Would you vote for a non-white Taoiseach?

crianp

I don't mean for this to be inflammatory or racist in anyway but I am writing an article for my blog at the moment about the american election and I speculated( emhpasis on speculated) that the majority of people in Ireland would not vote for a non-white Taoiseach?

hotredhead

I wouldn't rule it out.Our political system could do with a bloody good shake-up in my opinion.

themadchef

Would a poll not be better?

seamus

Provided they're Irish by birth or naturalisation, it wouldn't matter to me what colour their skin is.

Bob in Belfast

Of course i would, ******'s are alright in my book.
I wouldn't vote for a woman though.

Pherekydes

Define non-white.

I'd vote for anyone but Fianna Fáil.

I wouldn't care as long as they could do a good job

TestTransmission

crianp wrote: »

I don't mean for this to be inflammatory or racist in anyway but I am writing an article for my blog at the moment about the american election and I speculated( emhpasis on speculated) that the majority of people in Ireland would not vote for a non-white Taoiseach?

well,i dont know.Portlaoise actually has the first coloured Mayor in Ireland.
I can imagine some of the older generation being very sceptical of a coloured TD but i cant imagine the majority of the country having an issue with it.

Your missing the big picture,the next Taoiseach will be a BIFFO,just like myself!!

Doctor DooM

I would have no problem with it at all.

*sweeping generalisation* I would say the nations taxi drivers might disagree though. */sweeping generalisation*

rubadub

Slow coach wrote: »

Define non-white.

Yes, I am interested in the definition too.

This Obama lad is as white as he is black.

Dyr

I thought the nigerian mayor had turned out to have spent a few years driving trains in london before seeking "refuge" here?

Phil lynott and paul mcgrath are both non white, I'd have them for the job but no bleedin fordiners. If we'd had a no-bleedin-fordiner-for-taoiseach rule then dev would never have got in. It makes sense you know.

Tha Gopher

re the general public, Ireland is full of FF loyal twats who would vote Ian Paisley as Taoiseach as long as he was a member of FF. I sh1t you not, if Bertie was jailed for 3 years for the present allegations he could still come back and be re elected.

Personally, Id sooner see a black transvestite in office than Bertie if they could do a better job and be less corrupt. 3 times, ffs this country should be nuked with some type of chemical weapon that only attacks people withn a higher count of idiot cells in their brain.

re what Bambi said is there a constituion clause saying you must be born here? I know the US has one (which is why President Schwarzegger cant pull off a PR coup by deciding to single handedly enter Afghanistan with one of those movie machine guns which produces its own bullets and never requires re loading, and wipe Al Quaeda off the earth)

randylonghorn

jackncoke wrote: »

I can imagine some of the older generation being very sceptical of a coloured TD but i cant imagine the majority of the country not having an issue with it.

Didn't Clare have an Indian TD not so long ago (think he was a Doctor). Some people thought he was great, some people thought he was rubbish, much like any other TD ...

Personally, I couldn't care less what colour / heritage / gender or indeed county (the last usually being at least as big an issue, given it's Ireland!) the Taoiseach is drawn from ... once s/he can do a decent job!

Nightwish

Seeing as we dont "elect" a Taoiseach, the question is pretty pointless. However if a non-white person stood for election, the colour of their skin would have no effect on me. If they are a good candidate for the job, I'll vote for them, if I disagree with their policies or is a member of FF I woulnt vote for them.

bleg

no

vestanpance

seamus wrote: »

Provided they're Irish by birth, it wouldn't matter to me what colour their skin is.

I have to say I echo this but the would the would have to be Irish by birth

JIZZLORD

exactly. we dont vote for taoiseach.

Kold

jackncoke wrote: »

well,i dont know.Portlaoise actually has the first coloured Mayor in Ireland.
I can imagine some of the older generation being very sceptical of a coloured TD but i cant imagine the majority of the country having an issue with it.

"Coloured" isn't particularly acceptable terminology these days.

randylonghorn

Nightwish wrote: »

Seeing as we dont "elect" a Taoiseach

JIZZLORD wrote: »

exactly. we dont vote for taoiseach.

Technically true, but nevertheless the last election people basically considered they were voting for Bertie or Enda for Taoiseach, and indeed the parties sold it that way ...

rubadub

Kold wrote: »

"Coloured" isn't particularly acceptable terminology these days.

According to who? Who gets to decide? Is it "mixed race", that might do until it is used in the schoolyard, and then deemed non-pc again, then get a new technical term.

