Mary Lou McDonald: the most annoying person in Irish politics

Nodin

jimmmy wrote: »

So you think her poor attendance record is ok so , as long as its documented..

The documentation means theres legitamate reasons for her not being there.

Souljacker

Nodin wrote: »

The documentation means theres legitamate reasons for her not being there.

Which are? Just out of pure interest.

Nodin

Souljacker wrote: »

Which are? Just out of pure interest.

No idea. However the fact the EU have accepted them implies they are credible.

Souljacker

Nodin wrote: »

No idea. However the fact the EU have accepted them implies they are credible.

Interesting.. It's strange that SF, as such an ardent figher for accountablility haven't publisied why one of their MEPs was absent for nealy half of her 5 year term in the EP. Also I think its worth noting MLM isn’t a single mother and maternatiy leave in the UK is 52 weeks (max) (39 paid).


Just to inject a bit of excitement back into this thread. Kudos if you can find a MEP with a lower attendance than Mary Lou in the 27 member states. Credible or incredible.

http://www.europarl.europa.eu/members/public/geoSearch.do;jsessionid=0CE74A8CF7291FF23E14BED8292F7B8A.node1?language=en

Nodin

Souljacker wrote: »

Interesting.. It's strange that SF, as such an ardent figher for accountablility haven't publisied why one of their MEPs was absent for nealy half of her 5 year term in the EP.

As I said, her absence is backed by documentation. What that means I've no idea, however I'd imagine that if it consisted of a sick note by Gerry, they wouldn't have gone with it.

LordSutch

Just watched Questions & Answers on RTE 1, and yet again Mary Lou was totally dominated by the rest of the panel, she came across (yet again) as lacking any real content, spouting off the usual hollow soundbites that just don't wash when held up to scrutiny, and as usual she still keept stating the bleedin obvious! 'we need politicians we can trust, the Irish people will decide who sits in Brussels, we need transparency & accountability' . . . yawn yawn yawn.

Such bloody obvious stuff, but no filling whatsoever!

The panel consisted of Proinsis De'Rossa, Gay Mitchel, Eoin Ryan, Mary Lou + some economist fella, Mary Lou started off the night by saying that we alone must get ourselves out of the worlds financial crisis backed up by Europe probably if needs be (or words to that effect) > that was the point she lost all credability with the panel and the audience, but some people love her hair & her friendly 'Knowledgeable' manner, so she might well get elected to Brussels 'again', but she certainly wont be getting my vote.

Marshy

Agreed, it amazes me that she has as much support as she seemingly does. Mitchell and De Rossa look home and dry already for the first 2 seats but sadly it looks like its between Ryan and Mary Lou for the remaining one.

I'd love it if Joe Higgins snuck in ahead of them both...

guinnessdrinker

I only caught the tail end of questions and answers but I've always thought she was well able to handle herself particularly when outnumbered. Anyway I like her!

InFront

Eoin Ryan came across very badly as well. I don't want to sound rude here but when you put the two candidates who are battling it out for the last seat sitting beside each other, and one is a middle aged slightly overweight man who is a member of an incredibly unpopular ruling party with a lot of failed policies and the other is a younger well groomed woman who can throw a lot of same failed policies back at him, then the result is going to be obvious. Mary Lou did come off better than Eoin Ryan in that debate. I don't necessarily agree with that, but that's how the public perceive these things.

And just as an aside, the Libertas candidate also came across very well. I wouldn't vote for her personally, but she again presented herself well on Vincent Browne last week, and she really got under Gay Mitchell's skin and put some tough issues to him in what was otherwise a great debate on his behalf.

Souljacker

Just saw Q&A too and I think the most insightful thing we got from McDonald was when she was questioned about the possibility of running in Dublin Central in the next general election.

From MLM's abysmal record in the European parliament and her refusal to say she wont run in Dublin central in the next general election I think we can sum up that she's far from committed to Europe. I suppose she's really trying to go after the euroskeptic vote.

On the basis of that debate MLM doesn't deserve to be in the running for the final seat.

ManofMunster

won't be voting for ganley's tribe, but that libertas woman certainly fought the good fight.

as for mary lou, yeah i think i would;)

LordSutch

InFront wrote: »

Mary Lou did come off better than Eoin Ryan in that debate. I don't necessarily agree with that, but that's how the public perceive these things.

