"The Duff"'s dirty election tactics! (Kind of big news!)

The_Minister

I hate to throw fuel on the fire but at the Hustings (the green thing for candidates). I heard one of Duffys guys boasting and joking about what he had done - and he was still given out manifestos so he obviously had not been thrown out of Duffys campaign. If this was not sanctioned surely he would have been ejected from the campaign?

Jonny Arson

The bottom line is, if these claims are true (and they look to be), the buck stops with Enda even if he didn't have any direct involvement with this disgraceful behaviour by members of his campaign team.

He hired these people for his team so it's his responsibility. It doesn't put him in a good light for potential UCDSU presidency if people like this work with him.

The individuals who did this knew the ramifications of their actions if they got caught. You could say that they were trying to an inside sabotage Enda's own campaign but I personally don't believe that is the case. I have to give him the benefit of the doubt here but I can't for the life of me believe that this was orchestrated by just a couple of individuals of his campaign team.

I believe Enda should be disqualified if these claims are true. Whether he was directly involved or not, his campaign team attempted to gain an unfair advantage over the other candidates. That is cheating and cheats should bare the consequences of their actions whether it is unintentional or not.

Whatever happens from now one Enda won't have alot of credibility left. If he wasn't responsible for this then that will be very sad since he has been betrayed here. It's a dispointing situation all round which is only going to tarnish the image of the UCDSU by students even further.


I don't want to speculate but personally I'm sad to say I wasn't overly shocked when I read the OP.

The_Minister

Just realised - how many people in the "real world" know? The papers aren't publishing until after the election.

Jonny Arson

Firespinner wrote:

Just realised - how many people in the "real world" know? The papers aren't publishing until after the election.

You can safely say if Enda is voted as president there will be alot of uproar.

The_Minister

Zane from MTV2 wrote:

You can safely say if Enda is voted as president there will be alot of uproar.

He still ends up as president though. Will this only be spread by word of mouth?

An Bradán Feasa

Remember, people, if all of this is true, it's not fair to blame Enda Duffy. By all means, place blame on whoever was involved in this ridiculous act.

But Enda Duffy is not the type of person to get involved in these dirty tactics. And therefore, decide how you vote based on the candidates, not the stupid actions of some idiot.

AngelofFire

I hate to throw fuel on the fire but at the Hustings (the green thing for candidates). I heard one of Duffys guys boasting and joking about what he had done - and he was still given out manifestos so he obviously had not been thrown out of Duffys campaign. If this was not sanctioned surely he would have been ejected from the campaign?

Id like to reject that villanously false allegation. How dare you .Just to clarify that only person giving out manifestos there was me. I was not the person caught on camera and read my above post. i would never plan, advocate or involve myself in any assualt on another candidates material, so therefore what you are saying is just pure lies and spin. However when i was handing out manifestos one of dans campaigners came up to me and started making allegations about foul play on behalf of one of our campaigers, the incident hadnt been brought to my attention at the time so i assumed he was just stirring up crap, so i laughed told him he was talking a load of bull and walked away.

I demand a full apology from you over that allegation.

Sangre

AngelofFire wrote:

I was not the person caught on camera and read my above post.

Just because you weren't caught doesn't make it ok angeloffire.

Sangre

You're what, 20? Act your age and relax.

Chinafoot

AngelofFire wrote:

The allegations been made here are a disgrace. I cant believe the smugness of some people on these boards.

Ok first of all....it happened regardless of whether its was sanctioned or not. It was a member if his campaign team that carried it out. As someone who is involved in the campaign can you tell us if this person been removed from the campaign team?
What allegations are a disgrace? Has firespinner come out and said that it was you?

Second of all. VenusInFurs and Panda, I am sick to death of the petty bítching going on between the two of you. Whatever crap you have going on between yourselves will you keep it off this forum.

Angry Liberal

Hello everyone. My name is Raymond Rowan and i'm co-managing Dan Hayden's campaign this year.