As I said Obama has as much reason to be called white as he is black,

Phil lynott and paul mcgrath are both non white,

And both non-black, using the same logic just like Obama.

TestTransmission

Kold wrote: »

"Coloured" isn't particularly acceptable terminology these days.

No offence meant...i just find using the word "black" as bad

Sherifu

I would have no problem if they're born here.

crianp

Thanks for the feedback guys, and I guess I was wrong. What a few people have said makes sense, my folks here know a few older Irish folk who would never vote for someone of color. White/Black are respective definitions so I will leave that to the reader to figure out. Lastly I also apologize for my lack of knowledge concerning the Irish Political system, just did a quick google and found out the Taoiseach is elected by the Dáil. Thanks anyway.

JIZZLORD

randylonghorn wrote: »

Technically true, but nevertheless the last election people basically considered they were voting for Bertie or Enda for Taoiseach, and indeed the parties sold it that way ...

yes, but the majority chooses the taoiseach. as heads of the parties these dudes obviously would have ended up planning on taking the title of taoiseach

AlmightyCushion

Tha Gopher wrote: »

Personally, Id sooner see a black transvestite in office than Bertie if they could do a better job and be less corrupt. 3 times, ffs this country should be nuked with some type of chemical weapon that only attacks people withn a higher count of idiot cells in their brain.

Maybe the reason people voted him back in was because they felt none of the other parties could do a better job than him. Maybe they thought he was the best of a bad bunch.

Tha Gopher

Bambi wrote: »

I thought the nigerian mayor had turned out to have spent a few years driving trains in london before seeking "refuge" here?

Phil lynott and paul mcgrath are both non white, I'd have them for the job but no bleedin fordiners. If we'd had a no-bleedin-fordiner-for-taoiseach rule then dev would never have got in. It makes sense you know.

You would sooner vote for an alcoholic or a heroin addict?

Not downing them, they are both legends. Im not downing them in the same way as although my best mate is a chronic alcoholic who drops acid and takes yokes whenever he can get them, he is my best mate, but I wouldnt want him running the country.

I would have included coke snorting (to be fashinable, like yah) but although he does like a sniff of that rubbish, the fact he never held down a job for more than two months means cans of druids cider and 5 euro yips are all the budget can afford.

randylonghorn

JIZZLORD wrote: »

yes, but the majority chooses the taoiseach. as heads of the parties these dudes obviously would have ended up planning on taking the title of taoiseach

Yep, that was kinda my point?

We, the ordinary voters, may not technically elect the Taoiseach, but by voting for one party or another we do to all intents and purposes do so ... unless there's a big row immediately after the election and the party changes leader or something ...

Tha Gopher

micmclo wrote: »

Saying black causes offense?
If you want to hear n*gger or "offensive" language listen to Jay Z or any number of black rappers.

Hmm.

I laugh my arse off at anything in the Simpsons that makes the Irish out to be a load of drunks.

Mainly because it is ture.

Saying that, I was somewhat uncomfortable watching Ray Houghton dressed as a leprachan on Baddiel and Skinner years back.

miju

if he/she was naturalised then no, if they were Irish born and his/her party had policies that appealled to me then without hesitation yes

Tha Gopher

miju wrote: »

if he/she was naturalised then no, if they were Irish born and his/her party had policies that appealled to me then without hesitation yes

That just reminded me.

Any workplace, college, student union or otherwise that I was part of that was headed by women was badly organised.

No to Hillary Clinton. No to a woman in charge here. Women in power are generally lazier, simple as, and I challenge anyone to disagree.

Ross_Mahon

Yes i would, Race doesn't come into it

I'd like to have a vote for Taoiseach.

Sleepy

I'd vote for anyone I thought was the best candidate...

Xavi6

I don't see why you wouldn't vote for a non-white Taoiseach if he was the best candidate. Sure a cynic would say they're all dodgy anyway no matter what colour they are.

Guy:Incognito

Myth wrote: »

I'd like to have a vote for Taoiseach.

In what way do u mean? A seperate vote for a taoiseach or you cast your vot efor taoiseach and the winners party takes over? The seperate vote scenario wouldnt really work, you could have Bertie as Taoiseach with FG as the party inpower or vice versa, the 2nd option is the same as we have now only with a different name.

randylonghorn

Tha Gopher wrote: »

Any workplace, college, student union or otherwise that I was part of that was headed by women was badly organised.

