Fianna Fail Voters

DJDC

I am just wondering what reasons people have for voting FF in the upcoming election.FF will probally gain in excess of 30% of the national vote and be the largest party as a result.

Are people generally happy with the way they have organised housing and urban development and the way they have treated the Irish environment over the last 10 years?Is it family tradition,Berties personality etc that sways your vote.Do you feel the Celtic Tiger is a direct result of FF policies?

Wishbone Ash

Maybe a bit of "better the devil you know"!

Chakar

Yes.

Macker

Chakar wrote:

Yes.

It's people like the one above wiil have me voting anything but FF

Chakar

Macker wrote:

It's people like the one above wiil have me voting anything but FF

It's great you're voting for the PD's then.

Bottle_of_Smoke

DJDC wrote:

I am just wondering what reasons people have for voting FF in the upcoming election.FF will probally gain in excess of 30% of the national vote and be the largest party as a result.

Are people generally happy with the way they have organised housing and urban development and the way they have treated the Irish environment over the last 10 years?

I don't believe the other parties would be any better.

Is it family tradition,Berties personality etc that sways your vote.Do you feel the Celtic Tiger is a direct result of FF policies?

Not just Bertie's, most of their senior members have very likeable personalities. O Dea, Lenihan etc.The only Fine Gael politician I've ever liked is Richard Bruton.

Now this in one sense is rather silly. I mean who cares if I like them it's what they do I should be concerned about. In another sense our Taoiseach represents us on the international stage. I simply do not want people thinking of Enda Kenny when they think of Ireland. Fianna Fail have a modern Ireland air about them. Fine Gael come across as embittered moaners.

However I think they've gone one step too far with getting rid of stamp duty. I just can't believe the only party to agree with me are Sinn Fein. Well also the Greens but they're unfortunately not going to get much power. It may sway my vote but seeing as Fine Gael have the same policy there's really no point giving it to them.

On a side note anyone see Eoghan Harris's article in the Independant today? Pretty good argument for voting for Labour/FF

Our man in Havana

It all harks back to civil war times. They call themselves the republican party ffs! Where Grandad voted for FF, Father votes FF and everyone in the family just blindly follows. Voting for anyone else would mean having to leave the house. It's these votes that they are always gauranteed everytime no matter what. I wonder if they will be sending cars and taxis to nursing homes to get out the FF suuport this time? They may have to.

I am not a FF supporter by the way.

Múinteoir

Bond-007 wrote:

Voting for anyone else would mean having to leave the house.

That argument doesn't wash I'm afraid. The ballot has been private in this country since the early 1800s. No one knows how a person is voting, except what they claim. Mammy and Daddy can't find out who you voted for, in order to drive you from the house at the end of a pitchfork. They can apply pressure certainly, but they can never know how you actually voted, except what you tell them. And the fact is there are thousands in this country who will never openly admit who they vote for.

Boston

In the absence of a convincing argument from other politicians I will continue to vote as the trend dictates. It's very important to exercise your vote.

purple'n'gold

Bond-007 wrote:

It all harks back to civil war times. They call themselves the republican party ffs! Where Grandad voted for FF, Father votes FF and everyone in the family just blindly follows. Voting for anyone else would mean having to leave the house. It's these votes that they are always gauranteed everytime no matter what. I wonder if they will be sending cars and taxis to nursing homes to get out the FF suuport this time? They may have to.

I am not a FF supporter by the way.

From 1932 onwards FF proved themselves to be the catch all and all things to all men party. They got their own supporters into government and semi state jobs in great numbers (this practice was wide spread years ago) and have continued to reap the rewards of this up to the present day.

stepbar

Bottle_of_Smoke wrote:

I don't believe the other parties would be any better.


Now this in one sense is rather silly. I mean who cares if I like them it's what they do I should be concerned about. In another sense our Taoiseach represents us on the international stage. I simply do not want people thinking of Enda Kenny when they think of Ireland. Fianna Fail have a modern Ireland air about them. Fine Gael come across as embittered moaners.

Ah, yes everybody loves "backhander bertie". The rest of the world must be in stitches at our "de de de" bertie. Compared to Bertie, Enda is a class apart.

Voipjunkie

stepbar wrote:

Ah, yes everybody loves "backhander bertie". The rest of the world must be in stitches at our "de de de" bertie. Compared to Bertie, Enda is a class apart.

