What do you look for in a politican?

Seloth

I was just wondering what people look for in politicans,such as what kind of Education they recivied and so on.

mike65

Don't care about educashun (plenty of incompetent idiots have degrees/diplomas) I look for sense of street level common sense/understanding and "pragmatic honesty" if such a thing exists.

Mike

dresden8

mike65 wrote: »

Don't care about educashun (plenty of incompetent idiots have degrees/diplomas) I look for sense of street level common sense/understanding and "pragmatic honesty" if such a thing exists.

Mike

Agreed, I work with some of the most highly educated, most god awful @ssholes you would never wish to meet.

Seloth

By all means education shoudlnt be a person key factor for voting for a person but allot of people do seem to view it as a key view.An old techer of mine used to say the would only vote for a president that studied law as they would have a better understanding of it.

mike65

Thats why governments have a phalanx of advisors! )

Mike

pigeonbutler

Seloth wrote: »

By all means education shoudlnt be a person key factor for voting for a person but allot of people do seem to view it as a key view.An old techer of mine used to say the would only vote for a president that studied law as they would have a better understanding of it.

Said teacher must never have studied any constitutional law themselves given how little discretionary power the President has.

snubbleste

Seloth wrote: »

I was just wondering what people look for in politicans,such as what kind of Education they recivied and so on.

Honesty and ambition to represent their electorate.

ChocolateSauce

Honesty, integrity and a liberal outlook.

Mr.Micro

Intelligence,realism and humane with the correct amount of determination when required.

Colonel Sanders

Intelligence, a lack of cronies in the back ground or pandering to vested interests, a person who impresses me in his demeanour when questioned, a person who isn't just a TD becuase 'there has been a "Surname X" TD in this county fro the last 40 years and I want to keep it that way'

nesf

I generally end up in the distasteful situation with voting for the guys I disagree least with. I've never had the luxury of living in a constituency where I actually liked or admired any of the running politicians, it was just that some of them annoyed me less than the others.

Seloth

The reason I asked,just incase people are wondering is because I'm highly interested in Politics.I'm only in 5th year at the moment but I have high ambitions to head into the system when Im older.

I'm really glad that people((atleast here)),look for dedicated,Inteligent people,who actually care about what they do,rather than people who have recieved the highest grades in school and so fort.

Personally what I plan too do is do History and Political science.

Biggins

* I look for intelligence, Not necessarily diplomas and degrees - just enough to be clever to be able to make up one own mind with a bit of brains and also possessing a bit of brains to be able to tell when one is being lead rather than shown a path to possibly take!
* I look for character. Hopefully strong and firm.
* I hope for honesty and forthrightness.
* I look for a good listener who does actually listen, not make him/herself look like they are!

There is a number of things but I ask myself this silly question.
If this person (in theory) asked for the hand of my son/daughter in marriage, would I consider them to be a suitable candidate in which I could trust them to take care of my loved one?
If I thought they could take care of my loved ones and be a good match, they could take care of my other love, my country.

galwayrush

Next time around, i'll be asking them if and for what reason did they vote to cancell the cervical vaccine scheme.

Caoimhín

Ideally?

Someone who doesnt want to be a politician.

Jesus Wept

A fine head of hair.

ninty9er

Biggins wrote: »

* I look for intelligence, Not necessarily diplomas and degrees - just enough to be clever to be able to make up one own mind with a bit of brains and also possessing a bit of brains to be able to tell when one is being lead rather than shown a path to possibly take!
* I look for character. Hopefully strong and firm.
* I hope for honesty and forthrightness.
* I look for a good listener who does actually listen, not make him/herself look like they are!

There is a number of things but I ask myself this silly question.
If this person (in theory) asked for the hand of my son/daughter in marriage, would I consider them to be a suitable candidate in which I could trust them to take care of my loved one?
If I thought they could take care of my loved ones and be a good match, they could take care of my other love, my country.

OP

You could have all of these qualities and get hammered on the doorsteps for having the audacity to be a Fianna Fáil candidate.

Most of the people I've canvassed with could be described in those terms, and most politicians of all parties that I've met would be in the same boat.

ChocolateSauce

Caoimhín wrote: »

Ideally?

Someone who doesnt want to be a politician.

Jefferson publicly mused why anybody in their right mind would want to be president, that it was a burden. More recently, a comedian joked that nothing has changed with Obama; blacks still get the worst jobs.

Caoimhín

ChocolateSauce wrote: »

Jefferson publicly mused why anybody in their right mind would want to be president, that it was a burden. More recently, a comedian joked that nothing has changed with Obama; blacks still get the worst jobs.

Well based on any politicians i know, nobody goes into politics for public service.
I think it should be like the Pope, if you want to be in high public office you should be automatically ruled out.

jmayo

ninty9er wrote: »

OP


* I look for intelligence, Not necessarily diplomas and degrees - just enough to be clever to be able to make up one own mind with a bit of brains and also possessing a bit of brains to be able to tell when one is being lead rather than shown a path to possibly take!
* I look for character. Hopefully strong and firm.
* I hope for honesty and forthrightness.
* I look for a good listener who does actually listen, not make him/herself look like they are!