Women in power are generally lazier, simple as, and I challenge anyone to disagree.

I disagree. Not my experience.

And would you describe Margaret Thatcher as having being an ineffective PM in the UK?

Dave!

As long as they're not, like, martians, they're grand. I f*cking hate martians.

Guy:Incognito

DaveMcG wrote: »

As long as they're not, like, martians, they're grand. I f*cking hate martians.

Racialist.

Rb

I'd vote for whoever I thought would be best for the job, no matter what colour they are. I'm sure we won't see a black Taoiseach for a while though, the sheer amount of backward thinking racist old people (the ones who will definitely get out off their arse to vote as it gives them something to do) still living in this country will most certainly prohibit this. Just as they're happy to re-elect the God awful government we have at the moment, headed by what has come to be the biggest f*cking clown to represent the state in our nations history. So in conclusion, I'd just vote for whoever seemed to be best for the job and wasn't part of Fianna Fail as I really, really hope that within the next few years we'll see the end of the disaster which is our current government.

However, I do agree with Tha Gopher on women in power generally being sh1te at it so wouldn't be voting for one, despite their campaign promises.

EamonnKeane

The problem is that an immigrant would most likely have only spent a few years in Ireland and wouldn't know the country as well as an Irish person

randylonghorn

rb_ie wrote: »

... the sheer amount of backward thinking racist old people ...

Unfortunately, rb, I don't think the racist attitudes are confined to the older generation ... in fact, there seems to be a significant sub-group of the 15-25 band with fairly strong racist attitudes, far more so than the 25-35 or 35-45 bands.

Unfortunately, my gut feeling is that this will probably become more obvious / prevalent if we hit any significant economic speed bump.

meglome

I don't think Europeans in general are as hung up on the colour/sex/sexuality of their elected representatives as Americans are.

WhiteWashMan

i vote on political views, not racial preferences.

Tha Gopher

randylonghorn wrote: »

I disagree. Not my experience.

And would you describe Margaret Thatcher as having being an ineffective PM in the UK?

Well....

Most republicans in the north, most Scots, most Scousers, Mancunians, Yorkshiremen, veterans of pointless wars of imperial pride in the Falklands and the North, and pretty much everyone else north of Hertfordshire would agree that yes, Thatchers reign was the worst period in British history since the Blitz and rationing. Record unemployment, the near death of the coal industry and it was at this time that her agriculture ministry saw nothing wrong with allowing cattle to be fed food from the remains of dead cattle, meaning laziness by Thatchers agriculture section in the 80s led to the BSE epidemic of the 90s and the decimation of Englands agriculture industry. It is also highly likely that given her "they are criminals, no negotiation" attitude in regards to the Northern situation, that if she managed to hold onto power through the 90s there would never have been a ceasefire here.

Oh yeah. re elect her.



Reminds me, Ill never forget watching Sky News once a few years back, around the time Thatcher was ill. Sky were on a live interview to Liverpool with some Beatles Fan Club head, guy was a total Scouser, they were interviwing him at the Cavern Club due to some milestone in the Beatles records for whatever (Im not really a fan, i cant recall)

Halfay through his piece they interrupted him to bring viewers live coerage from outside Thatchers hospital.

I doubt he will ever even answer a call from Sky again for such an insult Its like ITV showing ads for The Sun during the preparation of every penalty in the 05 CL final.

Terry

Bob in Belfast wrote: »

Of course i would, ******'s are alright in my book.
I wouldn't vote for a woman though.

Ahhhh haha hahahahaha
Banned.

WhiteWashMan

Tha Gopher wrote: »

Well....

Most republicans in the north, most Scots, most Scousers, Mancunians, Yorkshiremen, veterans of pointless wars of imperial pride in the Falklands and the North, and pretty much everyone else north of Hertfordshire would agree that yes, Thatchers reign was the worst period in British history since the Blitz and rationing. Record unemployment, the near death of the coal industry and it was at this time that her agriculture ministry saw nothing wrong with allowing cattle to be fed food from the remains of dead cattle, meaning laziness by Thatchers agriculture section in the 80s led to the BSE epidemic of the 90s and the decimation of Englands agriculture industry. It is also highly likely that given her "they are criminals, no negotiation" attitude in regards to the Northern situation, that if she managed to hold onto power through the 90s there would never have been a ceasefire here.

Oh yeah. re elect her.



