Enda Kenny on the Late Late (15/01/10)

cm2000

Overall I thought he did OK, but he really tanked the Sinn Fein question, and Tubbs was right to press it. Also, the grin was really off putting. It's a very superficial thing but its hard to take someone seriously when they grin like that!

darc

If someone said that FF asked the guys from anonymous to do up a Enda Kenny mask and put it on the Late Late show and performed like Enda did last night, I'd believe that.

For those trying to defend enda and say Tubridy is a FF supporter - you need to get rid of the rose tinted glasses.

Firstly, when he was announced, the response from the audience was muted. This was the same for Cowen. The difference is that Cowen answered looking at the audience and into the camera whilst Kenny ignored the audience in totality. At the end of the interview the audience were even more muted. In Cowen's cases, he got a good response when his interview was finished.

Basically, Enda is not suited to leadership and the sooner Fine Gael do something about it the sooner we can get a change in government.


So for the Fine Gael activists out there - here's 2 things you need to do to guarantee election - possibly by overall majority.

1. - Get rid of Kenny and elect someone with personality that you would be proud to tell someone in another country that he was leader of your country.

2. Stop disagreeing with every single policy implemented by the current government and get a GOOD salesperson in to manage/promote your policies. - A good saleman NEVER knocks the opposition, but shows where their product is far better than the opposition and by saying the right things allows the person themselves to decide that the opposition's product is flawed.

EG.
Some FF policies are OK - even NAMA is quite good, but NAMA should NEVER have had to happen if the economy was managed properly in the first place. This is the way FG should have approached it - agree with the solution, but remind people that it should never have happened.

Accept that other events in the world contributed to the recession, but remind people that if it wasn't for FF policies we would be out of it now just like every other western economy.


Accept other things that FF are doing - some of the small minor things. Don't knock them on everything. (hell - they didn't create the weather of the past 2 weeks, but Michael Ring (FG) seems to think they were resonsible!) But wait for a major issues and go hell for leather on them.


The chances are at next election FF will have Michael Martin as leader or Dermot Aherne. The economy will have started to grow again. There will be a new dynamic out there and unless FG can give us a forward looking & positive alternative instead of the negative, dictorial style that is currently on offer, FF will once again rule the roost.

FlutterinBantam

Bin the grin Enda, you mad thing.

However he would have my vote as long as he keeps the Shinners and their fellow travellers away from the levers of power.

No way I want the Slab or his cohorts as a Jnr Minister.

keystone

He was too political, no immediate straight answers, we never got to see the real Enda Kenny or his real political beliefs during the interview. Whether that is Tubridy's fault or not, I'll leave to someone else to debate.

I really want to like him but as a leader he is now becoming a liability because of his public perception. No doubt he has done wonders for FG but I cant see any way he would lead the party to a majority.

Pity really.

I hope Tubridy has Gilmore on soon, now that would be interesting to see how he fairs when compared to our Cowen and Kenny.

Spiritoftheseventies

ronaneire wrote: »

Wasn't Tubridy the same with Cowen too? As in quick fire questions.

Indeed he was. A bad interview i thought with Cowen. Must take a look at that Kenny interview later.

Seth Brundle

What I don't understand is why people would choose to watch Tubridy!

FlutterinBantam wrote: »

However he would have my vote as long as he keeps the Shinners and their fellow travellers away from the levers of power.

No way I want the Slab or his cohorts as a Jnr Minister.

But should they be allowed in the political process up North then?

FlutterinBantam

Yes It's an artificial set up up there and was the only way out of impasse, due to the polarised nature of the electorate.

Would have preferred the SDLP but ces la vie.


Certainly don't want brother Ferris as Minister for Justice.... how scary is that:eek:;)

mike0001

Oh good god, you really have to feel sorry for FG

Enda just came out, as usual, full of his stock answers and one line phrases and that god awful grin. Ryan had to be curt with him, because Enda just started to waffle at every question put to him.
He's like a cross between Ronan Keating and William Haig, just trying too dam hard to be 'cool', 'with it' , 'hip with the kids dady o'
- and nobody is buying it.

