Which Politician Do You Like The Most?

Mario007

I'm just wondering, as we have a pretty big crisis in believing in our politicians nowadays, who do you think is the best politician that we have at the moment. They don't have to be a leader of the party, just one person that you have noticed in the politics and whom you trust and like. And just give a reason why you like the given politician.

I'll start with my own: Brian Lenihan. I've said this on another thread, but I think the guy deserves a great deal of credit. He basically got the job of Minister for Finance at the worst time possible and it did take him ages to get accustomed to it, while producing mistakes; extending the state guarantee to anglo-irish bank and the october budget(which was really all over the place) seeing like the two most dominant examples. However he seems to have learned from these and the establishment of NAMA, if carried out properly, can take us through. The April budget was much more coherent and and deserves to be applaud, I think. It was his initiative that got us to look at TDs expenditures and try to cut them by as much as possible, and many a times his ideas of changing this system get rejected by the TDs. He also initiated a start to a process of reverse benchmarking which is to begin in september. Furthermore he seems to be the only one out there who understand that great fiscal adjustments are needed to be carried out to restore our public finances and doesn't seem to be afraid of various interest groups who are threatening to stage protest to oppose budgetary cuts.
Btw I'm not a Fianna Failer, in fact I have quite a distaste for most of the senior people in the party.

O.A.P

Mario007 wrote: »

I'm just wondering, as we have a pretty big crisis in believing in our politicians nowadays, who do you think is the best politician that we have at the moment. They don't have to be a leader of the party, just one person that you have noticed in the politics and whom you trust and like. And just give a reason why you like the given politician.

I'll start with my own: Brian Lenihan. I've said this on another thread, but I think the guy deserves a great deal of credit. He basically got the job of Minister for Finance at the worst time possible and it did take him ages to get accustomed to it, while producing mistakes; extending the state guarantee to anglo-irish bank and the october budget(which was really all over the place) seeing like the two most dominant examples. However he seems to have learned from these and the establishment of NAMA, if carried out properly, can take us through. The April budget was much more coherent and and deserves to be applaud, I think. It was his initiative that got us to look at TDs expenditures and try to cut them by as much as possible, and many a times his ideas of changing this system get rejected by the TDs. He also initiated a start to a process of reverse benchmarking which is to begin in september. Furthermore he seems to be the only one out there who understand that great fiscal adjustments are needed to be carried out to restore our public finances and doesn't seem to be afraid of various interest groups who are threatening to stage protest to oppose budgetary cuts.
Btw I'm not a Fianna Failer, in fact I have quite a distaste for most of the senior people in the party.

Im a chippy and have been for 23 years so pretty experinced, if I made a small mistake on the first day of a new job Id be asked why at the very least. If I made a complete mess of things I would be told to go and never come back, even in the middle of the boom. This is no time to start taking on chancers to lead us out of this recession.

Lockstep

Michael D. Higgins.

Politicains in these parts are normally self serving, arrogant geebags.
But not Michael. Legend of a man with a genuine interest in Galway city and county.

Het-Field

Ireland : Pat Cox

European : Graham Watson

International : Ron Paul

bmaxi

Can't honestly say I like any politicians but I respect Richard Bruton and David Norris as they come across as having some integrity, a quality sorely lacking in most.
I'm glad you didn't ask which politicians we dislike, I'm pretty sure my keyboard would melt.

ParkRunner

Joe Higgins. I don't fully believe that his ideals can be achieved but I respect him for living on the average industrial wage and for being willing to go to jail after standing up to the bin charges

JonathanAnon

Good post. There's quite a few that I admire when I think about it.

Mary Harney - whatever you say about her, it takes a woman to have the balls to take up what has consistently been the toughest office in cabinet. I dont agree with pumping so much money into private sector health facilities though.

Richard Bruton - Always liked him. Doesnt get involved in petty politics as much as most and seems to know what he's talking about.

Leo Varadkar - Impresses me when he's on the box, whether on QnA or the way that he was the only one to stand up to Nell McCafferty on the Late Late Show. Seems like one of the good guys.

That's the full list of current TDs:
http://www.oireachtas.ie/ViewDoc.asp?fn=/documents/members/document1.htm&CatID=35&m=m

JonathanAnon

bmaxi wrote: »

David Norris

I like David Norris, but until the situation where he is properly elected by the people and not nominated by politicians / voted by some upper class college elite, I will reserve judgement. He is only part of that farce we call the Seanad.