I have many interesting facts that haven't been given a pubilic forum yet. Those of you with any respect for democracy need not worry though by wednesday March 1st this College will be well informed.

Our story begins at the poster race. Within half an hour of the race beginning our posters inside the veterinary building had been removed and replaced by Enda Duffy posters. After complaining to the returning officer Morgan Shelley a meeting was held during which Enda and his campign manager rejected in absolute terms that anyone on their campaign team would ever rip down posters. The matter was left there.

On wednesday night our posters in several other locations were removed and also those of Orla Ni Threasaigh( attached to lamp-posts with cable ties) were removed. This would have required a large group of people with a knife and a ladder. The word systematic is apt and will appear again.

Our posters were replaced on thursday. On thursday night every single Dan Hayden poster outside any building(including all gates, bus-stops, the concourse, the restaurant and student bar, richview, roebuck, veterinary, science, agricultural science, engineering, the Belfield FM kiosk) was removed. On the same night an individual who shall remain nameless also used a science access card to enter the science and the computer science buildings to remove all our posters. This was caught on a security camera.
The destruction from one end of the campus to the other accounted for every poster we have not secured inside a building(approx 250). Given that we only received 300 posters total the removal of 250 within 24 hours of the poster race is systematic. No remains of the posters were left behind.It should be noted that of all candidates Dan was the only one targeted. As evidence inside and outisde buildings, supported by the camera footage, shows these people ignored Orla's posters even when they would have been more easily removed. The intention was to create antagonism between Orla's team and our own.

Thus the person on the camera could not have been acting alone as the sheer scale of the destruction would have taken an individual hours of hauling around 3 bin bags of posters.
Any excuse that this individual acted alone is ridiculous given that it takes a 50 person campign team an hour to place up 120 posters during a poster race.

On Friday morning i met with Enda's campign manager to discuss the situation. I again received assurances in absolute terms that nobody on their campign team would ever do such a thing. His credibility lies in shreds, much like our posters. HE ADDED THAT SHOULD HE HAVE EVIDENCE THAT HIS POSTERS WERE RIPPED DOWN HE WOULD INSIST THAT THE CANDIDATE BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THOSE ACTIONS AND THE CANDIDATE'S TEAM BE BANNED FROM CANVASSING IN THE ARTS BLOCK ON THE DAYS OF VOTING. I agree with him.

During Friday Mr.Duffy's campign team had the now embarrassing cheek to make snide remarks as to our respect for democracy. I note that irony.

As a result of a meeting held on saturday with the returning officer and senior returning officer Enda has been punished. The "punishment" entails the removal of 150 of his posters and his flyers (the reactionary flyers only -not his manifestos). Should we get our posters back(too late anyway) then Enda gets all 150 returned. JUSTICE? For being caught red handed(the rule that a candidate is responsible for any action of his campign team were made perfectly clear at a candidates meeting with the returning officer) Mr. Duffy's campign suffers a reduction of 100 less posters than ourselves. Should all his posters be removed that would only make us equal but even that hasn't happened. In effect no punishment was given.
We are appealling the decision.
We feel that any disavowing of the individual caught lies hollow after, the absolute assurances given to us, the clear logistical evidence that this wasn't the work of one individual but an organised and systematic attack and the rule that a candidate be held responsible for the actions of his or her campaign team. If this rule does not exist then any candidate could disavow the illegal actions of a member of their campign. In other words this rule is essential to prevent cheating.

Any distancing buy other campaign members from cheating are appreciated by in light of the extent of the destruction, the rule and the facts are totally insufficient.

singingstranger

Angry Liberal wrote:

[...] It should be noted that of all candidates Dan was the only one targeted. As evidence inside and outisde buildings, supported by the camera footage, shows these people ignored Orla's posters even when they would have been more easily removed.

While it is accepted that the CCTV footage does not show the removal of Órla's posters from within the Science building because no such action took place, I would like to remind all that a sizeable chunk of Órla's posters, also in outdoor areas, disappeared overnight too.