You just know that he had a committee in to advise him on what to wear,
and swotted his arse off preparing the stock phrases and off the cuff witticisms to respond with.

This is the most unpopular government his living history, and Enda is just not popular with the voters. Ray D'Arcy on todayfm summed him up best...he's a spud.
Watch it again on iPlayer - but pay attention to the audience reaction. They just didn't like him, and it's the same for the voters in general.

But FG have a dilemma: who the hell to replace him with?

If they don't sort this mess out quick, we'll end up with The Workers Party in government (sorry the Labour party as they are calling themselves these days - it's hard to keep up with the name changes, workers party, new agenda, hidden agenda, democratic left, labour...)
- and Gilmore won't rule out SF for fear of isolating half his party and supporters.

banquo

Kenny have a few good answers to be fair. Like the ''102 years'' comment.

mike0001

banquo wrote: »

Kenny have a few good answers to be fair. Like the ''102 years'' comment.

true enough, but he is also the longest serving TD in the dail, what the hell was he doing for all those years - being almost totally anonymous and keeping his teaching post open for a quater of a century until relatively recently... :-(

Alicano

One clear difference i noted between last night and the cowen interview was that cowen was allowed some "settle in" questions..light chat questions to relax him before any grilling started(which it did).
Kenny sits down and Tubridy straight in with the questions as if the countdown clock and music had started.
Cowen clearly came off better than kenny did from their late late show appearenes.
I agree with whoever pointed out that kenny wasn't given time to fully answer some questions and Tubridy cutting in so much was annoying.
I would like to see Gilmore on soon enough.
And yes that grin that Kenny pulls makes me want to scream!:)

Liam Byrne

darc wrote: »

Get rid of Kenny and elect someone with personality that you would be proud to tell someone in another country that he was leader of your country.

FF didn't need to do this - they gave us Ahern & Cowen.

darc wrote: »

NAMA should NEVER have had to happen if the economy was managed properly in the first place. This is the way FG should have approached it - agree with the solution, but remind people that it should never have happened.

Firstly, why should ANYONE who cares about this country agree with NAMA ? It's a secretive, badly-thought-out, uncosted transfer-of-weath-with-no-questions-asked con-job ?

Secondly, when FG DID remind people that it should never have happened, FF went on the "we need to forget about blame for the moment and pull together to get out of this mess" offensive.

nesf

banquo wrote: »

Kenny have a few good answers to be fair. Like the ''102 years'' comment.

He did. His answer about how party rating means more than leader rating was solid.

The problem is that he really didn't deal well when Tubridy drilled down past the first (rehearsed) answers. This was what was disappointing, a leader of a political party needs to be able to do more than just ream off set answers to predictable questions but be able to deal with unexpected questions quickly and clearly. Otherwise what's he going to do as Taioseach when he'll be dealing with such on a near daily basis?

Rebelheart

Kenny is a million times better than John Bruton if that's any consolation. And Brian Hayes, Bruton's reactionary protégé, is a million times worse than Kenny.

Richard Bruton makes sense (relatively speaking); it is a dreadful pity about his name.

Paddy James

Firstly i have to say i am from Mayo and also i have always voted Fianna Fail.

Would i vote Fianna Fail again?

Well question everyone has to ask themselves is when the Celtic Tiger was roaring and the majority of the public (i know some people didnt do well) were well able to get by and go on long holidays and buy new cars houses etc did anyone complain? No we didn't as the majority of the people excepted high house prices and never bothered asking for a discount or questioning same. Also you had a lot of competition between neighbours of who had the best car, tv, furniture and where they bought their apartment in Bulgaria! When you were buying your house did you not realise that (any some or a lot did it) you couldn't afford this home and getting P60s to suit the high mortgage and putting on the application form that you were going to rent a room at x amount that it simply didn't stack up and that it would be better in the long run to rent? Also getting 110% mortgages was just an insane act as paying for your furniture etc over the term of the mortgage was just plain stupid.