You could have all of these qualities and get hammered on the doorsteps for having the audacity to be a Fianna Fáil candidate.

Most of the people I've canvassed with could be described in those terms, and most politicians of all parties that I've met would be in the same boat.

Maybe it is becuase people reckon they haven't that strong a character, or are that honest and forthright, if they can stomach the bull**** that the parties former leader was trying to peddle to a tribunal of inquiry of the state and to the people of the state ?
The quesitons lots of us would have is, how can they support a party that condones members such as Lawlor, Flynn, Fahy and Burke if they are honest and of good sound character ?

And yes I know a few people involved in FF and it does always beggar my belief how come they are so myopic when it comes to the party, whereas in other areas they would never condone such sh**.

ninty9er

jmayo wrote: »

Maybe it is becuase people reckon they haven't that strong a character, or are that honest and forthright, if they can stomach the bull**** that the parties former leader was trying to peddle to a tribunal of inquiry of the state and to the people of the state ?
The quesitons lots of us would have is, how can they support a party that condones members such as Lawlor, Flynn, Fahy and Burke if they are honest and of good sound character ?

And yes I know a few people involved in FF and it does always beggar my belief how come they are so myopic when it comes to the party, whereas in other areas they would never condone such sh**.

Point proven.

jmayo

ninty9er wrote: »

Point proven.

Ah but ninty9er can you explain why supposed good honest, forthright people of good character and moral fibre, can condone and even disregard some of the sh*** that has come out from and about some of your prominent party memebrs including the ex leader ?

That is where it seems myself and a lot of other people have a problem.

If you do believe the sh*** then you are gullible eejits and if you don't believe it, then you are frankly of not good character and cannot be trusted to stand up for justice and truth.

I think the position adopted by the government, by the TDs (bar one) that make up the government parties, the would be FF lackies i.e. Healy-Rae and Behan, over the vote to withdraw the cervical cancer vaccination speaks in higher volumes than anything else about the character of these individuals.

Gutless sh**s who are removed and immune from everyday reality is what comes to mind.

I await with baited breath for one of these to darken my doorstep during an election canvass, so that they can address this fine example of moral courage and character :rolleyes:

QED.

oscarBravo

jmayo, can you tone it down a bit? Ta.

jmayo

oscarBravo wrote: »

jmayo, can you tone it down a bit? Ta.

Sorry OB but it makes my blood boil :mad:
These people appear to think that they can affectively swan around come election time and we will have forgotten.
The health system is a joke and the government washes their hands of it by conveniently pointing people to the HSE.
The bucks stops somewhere, it should stop at the minister and the government but they seem to believe that responsibility has nothing to do with them.

It would be funny if it were not for tha fact that people have died and will continue to die, becuase of the total inadequacies of our health system.

oscarBravo

jmayo wrote: »

These people appear to think that they can affectively swan around come election time and we will have forgotten.

What's really annoying is that they're absolutely right.

kevmy

ChocolateSauce wrote: »

Honesty, integrity and a liberal outlook.

Colonel Sanders wrote: »

Intelligence, a lack of cronies in the back ground or pandering to vested interests, a person who impresses me in his demeanour when questioned, a person who isn't just a TD becuase 'there has been a "Surname X" TD in this county fro the last 40 years and I want to keep it that way'

Both of these. Unfortunately it's often very difficult to get people with everything.

For example Micheal Ring works very hard on behalf of his constituents, doesn't have the name or cronyism attached and is a farily straight talker but I don't know if I would trust him to handle one of the top jobs.

Irlbo

Tony Gregory's devotion to fighting for underdog,Berties flair with people,Martin McGuinness's strong republican ideals but his good sense of humour

nacho libre

someone who says they are voting against the government because of their conscience on an issue then in the next vote, which is equally an issue of conscience, supports the government.

12-years-olds are feckless afterall, some of the grey voters might not have the courtesy to forget or die by the time the next elections come around.

i read recently people don't remember data, only emotional content. i don't believe this because in three years if the economy is doing well most of the people outraged and disillusioned now will likely vote for fianna fail again.

Caoimhín

nacho libre wrote: »

i don't believe this because in three years if the economy is doing well most of the people outraged and disillusioned now will likely vote for fianna fail again.

Sadly this is true, not just in Ireland but all over the world. Its one of the main flaws with democracy.

ninty9er

Caoimhín wrote: »

Sadly this is true, not just in Ireland but all over the world. Its one of the main flaws with democracy.

One of the main flaws of democracy is that a little pain now in the overall good results in a change of government and the undoing of any progress.....which is why we see so little social progress....infrastructure is just about feasible.

anita.cathider

hung like a horse!

Only kidding - please don't ban me!

I like politicians who are honest, and brutally so.

Someone who calls it like it is and does not shy away from truth.

A