Greens only appeal to city dwellers

johnnyskeleton

From looking (briefly) at the election results so far, it appears that while the greens have a few seats in Dublin constituencies and good support in Galway and Cork, they don't seem to do well in more rural areas.

Does anyone know what kind of policies they offer in towns and rural areas or why they are unsuccessful there?

jon1981

they are only a one policy party in one geographical area anyway... its common sense that country people would suffer more so if the Green party where to hit the motorist with tax levis as the public transports is crap in rural parts of the country

DJDC

I think the reason is fairly obvious dont you.Rural communties are parochial backwaters that are dominated by political families and connections.Add to this their complete disdain for anything green and environmental and the greens will always find it tough.

I know people will say country people like the environment blah blah.This fallacy just isnt bourne out in reality.They are constantly giving out about the interference from Taisce,Bord Pleana etc.Who would have thought you couldnt build a quarry/landfill/quadbike track out the back garden?They also show little interest in saving any local areas of natural importance and are all to keen to build and develop it for monetary gain.

fricatus

DJDC wrote:

I think the reason is fairly obvious dont you.Rural communties are parochial backwaters that are dominated by political families and connections.Add to this their complete disdain for anything green and environmental and the greens will always find it tough.

I know people will say country people like the environment blah blah.This fallacy just isnt bourne out in reality.They are constantly giving out about the interference from Taisce,Bord Pleana etc.Who would have thought you couldnt build a quarry/landfill/quadbike track out the back garden?They also show little interest in saving any local areas of natural importance and are all to keen to build and develop it for monetary gain.

You don't half go in for stereotypes, do you?

Wishbone Ash

Trevor Sargent's constituency (Dublin North) is largely rural (i.e. it consists of most of North County Dublin).

Victor

Wishbone Ash wrote:

Trevor Sargent's constituency (Dublin North) is largely rural (i.e. it consists of most of North County Dublin).

Yes a rural area where 97% of the population live in towns from 6,000-35,000.

Wishbone Ash

Victor wrote:

Yes a rural area where 97% of the population live in towns from 6,000-35,000.

Sshh Victor! Geographically, it's rural.

Diamondmaker

Wishbone Ash wrote:

Trevor Sargent's constituency (Dublin North) is largely rural (i.e. it consists of most of North County Dublin).

Eh at a stretch ill give it to you that Geographically there is a lot of "rural" land but obviously its the pop that votes and not the geography!
With the population being mainly urban, your point does not make sense.

Also throw in Airport issues, Port Tunnel, Metro North, Ikea, commuting from N County to CC, M50 etc etc there are many issues associated with North Dublin that the greens have lobbied for or against, that just dont carry any weight ( if any at all ) to the rural voter....... Rural in the correct sense of the word I mean.

Wow the others just landed too....I mean c'mon Rural??!!??
Should a pit the winky in earlier!;)

nesf

DJDC wrote:

I think the reason is fairly obvious dont you.Rural communties are parochial backwaters that are dominated by political families and connections.Add to this their complete disdain for anything green and environmental and the greens will always find it tough.

I know people will say country people like the environment blah blah.This fallacy just isnt bourne out in reality.They are constantly giving out about the interference from Taisce,Bord Pleana etc.Who would have thought you couldnt build a quarry/landfill/quadbike track out the back garden?They also show little interest in saving any local areas of natural importance and are all to keen to build and develop it for monetary gain.

It's painfully obvious that you don't know a whole lot about rural communities beyond a few bland stereotypes.

Diamondmaker

nesf wrote:

It's painfully obvious that you don't know a whole lot about rural communities beyond a few bland stereotypes.

I would not go as far as what was quoted but perhaps you have another theory? Green issues DO effect the rural less and more in equal measures that would cost green policie votes.

As said a tax on mileage rather than what we have currently...hit the rural 4 car family for ex....

McSpud

I think the transport policies of the Greens stopped in the burbs.

nesf

Diamondmaker wrote:

I would not go as far as what was quoted but perhaps you have another theory? Green issues DO effect the rural less and more in equal measures that would cost green policies issue.

As said a tax on mileage rather than what we have currently...hit the rural 4 car family for ex....

I agree completely with you. I think to a large extent the Green Manifesto doesn't deal with the issues that dominate politics in rural areas, or a lot of urban areas for that matter. That and rural constituencies can be small, the Greens aren't (by and large) a big polling party. They also don't have a local presence. For instance in Cork North West they ran a candidate who wasn't even from the constituency. They still picked up over 1,000 votes which was very good for them.

jrey1981

My local green candidate Deirdre de Burca opposed reopening a local train station which doesnt really make sense.

She said Iarnrod Eireann couldnt do it and that was it.

Sir Oxman

Carlow/Kilkenny looks likely to elect Mary White of the Greens

Villain

Yep Mary White will be elected now by the looks of things and that would very much be a rural vote.

Sir Oxman

irish1 wrote:

Yep Mary White will be elected now by the looks of things and that would very much be a rural vote.