Did Fianna Fail make everyone do this? Or was it just that everyones ego got in the way and they had to have a house with the best car and furniture and just couldn't wait and price didn't matter? I for one went through the toughest time of my life in the boom times and lost my business and faced financial ruin which i am still paying for.

So to sum up building 90,000 homes a year and taxs breaks in various counties (longford, the shannon etc.) did fuel house prices but at the end of the day there had to be people to buy them. But towards the end of the boom to many houses were built with builders getting finance from corrupt bankers and getting planning from corrupt councillors.
But it has to be realised that policy was set by a Fianna Fail lead government who the people kept voting back in as we are a greedy lot and thought the boom would never end so along with Fianna Fail and the bankers look at yourself and take some of the blame for allowing yourself be lead up a garden path that ended in a dead end.

Would i vote for Enda, NO. Why, he simply just doesn't come across in public as a person you could sit down and have a pint with! People in Ireland judge people by the cover and don't look past it and thats whats happening here. Will this change, no. Thats why Bertie WAS popular he was the man that had his pint of Bass and you could see yourself sitting down and having a conversation about anything and been at ease.

Would i vote Fianna Gail, i don't no as they haven't said exactly and it didn't come across on the interview what they would do to change things. You need to give the people facts and not statements on what needs to be done. We know the contry is bankrupt (fact) so keeny and co tell us exactly what you would do.

So to answer will i vote Fianna Fail again, probably not just from a point of principal in that they knew what was going on in the construction trade and all they did was join and with them and went along for the ride.

oscarBravo

Paddy James wrote: »

Would i vote for Enda, NO. Why, he simply just doesn't come across in public as a person you could sit down and have a pint with! People in Ireland judge people by the cover and don't look past it and thats whats happening here. Will this change, no. Thats why Bertie WAS popular he was the man that had his pint of Bass and you could see yourself sitting down and having a conversation about anything and been at ease.

Oh dear sweet Jebus, the country is ****ed. I'm emigrating.

Rebelheart

oscarBravo wrote: »

Oh dear sweet Jebus, the country is ****ed. I'm emigrating.

Usually I'd stay far away from you on politics, Oscar, but on this one I think I'll join you.

Liam Byrne

Paddy James wrote: »

.....so along with Fianna Fail and the bankers look at yourself and take some of the blame for allowing yourself be lead up a garden path that ended in a dead end.

I've looked, and I haven't done any of what you said above. I know some people did, but those who didn't shouldn't be screwed by FF.

Paddy James wrote: »

Would i vote for Enda, NO. Why, he simply just doesn't come across in public as a person you could sit down and have a pint with!

Thats why Bertie WAS popular he was the man that had his pint of Bass and you could see yourself sitting down and having a conversation about anything and been at ease.

Ah yes, I can imagine SO many people sitting down and having a pint with Obama. :rolleyes:

Someone's ability to drink a pint has no bearing on whether or not they can run a country.

I've LOADS of people that I'd go for a pint with, and they're great friends and great craic, but I wouldn't vote for them or put them in charge of a country. They probably wouldn't vote for me, either (although a few people have told me that they would, so I apparently do talk sense).

And for the last ten years I could NEVER have imagined "sitting down at ease" with that little weasel; someone who writes blank cheques for a corrupt Taoiseach, or has 5 different explanations for how he got cash, will not have the pleasure of my company.

Paddy James wrote: »

People in Ireland judge people by the cover and don't look past it and thats whats happening here.

Yup, smile and joke and have a pint. Keep the corruption and agendas under same cover, at all costs.

Paddy James wrote: »

Will this change, no.

Hopefully it will.

Paddy James wrote: »

We know the contry is bankrupt (fact) so keeny and co tell us exactly what you would do.