Joey the lips

To be PC on this subject I am going o pick one from/formally from each party that way my politics is not the decider

Fianna Failure: Charlie McCreavy

Fine Same: Shane McEntee

Labour: Michael D

Sinn Fein: Martin Ferris

Greens: Patricia McKenna( They will suffer because she is gone I am sorry to say)

Socialist: There is only Joe Higgins but clare daly is good. She is off to jail soon so sont ever be able to be a politician

The one person in politics that I truly admired was George Lee. When he worked for broadcasting he had to be objective. Now its gone and missed.

irish_bob

leo varadakar = the only politician in the dail who comes close to being a right winger and doesnt try to hide it

Colonel Sanders

irish_bob wrote: »

leo varadakar = the only politician in the dail who comes close to being a right winger and doesnt try to hide it

He will also speak his mind even if it won't get the trained seals to slap their fins together (to use the words of 'Diamond' Joe Quimby

Only a few stick out.

Joe Higgins: Would never vote socialist but do admire the man

Pat Carey: Have often e-mailed TDs over various issues, he is the only FF'er who has ever replied in a manner not just towing the party line and actually speaking his mind

nesf

Overall, Alan Dukes. Of the present lot in Government, I like Lenihan more than the rest of the front bench. Richard Bruton would be my favourite in FG, probably Micheal D in Labour.

Of those deceased, Jack Lynch at least as a legend seems to have been more competent and honest than the vast majority of politicians but that could be rose-tinted hindsight of a man who opposed Haughty.

Mario007

nesf wrote: »

Overall, Alan Dukes. Of the present lot in Government, I like Lenihan more than the rest of the front bench. Richard Bruton would be my favourite in FG, probably Micheal D in Labour.

Of those deceased, Jack Lynch at least as a legend seems to have been more competent and honest than the vast majority of politicians but that could be rose-tinted hindsight of a man who opposed Haughty.

i completely agree with you. lenihan from the government, bruton from FG and micheal d for labour.

if i am to pick from the deceased too, i'd go for lemass or kevin o higgins...though o higgins died too soon to truly show his potential, i think

Mario007

JonathanAnon wrote: »

Good post. There's quite a few that I admire when I think about it.

Mary Harney - whatever you say about her, it takes a woman to have the balls to take up what has consistently been the toughest office in cabinet. I dont agree with pumping so much money into private sector health facilities though.

Richard Bruton - Always liked him. Doesnt get involved in petty politics as much as most and seems to know what he's talking about.

Leo Varadkar - Impresses me when he's on the box, whether on QnA or the way that he was the only one to stand up to Nell McCafferty on the Late Late Show. Seems like one of the good guys.

That's the full list of current TDs:
http://www.oireachtas.ie/ViewDoc.asp?fn=/documents/members/document1.htm&CatID=35&m=m

thanks for the full list of the current TDs, i was looking for something like that myself

irish_bob

nesf wrote: »

Overall, Alan Dukes. Of the present lot in Government, I like Lenihan more than the rest of the front bench. Richard Bruton would be my favourite in FG, probably Micheal D in Labour.

Of those deceased, Jack Lynch at least as a legend seems to have been more competent and honest than the vast majority of politicians but that could be rose-tinted hindsight of a man who opposed Haughty.

jack lynch was decent but nothing more

KnifeWRENCH

Of the current cabinet, I've always liked Mary Hanafin. I always thought came across more genuine and honest than most of the FF party. I did like Brian Cowen before he became Taoiseach, but he's sadly gone down a lot in my estimation since taking over.

Sean Sherlock of Labour is our local TD and he genuinely seems like a good man who is in the job to help people rather than line his pockets. Same could be said about his late father Joe. I also like Gilmore; solid party leader.

I also admire Sinn Fein's Toireasa Ferris and it's a shame she didn't make it to Europe.

turgon

KnifeWRENCH wrote: »

Of the current cabinet, I've always liked Mary Hanafin....I also admire Sinn Fein's Toireasa Ferris.

:eek:

Riskymove

JonathanAnon wrote: »

voted by some upper class college elite,

lol.....I know a few people who went to TCD and they are far from upper class...or elite!