The_Minister

AngelofFire wrote:

Id like to reject that villanously false allegation. How dare you .Just to clarify that only person giving out manifestos there was me. I was not the person caught on camera and read my above post. i would never plan, advocate or involve myself in any assualt on another candidates material, so therefore what you are saying is just pure lies and spin. However when i was handing out manifestos one of dans campaigners came up to me and started making allegations about foul play on behalf of one of our campaigers, the incident hadnt been brought to my attention at the time so i assumed he was just stirring up crap, so i laughed told him he was talking a load of bull and walked away.

I demand a full apology from you over that allegation.

I will not apologise. I know what I heard. As I say below it is hard to see how it is a misunderstanding.

The_Minister

AngelofFire wrote:

However when i was handing out manifestos one of dans campaigners came up to me and started making allegations about foul play on behalf of one of our campaigers, the incident hadnt been brought to my attention at the time so i assumed he was just stirring up crap, so i laughed told him he was talking a load of bull and walked away.

I find it highly unlikely that what I heard took this form. Just to be sure it wasn't some big misunderstanding (I doubt it was but lets see) could you describe Haydn's campaigner? Again, what I heard does not fit this scenario.

panda100

peachypants wrote:

Second of all. VenusInFurs and Panda, I am sick to death of the petty bítching going on between the two of you. Whatever crap you have going on between yourselves will you keep it off this forum.

Yep-im well up for keeping it between ourselves,just that everytime I send a private email to back up any of my claims it just becomes public knowledge.I've only tried to do the decent thing with Darren and argue our disputes over private email because ih he calls me ill informed and uneducated on a public forum,I have the right to argue this with him privately.The fact is he runs off to all his friends and shows them the email-this I think is a disgrace!

Also,the person in question,darren I have spoken to directly and I had to tell them to write a letter into the observer because apparently they were grossly 'misquoted' by the paper!Art least I have the decency to say hello to you and you just scowl at me-really grown up behaviour!!no wonder your on Duffys team!

Anything you want to say to me Darren write it in a pm or speak to me directly cos I most certainly won't be writing a 'private' email to anyone on the left again.
Dont worry peachy-it wont happen again!promise:)

pretty*monster

Firespinner wrote:

I hate to throw fuel on the fire but at the Hustings (the green thing for candidates). I heard one of Duffys guys boasting and joking about what he had done - and he was still given out manifestos so he obviously had not been thrown out of Duffys campaign. If this was not sanctioned surely he would have been ejected from the campaign?

In the interest of clearing Chris's (AngelofFire) good name, I think it should be know that on the night of the alleged rip (Thursday) Chris was at the PhilSoc AGM, with me and many others (the minutes on the AGM confirm his presence), he then went to the Forum bar, and later got th bus home, he went as far as town with me.
So, he couldn't have been involved.

That's all I'm going ot say on the whole matter, except that it's a crying shame to see the elections being deriled in such a manner.
We should all be focusing on the issues.

panda100

Second that-chris is sound (even if he does have dodgy music taste!) so it definatly wouldnt have been him.

The_Minister

panda100 wrote:

Second that-chris is sound (even if he does have dodgy music taste!) so it definatly wouldnt have been him.

Note that i don't know what Chris looks like and I never said it was him.

pretty*monster wrote:

alleged rip .

I thought it had been proven. They were showing some of the footage earlier in the Arts block. It was much clearer than most CCTV.

hullaballoo

singingstranger wrote:

Er, it wasn't anyone on a team spying, it was standard Services CCTV...

Sure yeah, how silly of me. Of course the CCTV records are public information, and services alerted you to what was going on. I wasn't saying that spying is dirty, ripping down posters is, so obviously some campaigners need to have an eye kept on them.

I'm voting Ní Threasaigh, Canny and Colfer by the way so you've already got my vote.