Personally I won't be voting for FF but I hate the " rest of the world" arguement
Namely because

1 I'm sure the rest of the world give not give a **** about who is Taoiseach kenny or Ahern

2 We should elect our politicians for our own reasons not for the approval of anyone else

Roanmore

Bottle_of_Smoke wrote:

INot just Bertie's, most of their senior members have very likeable personalities. O Dea, Lenihan etc.

O Dea likeable, are you serious. When FF need a hacking job to be done (ie Sunday Independent every week) they roll him out. This guy has no likeable features unless you are a FF supporter.

Bottle_of_Smoke

Voipjunkie wrote:

Personally I won't be voting for FF but I hate the " rest of the world" arguement
Namely because

1 I'm sure the rest of the world give not give a **** about who is Taoiseach kenny or Ahern

2 We should elect our politicians for our own reasons not for the approval of anyone else

They might not give a **** who we choose but they'll still associate the leader of the country with the people. People hate Americans for "voting" George Bush in it's the same sort of logic.

Wishbone Ash

Bottle_of_Smoke wrote:

most of their senior members have very likeable personalities

:eek: I find most of them nauseating especially O'Donoghue, Cowen, Roche and Dempsey.

Dermot Ahern is an exception. He's very measured and statesman-like and ideally suited for his brief.

Martin and Hanafin are quite likeable IMO.

Múinteoir

Boston wrote:

In the absence of a convincing argument from other politicians I will continue to vote as the trend dictates.

As the trend dictates? Not how you own intelligence and reason dictates?

murphaph

Bottle_of_Smoke wrote:

Not just Bertie's, most of their senior members have very likeable personalities. O Dea, Lenihan etc.

Lenihan is one of my TDs and he has failed to answer any emails sent to his official address. Varadkar and Burton on the other hand have at least replied to me. Is this arrogance or incompetence? Either way, Lenihan will not be getting a preference from me.

stepbar

Boston wrote:

In the absence of a convincing argument from other politicians I will continue to vote as the trend dictates. It's very important to exercise your vote.

MMM, may I ask where have you been for the past 10 years?

The_Minister

Bottle_of_Smoke wrote:

They might not give a **** who we choose but they'll still associate the leader of the country with the people. People hate Americans for "voting" George Bush in it's the same sort of logic.

I can't wait till the souvenir companies put Enda on a t-shirt! We'll be living to certain sterotypes if we elect a ginger!*


*j/k

Boston

stepbar wrote:

MMM, may I ask where have you been for the past 10 years?

Hey, convince me that another party will do better and I'll vote for them. Why is a change in government a good idea, what mistakes have been made by FF that other parties wouldn't have made. How will my life be improved by a radical change in the ruling body.

Jonny Arson

Bottle_of_Smoke wrote:

On a side note anyone see Eoghan Harris's article in the Independant today? Pretty good argument for voting for Labour/FF

Are you taking the piss?

Firstly, Harris must be one of the worst journalists writing for the SINDO and that says alot with the low standard of journalists writing crap every other Sunday for them. That article today with all his conspiracy theory bollixolgy must be one of the worst pieces of tripe I've ever had the displeasure of reading. If you think that was a good argument for voting FF/Labour then good luck to ya.

Jonny Arson

Boston wrote:

what mistakes have been made by FF that other parties wouldn't have made.

I think most people could write a thesis in response to this quote!

Boston

Jonny Arson wrote:

I think most people could write a thesis in response to this quote!

Most people? obviously not. Are most people even anti FF? It didn't take me very long to realise that there's a lot of politicians making carriers out of point out the FF mistakes, but still can't come up with any of their own solutions.

Jonny Arson

Boston wrote:

Most people? obviously not. Are most people even anti FF?

According to latest in a long series of polls 63% of people see what incompetent fcukwits FF are.

Boston wrote:

It didn't take me very long to realise that there's a lot of politicians making carriers out of point out the FF mistakes, but still can't come up with any of their own solutions.

Well, it is opposition parties' jobs to point out a government's mistakes and failing. If you want solutions, then you should read some of the other parties manifestos then. Pulling the ''no one is coming up with any solutions, so I'll stick with out current incompetent shower'' line is nothing else but burying your head in the sand.

stepbar

Boston wrote:

Hey, convince me that another party will do better and I'll vote for them. Why is a change in government a good idea, what mistakes have been made by FF that other parties wouldn't have made. How will my life be improved by a radical change in the ruling body.