Amazing how two people can watch exactly the same debate on TV, and yet have two completly contrasting opinions!! > I thought Eoin Ryan was all over Mary Lou, I thought he came across as knowing exactly what he was talking about (inc content) from brussels > and I found Maru Lou to be totally lacking in any depth

InFront wrote: »

And just as an aside, the Libertas candidate also came across very well. I wouldn't vote for her personally, but she again presented herself well on Vincent Browne last week, and she really got under Gay Mitchell's skin and put some tough issues to him in what was otherwise a great debate on his behalf.

I also thought the Libertas candidate was a lightweight when confronted by Gay Mitchell.

"Vive la Difference" .........

ProperDeadly

InFront wrote: »

Eoin Ryan came across very badly as well. I don't want to sound rude here but when you put the two candidates who are battling it out for the last seat sitting beside each other, and one is a middle aged slightly overweight man who is a member of an incredibly unpopular ruling party with a lot of failed policies and the other is a younger well groomed woman who can throw a lot of same failed policies back at him, then the result is going to be obvious. Mary Lou did come off better than Eoin Ryan in that debate. I don't necessarily agree with that, but that's how the public perceive these things.

And just as an aside, the Libertas candidate also came across very well. I wouldn't vote for her personally, but she again presented herself well on Vincent Browne last week, and she really got under Gay Mitchell's skin and put some tough issues to him in what was otherwise a great debate on his behalf.

Have to agree with Camelot. I thought Eoin Ryan came accross really well. He was well able to back up his record in the Parliament with lists of reports, attendance etc. Whereas Mary Lou couldn't seem to prove her record.

My favourite part was where she wouldn't answer the question about running in Dublin Central in a General Election - doesn't exactly inspire confidence in her commitment to Europe IMO. In all, I think the programme managed to convince me to give my vote to either Eoin Ryan or Gay Mitchell. I thought Deirdre de Burca came accross well too. Definately not Mary Lou anyway!

lostexpectation

she was on maternity leave for a while, but that would only improve her attendance a bit, its still low.

Aidric

For people stating that the Libertas candidate came across well, she didn't. She was spouting the same scripted nonsense on Vincent Browne a few weeks back. Gay Mitchell rightly called her out on her vague assertions.

FTA69

Camelot wrote: »

Amazing how two people can watch exactly the same debate on TV, and yet have two completly contrasting opinions!! > I thought Eoin Ryan was all over Mary Lou, I thought he came across as knowing exactly what he was talking about (inc content) from brussels > and I found Maru Lou to be totally lacking in any depth

At the end of the day Camelot you probably decided she would have a poor performace before you even turned on the telly to watch the show. Even if she made sh*t of the lot of them you'd still come on here telling us all how she was absolutely awful. McDonald had an okay performance in that show, she didn't set the gaff on fire or anything but she was well able for Eoin Ryan, who came across as the worst of them all to be honest.

Does she engage in platitudes while ignoring the question? Of course she does, all politicians do. But in fairness she does it very effectively and it often has the effect of getting people on her side. All in all her performance on that show will stand to her and won't do her any harm at all.

Badabing

What would Mary Lou do if and it's a big if Christy Burke won the by election? She is not liked by the grass roots of the party in the city.

José Alaninho

Badabing wrote: »

She is not liked by the grass roots of the party in the city.

Says who? You? Any proof of that?

themont85

Mary Lou, Simmons and McKenna come accross as complete tw@ts imo. Eoin Ryan seems to know what he's talking about, Mitchell and DeRossa are home free. The Green candidate DeBurca seems quite good too.

FTA69

Badabing wrote: »

What would Mary Lou do if and it's a big if Christy Burke won the by election? She is not liked by the grass roots of the party in the city.

He won't. And even if he did they'd just replace her as the candidate during the next election.

FTA69

themont85 wrote: »

Mary Lou, Simmons and McKenna come accross as complete tw@ts imo. Eoin Ryan seems to know what he's talking about, Mitchell and DeRossa are home free. The Green candidate DeBurca seems quite good too.

De Burca's goosed, sure McKenna is polling higher than her. I'm fairly surprised at the Dublin polling to be honest. I expected McDonald to lose her seat but I'd say she just might keep it now. Mitchell and De Rossa will get in no doubt, I'd say McDonald will pick up a degree of transfers from both De Rossa when he gets elected an a share of Higgins and McKenna's transfers when they get eliminated. I can't see Eoin Ryan retaining his seat, and I hope he doesn't either.