Why should they ? We're paying FF to do the job, so they should start doing it. And even when FG do suggest alternatives, FF snub them with ridiculous statements like "the only show in town", "let's be patriotic and pull together", etc.......snide soundbites that have no bearing on reality but stick the boot in for the less-informed to ridicule.

oscarBravo

Liam Byrne wrote: »

And even when FG do suggest alternatives, FF snub them with ridiculous statements like...

..."There's nothing wrong with the HSE."

Rebelheart

Paddy James wrote: »

he simply just doesn't come across in public as a person you could sit down and have a pint with! People in Ireland judge people by the cover and don't look past it and thats whats happening here. Will this change, no. Thats why Bertie WAS popular he was the man that had his pint of Bass and you could see yourself sitting down and having a conversation about anything and been at ease.

This is a really depressing post, depressing because it reflects the views of an awful number of people in this state still, despite what we know about what Patrick Bartholomew Ahern has presided over. Whatever about there having been excuses for this type of naïveté in 2006, there is no excuse for this thinking now.

MacAnGallog

He was a member of the Kevin Barry Cumann of Fianna Fáil while in UCD and was active in the UCD Students' Union, as well as the Dun Laoghaire branch of Ógra Fianna Fáil. Two of his first cousins, Barry Andrews and Chris Andrews, currently serve as Fianna Fáil TDs, with the former Minister of State for Children in the government of Brian Cowen. His grandfather, Todd Andrews, was a prominent associate of Fianna Fáil founder Éamon de Valera and held a number of posts in semi-state companies. On the Tubridy side of the family, Ryan is the grandson of TD Seán Tubridy.

It's no wonder he didn't have much time for poor Enda..I thought he did reasonably well except for the Sinn Féin question which could have been answered better.

nice_guy80

Does Kenny have to give a reason for not wanting to go near Sinn Fein?
No. He said it is his personal conviction and most people around the country would be happy with that.

Seth Brundle

Paddy James wrote: »

Firstly i have to say i am from Mayo and also i have always voted Fianna Fail.

why? Family loyalty to FF? Backhanders? You had a pint once with the local FF candidate? Pee brought the roads up there? Or was it their policies on a national scale?

Paddy James wrote: »

Well question everyone has to ask themselves is when the Celtic Tiger was roaring and the majority of the public (i know some people didnt do well) were well able to get by and go on long holidays and buy new cars houses etc did anyone complain? No we didn't as the majority of the people excepted high house prices and never bothered asking for a discount or questioning same. Also you had a lot of competition between neighbours of who had the best car, tv, furniture and where they bought their apartment in Bulgaria! When you were buying your house did you not realise that (any some or a lot did it) you couldn't afford this home and getting P60s to suit the high mortgage and putting on the application form that you were going to rent a room at x amount that it simply didn't stack up and that it would be better in the long run to rent? Also getting 110% mortgages was just an insane act as paying for your furniture etc over the term of the mortgage was just plain stupid.

I didn't do any of these. Nor did my wife or most of my friends or family! In fact I can recall most people within my circle being disgruntled with the "leadership" of the time purely because of the lack of sound planning behind it all.

Paddy James wrote: »

Did Fianna Fail make everyone do this? Or was it just that everyones ego got in the way and they had to have a house with the best car and furniture and just couldn't wait and price didn't matter? I for one went through the toughest time of my life in the boom times and lost my business and faced financial ruin which i am still paying for.

Fianna Fail stood by (and in my opinion encouraged) the dodgy practices we saw from the financial institutions. I don't believe that the financial regulator was just lazy - I believe that they did what they were told!

Paddy James wrote: »

So to sum up building 90,000 homes a year and taxs breaks in various counties (longford, the shannon etc.) did fuel house prices but at the end of the day there had to be people to buy them. But towards the end of the boom to many houses were built with builders getting finance from corrupt bankers and getting planning from corrupt councillors.

agreed and who was supposed to be in charge? The bankers or the government?

Paddy James wrote: »

But it has to be realised that policy was set by a Fianna Fail lead government who the people kept voting back in as we are a greedy lot and thought the boom would never end so along with Fianna Fail and the bankers look at yourself and take some of the blame for allowing yourself be lead up a garden path that ended in a dead end.