Chinafoot

As far as I am aware this has been proven and the "punishment" handed out.

Personally I think that ripping down posters of the opposition, whether it was just one person or ten people, at the end of the day it is the candidate who should be held accountable. And I also think that the student body should be made aware of what happened.

However, as pretty*monster has pointed out we should be focusing on the issues. In recent weeks this forum has had the air of unpleasantness that I would expect to find on the newswire and to be perfectly honest I am sick to death of people launching attacks on candidates.

We all have a vote. If you don't agree with a candidates policies or just plain don't like them then use your common sense and don't vote for them. If you don't like any of them then vote RON.

Also, I will not tolerate people coming on here and canvassing for candidates. We are all going to be bombarded this week with campaigners, do you really want to have to face it when you log on here.

I have no problem with people discussing the policies, and I encourage that, as the elections affect us directly. But any more out right character assasinations and there will be consequences. I will not say this again.

If you want to participate in that kind of crap on the internet then I suggest you head for the newswire.

ferdi

tbh, this would make me more likely to vote Duffy #1.

it shows he is willing to go that extra mile to get things done. it shows he knows how to play dirty, which is necessary.

there is no point in trying to get an innocent goodie 2 shoes candidate elected. by their very nature, potential candidates are ambitious and believe they are better than their compeditors. Duffy is obviously aruthless maverick and he dosnt care who's toes he treds on to get what he wants. college politics is about shouting, not whispering.

pigeonbutler

Just to add another piece of information to this torrid tale: The gentleman on the video (which I've seen today) ripping the posters has not being made a pariah by the Duffy team. In fact he was among the army of canvassers they had going around Campus residences last night. The words blatant and cheek spring to mind.

Chinafoot

pigeonbutler wrote:

Just to add another piece of information to this torrid tale: The gentleman on the video (which I've seen today) ripping the posters has not being made a pariah by the Duffy team. In fact he was among the army of canvassers they had going around Campus residences last night. The words blatant and cheek spring to mind.

Yea I specifically asked a member of Duffy's team today if the guy who did it had been removed from the campaign team. Apparently not. To be honest that is pretty poor form.

An Brad&#225 wrote: »

Remember, people, if all of this is true, it's not fair to blame Enda Duffy. By all means, place blame on whoever was involved in this ridiculous act.

But Enda Duffy is not the type of person to get involved in these dirty tactics. And therefore, decide how you vote based on the candidates, not the stupid actions of some idiot.

If their defence is going to be that it was "some idiot" who carried out a "ridiculous act" that was by no means sanctioned then surely he should have been removed from the team. In my opinion that really puts Enda in a very bad light. Why would he continue to have this person on his campaign team if he is completely against actions like this?

While I agree that it is the issues and policies that matter, I really do believe that the student body have a right to know what happened before they vote.

The_Minister

saw a brilliant piece of grafetti -

toilet grafetti wrote:

Poster woz 'ere
So woz Enda

Scraggs

^^classic lmao

Dave!

^^
lol

Pythia

Hopefully people will realise the kind of person/candidate Enda is and democracy willl take its course.

Vainglory

I don't realise it. Could you tell me what kind of person/candidate he is?

Pythia

Well if you don't know what kind of candidate Enda is, you really shouldn't be on his campaign team. :v: I didn't imply anything good or bad.
Well this time

TheVan

ferdi wrote:

tbh, this would make me more likely to vote Duffy #1.

it shows he is willing to go that extra mile to get things done. it shows he knows how to play dirty, which is necessary.

Ok was that a joke?? Cos if it isn't then are you/have you ever been a member of the Nazi party? That is one of the most ridiculous things I have ever heard? Are you seriously saying that because Duffy breaks electoral rules he is a better candidate?? Insane!

ferdi wrote:

potential candidates are ambitious and believe they are better than their compeditors

And on that point, I think the implication that Dan and Orla aren't ambitious and don't believe they are better than their opponents is stupid