Irlbo

Mary Lou McDonald is nothing but a walking talking PR stunt for Provisional Sinn Fein,she is used because she is percieved to be the complete opposite to the stereotype of the tradional republican,she is well educated,well spoken.middle class,reserved,and therefore media friendly,not the stereotypical celtic jersey wear,shaven headed,heavily tattooed IRA obsessed republican,what Mary Lou is not though is a republican,she has little knowledge of the ideaology and very vague knowledge of Irish history(I know I used to canvass with her),she is completely career driven,she saw her opportunity when Sinn Fein was getting more prominant and took it,an opportunity she never would have got with Fianna Fail as they already have a conveyer belt of opportunist careerist power hungry wannabe TDs,at the time Sinn Fein was handy for Mary Lou and Mary Lou was handy for Sinn Fein,but ask any grassroots Sinn Fein or republican activists their opinion of Mary Lou McDonald,you will find very few who have any regard or time for her,most resent her,she is regarded as a blow in who is using Sinn Feins new found popularity to propel her career,most wouldnt call her republican,in Dublin Central were she is running again for the European elections,she is looked at with disgust by alot of Sinn Fein,republican and community activists,who because of her PR friendly persona agressively replaced Nicky Kehoe a veteran republican and community leader,who didnt fit Sinn Feins new image of itself,an ex-IRA volunteer and POW dosent fit the bill,so even republicans dislike this annoying robot,the idea that she should be vice president of Sinn Fein disgusts me

thebullkf

Rebelheart wrote: »

Just listening to her on Rodney Rice's Saturday View of RTÉ Radio 1 and she must wake up on the wrong side of the bed every morning. The woman would fight with her own shadow.

She and Sinn Féin are fundamentally wrong in their opposition to the Lisbon Treaty - or to be more precise in their alliance with the "British Isles" school of British eurosceptics. It's a terrifying alliance. McDonald was sitting there defending the indefensible for any Irish republican.

And as usual she was playing the victim. She and Sinn Féin clearly think they are smart and, moreover, that we all read British tabloids that are hostile to the EU. From the time she opens her mouth she insults our intelligence. Her discussions are much more about herself, her fighting skills, her performance, than they are about her ideas. When she is challenged about her ideas she erupts into another ad hominem and tries again to digress into a non sequitur - followed by something like "Please, don't interrupt me, I let you have your time [which she didn't]".

Oddly enough, she strikes me as being a female version of Jeffrey Donaldson: smug, sanctimonious, populist (in a weird sense), and a complete bully at heart.


* I wont even get into her ridiculous pie-in-the-sky ideas about the Irish economy; she has all the answers and everybody else is wrong. She has no grace, no generosity and no sense of fair play. If she ever did get into power she would be the greatest hypocrite of all.

she'd get a belt of it all the same...
mary lou lookin good.

Nodin

Irlbo wrote: »

Mary Lou(.....)disgusts me

Sources?

Also, paragraphs do not constitute support Mary Lou - you may thus use them freely.

Irlbo

Nodin wrote: »

Sources?

Also, paragraphs do not constitute support Mary Lou - you may thus use them freely.

My pc in work wont allow me to use paragraphs,sorry,and please speak English!

Dyr

I'm always amazed that derossa is a shoe in, he has zero visibility in the constituency until election time. Maybe people like voting for pirates or something

Irlbo

Bambi wrote: »

I'm always amazed that derossa is a shoe in, he has zero visibility in the constituency until election time. Maybe people like voting for pirates or something

He has been around for along time though,and is regarded as a safe bet,he did bring in some reform as minister of social welfare,so working class communties have lot of time for him,but he is a complete political prostituite,he was an IRA man,then an Official IRA man,workers party TD,founder and leader of Democratic Left and now a Labour TD and MEP

InFront

Bambi wrote: »

I'm always amazed that derossa is a shoe in, he has zero visibility in the constituency until election time. Maybe people like voting for pirates or something

This always surprises me too. I would vote for him ahead of McDonald, Ryan or de Burca however. I suppose it is just to do with a lack of good candidates.

Terrontress

Irlbo wrote: »

the stereotypical celtic jersey wear,shaven headed,heavily tattooed IRA obsessed republican,

There are quite a few Shinners who aren't heavily tattooed.

Irlbo

Terrontress wrote: »

There are quite a few Shinners who aren't heavily tattooed.

Im aware of that,but thats a stereotype