And as the heads on RTE have just said, that likely win in Carlow/KK makes the Greens real players with 7 seats and FF with theoretical 77/78...

Villain

Yep I just predicted on the main sticky thread that it will be a FF and Greens government

eoghan.geraghty

jrey1981 wrote:

My local green candidate Deirdre de Burca opposed reopening a local train station which doesnt really make sense.

She said Iarnrod Eireann couldnt do it and that was it.

I'm surprised at that, their strategy is to take money from roads into public transport.
The fact that theirs no proper rail transport to Donegal is a joke, let alone Cork to Limerick to Galway to Westport to Sligo.

DJDC

I was saying some of my comments in jest,it is impossible to generalise the majority of this countries population(is the rural section still a majority?).However I still hold out that rural communties are on average less pro "green" than urban areas.

It seems like White has a good chance in Carlow.Excellent news.

Gobán Saor

I'd suggest that the Greens are a middle class niche party, not just a city party Strong in Dublin South, Dublin South East and Dun Laoighaire, the archetypal middle class constituencies.

Wishbone Ash

Gob&#225 wrote: »

I'd suggest that the Greens are a middle class niche party, not just a city party Strong in Dublin South, Dublin South East and Dun Laoighaire, the archetypal middle class constituencies.

What about Dublin North - their leaders area!

DJDC

I'd suggest that the Greens are a middle class niche party, not just a city party Strong in Dublin South, Dublin South East and Dun Laoighaire, the archetypal middle class constituencies.

Middle Class when their policies are essentially leftist of centre, and they gain most of their transfers from working class areas?Maybe you are not facing up to the fact that there is a significant component of the irish electorate outside dublin who vote along strong party lines,putting small parties out of the equation.

Also niche?why?

Victor

DJDC wrote:

Middle Class when their policies are essentially leftist of centre, and they gain most of their transfers from working class areas?

Just like any other party, the greens attract a mix of votes - middle class environmental, protest, some republican, anyone but FF, left wing.

nesf

DJDC wrote:

Also niche?why?

Green politics are only entering the mainstream in this country and people are still looking towards the major parties for these policies at the moment. Only time will show if a party based around green politics can become a major entity in this country or whether they will go the way of the PDs with their policies being absorbed by the mainstream and the party being pushed out to the fringes.

I think people confuse the success of the Green Party with the success of green policies in this country though (it's similar with the PDs).

DJDC

Only time will show if a party based around green politics can become a major entity in this country or whether they will go the way of the PDs with their policies being absorbed by the mainstream and the party being pushed out to the fringes

Good point.FF/FG dont really have a political ideology and are essentially populist vote gatherers.The greens will have to make sure they dont get cannibalised in the next decade.They are really going to have to make sure the public think, they are the only ones who can be trusted when it comes to environmental issues.

McSpud

Gob&#225 wrote: »

I'd suggest that the Greens are a middle class niche party, not just a city party Strong in Dublin South, Dublin South East and Dun Laoighaire, the archetypal middle class constituencies.

That is where they seem to get seats but they seem to see themselves as more left wing party.

IMO the Greens should move into the centre to challenge the existing big 3 & sell themselves are clean politics free from corporate or unions influence.

karen3212

DJDC wrote:

I think the reason is fairly obvious dont you.Rural communties are parochial backwaters that are dominated by political families and connections.Add to this their complete disdain for anything green and environmental and the greens will always find it tough.

I know people will say country people like the environment blah blah.This fallacy just isnt bourne out in reality.They are constantly giving out about the interference from Taisce,Bord Pleana etc.Who would have thought you couldnt build a quarry/landfill/quadbike track out the back garden?They also show little interest in saving any local areas of natural importance and are all to keen to build and develop it for monetary gain.

I don't agree with this, I visit relatives in the country all the time, and they conserve and recycle far more than my friends in the city. I'd say it might be the calibre of the particular green candidates around the country.

They surely scrope the bottom of the barrell for the candidate they chose where my aunt lives.

Gobán Saor

Wishbone Ash wrote:

What about Dublin North - their leaders area!

True, but there's still that concentration in the three ultimate South Dublin middle class constituencies.

Anyway, its far more obvious than that - just drive arounf the city and check out where the concentration of Green posters are. Quite near the PD ones.;) And very few in working class areas.

Gael

This thread is interesting, since the Greens still seem in position to win their first seat in a primarily rural constituency, via Mary White. And lest you doubt it, you should know that Mary lives up a mountain, not in a town.

Gobán Saor

DJDC wrote:

Middle Class when their policies are essentially leftist of centre, and they gain most of their transfers from working class areas?
Also niche?why?

Well, yes their policies are well to the left of Labour but there is a disconnect between the party's policies and a lot (not all) of their supporters. Voting Green can be a lifestyle choice: hey-look-at-me - I'm-concerned-about-saving-the-planet. Very popular with the folks who buy organic bread at €4 a loaf in the farmers market.

Disclaimer: not all Greens fit this stereotype, but a lot do.:D

Victor

Gob&#225 wrote: »

And very few in working class areas.

Thievin' little gurriers.