagher was absolutely savaged. It would be some collapse given where he was in the polls when he got out of bed yesterday but it's entirely possible now. He may as well have FF stamped on his forehead. If we elect him it will really say a lot about the population.

[Leinster Exile]

The debate last night was compelling viewing. Gallagher was absolutely savaged. It would be some collapse given where he was in the polls when he got out of bed yesterday but it's entirely possible now. He may as well have FF stamped on his forehead. If we elect him it will really say a lot about the population.

Just listening to PK now. Sounds like it was bit of a session alright. If you are taking moral lessons from M McGuinness then you are in a seriously weak place

[Scott]

'No recollection'/ 'resting in my account'/ 'envelope'

[Scott]

dp

[ceemec]

'No recollection'/ 'resting in my account'/ 'envelope'

As Ronan Lyons said on Twitter, the moment where he flip flopped and stammered out an admittance of collecting the cheque was screaming out for someone in the audience to shout out "F*ckin' hell!"

[Hornet]

The debate last night was compelling viewing. Gallagher was absolutely savaged. It would be some collapse given where he was in the polls when he got out of bed yesterday but it's entirely possible now. He may as well have FF stamped on his forehead. If we elect him it will really say a lot about the population.

Just listening to PK now. Sounds like it was bit of a session alright. If you are taking moral lessons from M McGuinness then you are in a seriously weak place

Pot and Kettle come to mind.

[Dave Cahill]

I liked the way McGuinness finished with a paen to Peter Robinson and Ian Paisley

Of course, the 'hes a killer' mob have handed him sackfuls of votes, just like they helped Sinn Fein during the general election.

[sarah_lennon]

It was awesome! Sean, the "mask" has slipped

[fourthirtythree]

I liked the way McGuinness finished with a paen to Peter Robinson and Ian Paisley

Of course, the 'hes a killer' mob have handed him sackfuls of votes, just like they helped Sinn Fein during the general election.

Yup, I know someone who switched their intended vote to him because of the way he was treated by Miriam O'Callaghan who abandoned any pretense of impartiality. Surely people should have worked out that if you spend your time attacking SF on that you are entering into their territory as a tourist. They've lived with that all their political lives and they can handle it. Gerry showed that when you hit them on specific Irish political issues they were at sea.

[Sauvignon Blank]

'No recollection'/ 'resting in my account'/ 'envelope'

As Ronan Lyons said on Twitter, the moment where he flip flopped and stammered out an admittance of collecting the cheque was screaming out for someone in the audience to shout out "F*ckin' hell!"

Jutting out his chin was comical
All hot under the collar.

[tackle-bag]

The debate last night was compelling viewing. Gallagher was absolutely savaged. It would be some collapse given where he was in the polls when he got out of bed yesterday but it's entirely possible now. He may as well have FF stamped on his forehead. If we elect him it will really say a lot about the population.

I've been as vocal a critic of the last FF administration as anyone, but I felt the blatant hatchet job on Gallagher last night was totally unfitting of a presidential election. The audience was obviously loaded with plants and was generally stacked against him in a major way. From recollection, he was the only candidate to be booed on the night, and also the only candidate who didn't receive an applause break.

Regarding the issue of the cheque, the phrase "storm in a tea-cup" has never been so apt. Who gives a f*** if he collected money on behalf of his political party from a local businessman!? No-one is claiming that he stole the money. No-one is claiming that the money was applied for an improper purpose. I hate to say it, but there is no difference between what Seán Gallagher apparently did and a loyal Leinster fan going to collect money from some alickadoo who might be stupid enough to pay €5,000.00 for a rugby dinner in the Burlington Hotel.

Gallagher is far from an ideal candidate, and he probably won't get my vote, but he deserves credit for at least the following:- (a) he's the only candidate, apart from possibly Mary Davis, who has conducted a genuinely clean campaign, something that all candidates undertook to do at the outset; (b) he's the only candidate whose electoral gimmicks (and that's about as close as anyone can get to policy when running for the Irish Presidency) have actually made sense - the lack of posters, the visits to the secondary schools, the global Irish expo etc.; and (c) he resisted the temptation to turn on McGuinness last night and descend to his level, which would have been oh so easy in view of the remarks concerning Jean McConville.

[waterboy]

It's not the fact he fundraised for FF that's an issue for me, it's the fact that he has consistently tried to hide it and underplay exactly what his position was in the party. The director loan as well is a non issue for me. I was never going to vote for him anyway as he just comes across as Bertie 2.0 to me. FG must be kicking themselves they didn't nominate Pat Cox, he'd have won this at a canter.

[Broken Wing]

The attack on Gallagher may be rebounding slightly:

Fianna Fáil today issued a "clarification" on the fundraiser, and named the same man mentioned in the course of the debate as having issued a cheque for €5,000 some days ahead of a fundraiser in the Crowne Plaza hotel in Dundalk on July 1st, 2008. The party said the man also attended the event.