Would i vote for Enda, NO. Why, he simply just doesn't come across in public as a person you could sit down and have a pint with! People in Ireland judge people by the cover and don't look past it and thats whats happening here. Will this change, no. Thats why Bertie WAS popular he was the man that had his pint of Bass and you could see yourself sitting down and having a conversation about anything and been at ease.

Would i vote Fianna Gail, i don't no as they haven't said exactly and it didn't come across on the interview what they would do to change things. You need to give the people facts and not statements on what needs to be done. We know the contry is bankrupt (fact) so keeny and co tell us exactly what you would do.

So to answer will i vote Fianna Fail again, probably not just from a point of principal in that they knew what was going on in the construction trade and all they did was join and with them and went along for the ride.

So from what you are saying, you went through a tough patch in losing your business following a period of unregulated economic activity which has fecked up this country for the next few decades and will prpobably happen again (given that this wasn't FF's first time bringing us into recession) but you won't vote for an alternative because you wouldn't feel comfortable having a pint with Mr. Kenny?
You sir are the reason that this country is in a crap state. You have good grounds for wanting to punish them but decide on rewarding them for what really are silly reasons.
What's the point?!?!

Laminations

Paddy James wrote: »

Firstly i have to say i am from Mayo and also i have always voted Fianna Fail.

Would i vote Fianna Fail again?

Well question everyone has to ask themselves is when the Celtic Tiger was roaring and the majority of the public (i know some people didnt do well) were well able to get by and go on long holidays and buy new cars houses etc did anyone complain? No we didn't as the majority of the people excepted high house prices and never bothered asking for a discount or questioning same. Also you had a lot of competition between neighbours of who had the best car, tv, furniture and where they bought their apartment in Bulgaria! When you were buying your house did you not realise that (any some or a lot did it) you couldn't afford this home and getting P60s to suit the high mortgage and putting on the application form that you were going to rent a room at x amount that it simply didn't stack up and that it would be better in the long run to rent? Also getting 110% mortgages was just an insane act as paying for your furniture etc over the term of the mortgage was just plain stupid.

Did Fianna Fail make everyone do this? Or was it just that everyones ego got in the way and they had to have a house with the best car and furniture and just couldn't wait and price didn't matter? I for one went through the toughest time of my life in the boom times and lost my business and faced financial ruin which i am still paying for.

So to sum up building 90,000 homes a year and taxs breaks in various counties (longford, the shannon etc.) did fuel house prices but at the end of the day there had to be people to buy them. But towards the end of the boom to many houses were built with builders getting finance from corrupt bankers and getting planning from corrupt councillors.
But it has to be realised that policy was set by a Fianna Fail lead government who the people kept voting back in as we are a greedy lot and thought the boom would never end so along with Fianna Fail and the bankers look at yourself and take some of the blame for allowing yourself be lead up a garden path that ended in a dead end.

Would i vote for Enda, NO. Why, he simply just doesn't come across in public as a person you could sit down and have a pint with! People in Ireland judge people by the cover and don't look past it and thats whats happening here. Will this change, no. Thats why Bertie WAS popular he was the man that had his pint of Bass and you could see yourself sitting down and having a conversation about anything and been at ease.

Would i vote Fianna Gail, i don't no as they haven't said exactly and it didn't come across on the interview what they would do to change things. You need to give the people facts and not statements on what needs to be done. We know the contry is bankrupt (fact) so keeny and co tell us exactly what you would do.

So to answer will i vote Fianna Fail again, probably not just from a point of principal in that they knew what was going on in the construction trade and all they did was join and with them and went along for the ride.

Excellent post. You eloquently highlighted all thats wrong with irish politics.

You should be ashamed.

jmayo

darc wrote: »

...
Basically, Enda is not suited to leadership and the sooner Fine Gael do something about it the sooner we can get a change in government.