MMM, I've come to expect this off FF supporters. For me its a case of defending the undefendable. You're living in cloud cuckoo land if you think that this government has been any way competent in the last 10 years. Take a look around you and all the chaos we have on our roads, our health service, our poor infrastructure, 3rd world broadband, all our wealth being pissed away and so on. The tribunals and the broken promises, a taoisach cant give the nation a straight answer about anything including his own finances. In the last 5 years progress has all but stalled, the celtic tiger has gone fat on an artifical property boom which cannot be sustained and we are no better off than we were 5 years ago. We still have the same problems in our health service, the same crappy roads and broadband not worth talking about, FTB's being priced out of the market by greedy developers and speculators. Anybody would be better than these shower of wasters. Anybody. I would love to see Bertie give the nation a promise like Enda has. However Bertie being Bertie I dont think he'd be able to. He too sly for that.

Macy

purplengold wrote:

They got their own supporters into government and semi state jobs in great numbers (this practice was wide spread years ago) and have continued to reap the rewards of this up to the present day.

You obviously don't know the public sector very well if you think this practice has stopped with FF!

Boston

Jonny Arson wrote:

According to latest in a long series of polls 63% of people see what incompetent fcukwits FF are.

Really, when asked in a reacent poll "do you think FF are a bunch of incompetent fcukwits" 63% of people replied yes.

Well, it is opposition parties' jobs to point out a government's mistakes and failing. If you want solutions, then you should read some of the other parties manifestos then. Pulling the ''no one is coming up with any solutions, so I'll stick with out current incompetent shower'' line is nothing else but burying your head in the sand.

Take the thread thats already about Labour and the catholics, heres a party that talks about Gay rights, Abortion right, Taxing the rich, yadda yadda, and then trys to win over the religious ring. Meh, at least with FF you've an idea where you stand.

Anybody would be better than these shower of wasters. Anybody. I would love to see Bertie give the nation a promise like Enda has.

See you're first bit of a rant persumed I cared about any of the national issues you mentioned. That last bit, about anybody being better, is simply untrue. For instance FG plan to buy back Eircom, or at least claim to (bernard burkan (SP?)) directly said that to me. As for enda, can't relate to the man.

Boston

Macy wrote:

You obviously don't know the public sector very well if you think this practice has stopped with FF!

You obviously don't know the public sector if you think this practice still happens.

Jonny Arson

Boston wrote:

Really, when asked in a reacent poll "do you think FF are a bunch of incompetent fcukwits" 63% of people replied yes.

Ah, distracting yourself from the hard hitting fact I see. I'd hardly think someone stating for a poll they would vote for FG or Lab or SF would be an endorsement for FF.

Boston wrote:

Take the thread thats already about Labour and the catholics, heres a party that talks about Gay rights, Abortion right, Taxing the rich, yadda yadda, and then trys to win over the religious ring. Meh, at least with FF you've an idea where you stand.

You can attempt to pigeonhole all chruch goers as if they all think there should be no gay rights etc but we all know most church goers endorse equality in society and don't live by the catholic churches ancient narrow minded bollixology. I congratulate Labour for taking a risk by engaging with church going voters, if the Catholic church could move with the times and take into consideration of some of Labour's social policies with equality and rights at the heart of society, then the church could actually begin to relevant again.

McSandwich

Boston wrote:

Hey, convince me that another party will do better and I'll vote for them. Why is a change in government a good idea, what mistakes have been made by FF that other parties wouldn't have made. How will my life be improved by a radical change in the ruling body.

To me it seems FF+PDs have been in power so long that they've forgotten why they're there. In fact eh, they don't really give a sh|t anymore (quite literally it seems). This says it all for me:

http://www.politics.ie/news_index.php?topic_id=18933

Can anyone tell me how Bertie manages to come out on top, no matter how many dodgy financial dealings involving him and his cronies are uncovered. The opinion poll in today's indo still show him as the country's preferred choice for Taoiseach. People seem to like him even more each time he's found out - makes me mad.:mad:

Boston

Jonny Arson wrote:

we all know most church goers endorse equality in society and don't live by the catholic churches ancient narrow minded bollixology.

Do we? I disagree.

I congratulate Labour for taking a risk by engaging with church going voters, if the Catholic church could move with the times and take into consideration of some of Labour's social policies with equality and rights at the heart of society, then the church could actually begin to relevant again.

What risk? Tell the people anything, once you get into power.