A quick congrats to Sinn Fein (Yes you read it right)

Pal

leninbenjamin wrote: »

i'd a Fianna Failer do the same thing here. why do Sinn Fein get special mention for this where others dont?

thats the way things work on the politics board. get with the program. we all praise SF whenever we can.

In/Casino/Out

Sinn Féin set up a campaign of misinformation and often downright lies. Every poster in my area has been torn down except for the Sinn Féin ones. They deserve no more respect than the Nazi propaganda activists who despite being in the wrong worked ooooh sooooo hard.

TelePaul

I have something of an ethical quandry concerning the deliberate misinformation deployed by Sinn Féin. But I guess that's par for the course in politics.

gordon_gekko

sinn fein took the no possition for the simple reason that there the kind of party who get more traction by taking an opposing possition to the mainstream , were they to have been just another small party supporting the treaty , they would have simply faded into the backround
even by last sunday they were getting possitive results from this with there bounce in the polls , also , if the country now suffers economically , sinn fein will benefit too, durring difficult times , parties like sinn fein tend to do well, its dreadfully cynical putting your party ahead of the national interest but it has worked a treat for the shinners

IRLConor

gordon_gekko wrote: »

sinn fein took the no possition for the simple reason that there the kind of party who get more traction by taking an opposing possition to the mainstream , were they to have been just another small party supporting the treaty , they would have simply faded into the backround
even by last sunday they were getting possitive results from this with there bounce in the polls , also , if the country now suffers economically , sinn fein will benefit too, durring difficult times , parties like sinn fein tend to do well, its dreadfully cynical putting your party ahead of the national interest but it has worked a treat for the shinners

To be fair to them, they also have a ideological issue with the treaty. Their no stance isn't just posturing.

Nationalism is diametrically in opposition to further EU integration. Further EU integration threatens their raison d'être.

themont85

IRLConor wrote: »

To be fair to them, they also have a ideological issue with the treaty. Their no stance isn't just posturing.

Nationalism is diametrically in opposition to further EU integration. Further EU integration threatens their raison d'être.

They've rejected every European treaty so far on baseless arguments that proved to be untrue, ie militarism and compromise of our neutrality, how ironic. They are a party that go completely against the 'establishment', its their main selling point to their primarily working class vote.

CptSternn

At the end of the day, people put more faith in the word of Sinn Fein than they do of their own parties leaders.

johnnyq

CptSternn wrote: »

At the end of the day, people put more faith in the word of Sinn Fein than they do of their own parties leaders.

It seems that way but I would also congratulate members of the Peace and Neutrality Alliance too and other smaller charity groups like Afri that raised military concerns on the treaty.

Hitman Actual

IRLConor wrote: »

To be fair to them, they also have a ideological issue with the treaty. Their no stance isn't just posturing.

Nationalism is diametrically in opposition to further EU integration. Further EU integration threatens their raison d'être.

The thing is, though, they've been going to great lengths today to say that they are very definitely pro-EU. They continually put out conflicting messages regarding Europe.

Jimbo

It has to be said, Mary Lou McDonald did a great job in this campaign.
Keeping Gerry Adams & Co. out of the limelight was a stroke of genius on their part

guinnessdrinker

clown bag wrote: »

Speaking of mc kenna, she was always a bit out there but like you said she's still a green in a not very recognisable green party. I also find her election posters make me curious. She has a fun quirky mischievous look about her that makes you wonder how she would preform in certain things not necessarily politically in nature. She just has that look. (maybe I should have posted this last paragraph in personal issues )

I totally agree with this, I was watching her on the new today and I just thought, yes, there is something about her that I just can't put my finger on. I used to not really get her but I admire her, especially as she stood by her own principles and didn't change her mind on the EU unlike some of her party colleagues.

I think Gormley and Ryan et al. (who have been very quiet throughout the campaign imo) have lost a lot of credibility since going into government with FF.

KnifeWRENCH

Sinn Fein ran a very good campaign, I msut say I thought Mary Lou McDonald did a great job.

While I don't agree with all of Sinn Feins policies, I would not rule out voting SF in a General Election if I thought their candidate was good enough.

DublinWriter

ShooterSF wrote: »

I know they like everyone else have an agenda, but the effect of low pressure door to door calls an not be over estimated! Credit where credit is due.

I'd have to give them credit where credit is due myself; they were the only 'mainstream' party who were canvasing at the doorstep.

The biggest mistake the government did was delegating the running of the 'Yes' campaign to Michael Martin, to quote Borat, this was akin to 'letting monkey fly airplane'.

As this task didn't involve a) taxing something b) banning something c) commissioning several dozen reports by private consultancies at a cost of eleventy-hundred-million euros to the taxpayer, or d) all of the above, Martin was sure to fail given his obvious political shortcomings.

All he managed to do when he was trotted out to public debates was to appear churlish and negative in his automatic gain-saying in response to the points the SF candidate made.

nesf

DublinWriter wrote: »

I'd have to give them credit where credit is due myself; they were the only 'mainstream' party who were canvasing at the doorstep.

Nationwide yes, some of the local cumanns were active door to door but it wasn't anywhere close to as organised as it needed to be.

Oracle

I'd agree Mary Lou was great on Questions and Answers Lisbon debate.

eoin2nc

Its easier to say No to everything than have your own political policies

IRLConor

square_igloo wrote: »

While I don't agree with all of Sinn Feins policies, I would not rule out voting SF in a General Election if I thought their candidate was good enough.

I still wouldn't vote for them unless their policies and attitudes change quite radically.

Still though, fair play to them for actually making a proper effort unlike the useless shower at the centre of the yes campaign.

Ri na hEireann

Oracle wrote: »

I'd agree Mary Lou was great on Questions and Answers Lisbon debate.

Have to completely disagree....I don't think telling lies is classed as being "great" which is most certainly what she did.

I could never vote for Sinn Féin. As organised as they may be, they depend on the political mandate of people not interested in current affairs. Their policies are backward and their outlook on Europe is sickening....It's guaranteed that if Lisbon 2 ever materialises they will canvass for a NO vote regardless of what it contains. It's rather fitting that they were presented with the regurgitated "Ulster says No" from Ian Paisley in NI on every step along the road to peace and now they are fulfilling the "Ireland say No" role.

If Gordon Browne woke up in the morning and was feeling generous and decided to give the 6counties back Sinn Féin would cease to exist or in effect become a left-wing version of Libertas to be the ever-bitter thorn in the side of the EU.

irish_bob

sinn fein are no different than the likes of the bnp or ukip in the uk in that they thrive when things are toughest , it is in sinn feins interest to take an opposing view to the mainstream , gives them an edge which is appealing to the so called disadvantaged who distrust the mainstram political parties and also gives them more media exposure which is really a building block for future domestic elections which is all they really care about

it is a lie that sinn fein are pro europe, sinn fein would like to see ireland become more like cuba than denmark