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Fine Gael President

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  • 18-01-2004 2:20pm
    #1
    star gazer
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 1,715 Mod ✭✭✭✭


    Whatever about the chances of it happening in the past there isn't much hope if they aren't even going to contest the election. Mary McAleese is a good president but she is by no means perfect. This is a time when voter turnout is reducing and people need to be engaged to use their democratic right to choose political leaders. The presidency is above politics, but the selcetion of candidates for the presidency is not. Only our public representatives (including x presidents) can choose who the candidates will be. It seems a little out of touch with democratic principles to let an elected representative to serve for 14 years without electoral accountability. Even if most people who are surveyed in opinion polls say they are happy with the existing president, it would be important to give those who aren't as impressed the opportunity to vote their disagreement and the knowledge that yes, there is a majority who want her still.
    Same old Fine Gael, or slowly improving party?


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    #2
    daveirl
    Closed Accounts Posts: 14,483 ✭✭✭✭daveirl


    This post has been deleted.


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    #3
    ciderandhavoc
    Closed Accounts Posts: 132 ✭✭ciderandhavoc


    If Fine Gael don't support a Fine Gael candidate, the ramifications are fairly significant for the leading opposition party.

    If, as many people gather, Labour runs its own candiate (currently tipped to be Michael D. Higgins), then surely Fine Gael are going to damage themselves.

    Politically, it would be significantly damaging to Fine Gael in my view, as they would be denying the right of FG supporters to support a FG candidate.

    Mary McAleese ran last time as a Fianna Fáil/Progressive Democrat candidate, and she has said Fianna Fáil was her 'natural home'.

    For the future political viability for Fine Gael, they have no choice but to run a candidate, particularly if McAleese runs as a Fianna Fáil/PD candidate as she did last time, and moreso if Labour decide to run any candidate.


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    #4
    star gazer
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 1,715 Mod ✭✭✭✭star gazer


    originally posted by daveirl
    Maybe FG feel their electoral war chest would be wasted spending money on an election for a figurehead with no power, when they could save it for a general election where they would win power.
    Yes but Fine Gael are going to need more than money to win an election and the difference between fielding a candidate and supporting a Fianna Fail candidate could be that general election result down the road. Labour are going to go for it, they can see an opportunity to become the 'real' opposition party and nothing will move them from that vision, not even the national interest (not saying McAleese is the national interest). As evidence for that; deal to allow bertie away from the dail on thursdays.
    Fine Gael will be judged more extensively on the basis of the euro and local elections, it's just that if the perception is there that they are prematurely backing out on a fight with a Fianna Fail candidate, the euros and locals may not go so well.


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