I know what you mean about seanad elections though!

is_that_so

Would put Dukes at the top of my list. I'd also include the late Noel Browne for challenging the established order, Lemass for his vision, Paddy Hillery for "that speech" and Dessie O'Malley for having the cheek to tell FF where to go. Of the current incumbents I would choose the following

Mary Hannafin - Direct and very calm.
Harney - deserves respect for her determination to stick to her guns and her apparent willingness to end her political career in "Angola".
Brian Hayes - Much more stable and calmer than Varadker. More able as well IMO.
Richard Bruton
Tommy Broughan (Dublin NE) - long term slogger , very hard worker even if he does go on a bit.

Outside of the Dail I'd also include our current and last president.

jmayo

Shane Ross.
Check this out to see him tear into AIB's Sheehy and his sidekick over the Goodbody affair and asking to see the legal advise that stated what they were doing was in breach of company law.


http://www.rte.ie/business/2009/0521/aib.html

If only a few more of our politicans had a f***ing clue what was going on and could hammer a few of shysters at the top.

ChocolateSauce

Only three come to mind, and none of them are TD's: Cllr Luke "Ming" Flanagin, and Senators Ivana Bacik and David Norris.

Liam Byrne

Shane Ross
Pat Rabbitte
Eamon Gilmore
Richard Bruton
Michael McDowell (up until he caved on the Bertie issue)

Dessie O'Malley seemed to be on the ball alright, but the moment the PDs went back into the lion's den they were screwed. I don't know any lion that would leave you alone while you dismantled his cage from the inside.

irish_bob

ChocolateSauce wrote: »

Only three come to mind, and none of them are TD's: Cllr Luke "Ming" Flanagin, and Senators Ivana Bacik and David Norris.

the far left eh

Scrambled egg

My favourte ever, has to be good auld Sean Lemass. Done wonders with the relationship with the North, also set up the basis for the Irish economy.

My favourte today, Willie O Dea, a sexy moustache and funny photos aiming a gun at a photographer, adds a bit of flavour to the Irish political system.

Liam Byrne

Scrambled egg wrote: »

My favourte today, Willie O Dea, a sexy moustache and funny photos aiming a gun at a photographer, adds a bit of flavour to the Irish political system.

Well, to be fair to the guy, he definitely can't be accused of doing stuff for his own backyard considering his pathetic inaction when Aer Fungus abandoned Shannon.

ChocolateSauce

irish_bob wrote: »

the far left eh

Nothing to do with economics, it's all about personality.

irish_bob

ChocolateSauce wrote: »

Nothing to do with economics, it's all about personality.

i get david norris but how anyone could find baciks personality attractive , il never know

ChocolateSauce

irish_bob wrote: »

i get david norris but how anyone could find baciks personality attractive , il never know

The strong woman/militant atheist appeals to me. Not so much the radical feminist, but no one's perfect.

freedom of info

irish_bob wrote: »

leo varadakar = the only politician in the dail who comes close to being a right winger and doesnt try to hide it

Gay mitchell work ethic
mary o'rourke not suffering bertie
garrett fitzgerald integrity
eamon gilmore the real leader of the opposition
joe higgins for being the only one who get up ahearns nose
richard bruton pure ability
sean lemass vision

most of the rest are or were a bunch of parasites

Liam Byrne

ChocolateSauce wrote: »

Nothing to do with economics, it's all about personality.

irish_bob wrote: »

i get david norris but how anyone could find baciks personality attractive , il never know

I'd actually say the same about Norris; his voice and accent grate on me like Joe Duffy's or Marian Finucane's - I have to switch off the radio or tv the second I hear it!

But anyway, it shouldn't be about personality or accents; even the fact that the above arose shows how arseways Irish politics can be.

It should be about talent, integrity and ability; nothing more, nothing less.

nesf

Liam Byrne wrote: »

I'd actually say the same about Norris; his voice and accent grate on me like Joe Duffy's or Marian Finucane's - I have to switch off the radio or tv the second I hear it!

But anyway, it shouldn't be about personality or accents; even the fact that the above arose shows how arseways Irish politics can be.

It should be about talent, integrity and ability; nothing more, nothing less.

Norris just grates on me. Similar to Joan Burton it's not the issues they push that annoy me (even though I'd have a lot to disagree on with both) but their personalities/accents. Shallow sure but meh, so be it.