Reminds me, Ill never forget watching Sky News once a few years back, around the time Thatcher was ill. Sky were on a live interview to Liverpool with some Beatles Fan Club head, guy was a total Scouser, they were interviwing him at the Cavern Club due to some milestone in the Beatles records for whatever (Im not really a fan, i cant recall)

Halfay through his piece they interrupted him to bring viewers live coerage from outside Thatchers hospital.

I doubt he will ever even answer a call from Sky again for such an insult Its like ITV showing ads for The Sun during the preparation of every penalty in the 05 CL final.

Of course, its easy to think that way if you have lived under that sort of regime.

However, why not tell us what is that you thought was bad, rather than relying on second hand opinion?

Personally, I thought she was an extraordinary leader.

She was that the UK had no future in manufacturing. She saw that the UK had no future from exporting goods. She saw that the UK had no future in exporting raw materials. All industries that the UK relied on for the previous 150 years to grow.

She had a vision and saw that for the UK, the way forward would be in information, finances, services and intellectual properties.

She sold of the badly run national utilities, stream lined the government and laid the basis for a newer UK based on industries that werent going to be undermined bu cheaper eastern goods.

It wasnt pretty, but she did what sh had to for her country.


Its a shame that so many people cant see that, instead relying on second hand, biased information for their opinions.
IM not saying that she was the best leader of a country ever, but she is due credit.

BY the way, not that i totally agree with her policies during the miners strike, but her political monuvering to undermind Scargill and bring them down was nothing short of brilliant.

Doesnt mean she was a nice woman though, but thats hardly the point when you run a country. Personally, i think Ireland could do with someone running the place who would make some decisions rather than line their own pockets with dog food factories...

Mossy Monk

If the person would do a better job than what is there noww I would vote for his/her party. Not because of the colour of their skin.

randylonghorn

Tha Gopher wrote: »

Most republicans in the north, most Scots, most Scousers, Mancunians, Yorkshiremen, veterans of pointless wars of imperial pride in the Falklands and the North, and pretty much everyone else north of Hertfordshire would agree that yes, Thatchers reign was the worst period in British history since the Blitz and rationing. Record unemployment, the near death of the coal industry and it was at this time that her agriculture ministry saw nothing wrong with allowing cattle to be fed food from the remains of dead cattle, meaning laziness by Thatchers agriculture section in the 80s led to the BSE epidemic of the 90s and the decimation of Englands agriculture industry. It is also highly likely that given her "they are criminals, no negotiation" attitude in regards to the Northern situation, that if she managed to hold onto power through the 90s there would never have been a ceasefire here.

Not the point.

You claimed that women in positions of power were lazy and ineffective ...

Tha Gopher wrote: »

Any workplace, college, student union or otherwise that I was part of that was headed by women was badly organised.

Women in power are generally lazier, simple as, and I challenge anyone to disagree.

... I pointed to Maggie as a prime example of someone who didn't fit your theory.

Now as far as I am concerned, she was a walking bitch ... but she was a highly effective walking bitch who dominated the Conservative party for 15 years, 11 of them as PM.

Whether you or I agreed with her policies or not is irrelevant to the present discussion ... for a decade the Iron Lady, rather than the Conservatives, ruled the UK.

Lazy? ... badly-organised? ... ineffective? ... I think not.

Tha Gopher

randylonghorn wrote: »

Not the point.

You claimed that women in positions of power were lazy and ineffective ... ... I pointed to Maggie as a prime example of someone who didn't fit your theory.

Now as far as I am concerned, she was a walking bitch ... but she was a highly effective walking bitch who dominated the Conservative party for 15 years, 11 of them as PM.

Whether you or I agreed with her policies or not is irrelevant to the present discussion ... for a decade the Iron Lady, rather than the Conservatives, ruled the UK.

Lazy? ... badly-organised? ... ineffective? ... I think not.

I accept your point gracefully.

Her policies were sh1t, but she sure as hell managed to keep them as the status quo for 11 odd years. Point taken.

WhiteWashMan wrote: »

However, why not tell us what is that you thought was bad, rather than relying on second hand opinion?

Because I was about 5 years old when she left office.

And privatisation of state companies has proven to be a rather gigantic pain in the hole for the general public in Britain.

minidazzler

Only if they spoke Irish fairly Well.

billy the squid

The last time I heard a TD answer a question in the Dail in Irish was because he didn't want the general public to know the answer.

and for non-white taoiseach, have no problem with that provided he is not a fianna failler.