No all your entire post up to this was prove is that Enda is not suited to TV interviews.
Can you question his leadership in turning around a FG party and improving it's election position, even though half the numpties in this country were voting for bertie's party because of his so called economic miracle ?
Can you question fact he has managed to put together a decent enough front bench as opposed to clowen who promoted that uselss twat coughlan ?

Leadership used not be about how one came across on TV, well not until JFK looked better on TV than Nixon.

darc wrote: »

...
So for the Fine Gael activists out there - here's 2 things you need to do to guarantee election - possibly by overall majority.

1. - Get rid of Kenny and elect someone with personality that you would be proud to tell someone in another country that he was leader of your country.

2. Stop disagreeing with every single policy implemented by the current government and get a GOOD salesperson in to manage/promote your policies. - A good saleman NEVER knocks the opposition, but shows where their product is far better than the opposition and by saying the right things allows the person themselves to decide that the opposition's product is flawed.

EG.
Some FF policies are OK - even NAMA is quite good, but NAMA should NEVER have had to happen if the economy was managed properly in the first place. This is the way FG should have approached it - agree with the solution, but remind people that it should never have happened.

Accept that other events in the world contributed to the recession, but remind people that if it wasn't for FF policies we would be out of it now just like every other western economy.

Accept other things that FF are doing - some of the small minor things. Don't knock them on everything. (hell - they didn't create the weather of the past 2 weeks, but Michael Ring (FG) seems to think they were resonsible!) But wait for a major issues and go hell for leather on them.

The chances are at next election FF will have Michael Martin as leader or Dermot Aherne. The economy will have started to grow again. There will be a new dynamic out there and unless FG can give us a forward looking & positive alternative instead of the negative, dictorial style that is currently on offer, FF will once again rule the roost.

I tuned out once you claimed NAMA was a good idea and Fg should have backed it :rolleyes: :eek:
Either you are banker, developer or sometimes ffer in which case I would take your opinions of Kenny with a grain of salt.
Every other Western country is still in sh** with only them being out of recession on bare technicality.
I do agree you are right saying ff policies have us mouch worse off than any other country in the world.

Paddy James wrote: »

Firstly i have to say i am from Mayo and also i have always voted Fianna Fail.

Would i vote Fianna Fail again?

Well question everyone has to ask themselves is when the Celtic Tiger was roaring and the majority of the public (i know some people didnt do well) were well able to get by and go on long holidays and buy new cars houses etc did anyone complain? No we didn't as the majority of the people excepted high house prices and never bothered asking for a discount or questioning same. Also you had a lot of competition between neighbours of who had the best car, tv, furniture and where they bought their apartment in Bulgaria! When you were buying your house did you not realise that (any some or a lot did it) you couldn't afford this home and getting P60s to suit the high mortgage and putting on the application form that you were going to rent a room at x amount that it simply didn't stack up and that it would be better in the long run to rent? Also getting 110% mortgages was just an insane act as paying for your furniture etc over the term of the mortgage was just plain stupid.

Did Fianna Fail make everyone do this? Or was it just that everyones ego got in the way and they had to have a house with the best car and furniture and just couldn't wait and price didn't matter? I for one went through the toughest time of my life in the boom times and lost my business and faced financial ruin which i am still paying for.

So to sum up building 90,000 homes a year and taxs breaks in various counties (longford, the shannon etc.) did fuel house prices but at the end of the day there had to be people to buy them. But towards the end of the boom to many houses were built with builders getting finance from corrupt bankers and getting planning from corrupt councillors.
But it has to be realised that policy was set by a Fianna Fail lead government who the people kept voting back in as we are a greedy lot and thought the boom would never end so along with Fianna Fail and the bankers look at yourself and take some of the blame for allowing yourself be lead up a garden path that ended in a dead end.

Would i vote for Enda, NO. Why, he simply just doesn't come across in public as a person you could sit down and have a pint with! People in Ireland judge people by the cover and don't look past it and thats whats happening here. Will this change, no. Thats why Bertie WAS popular he was the man that had his pint of Bass and you could see yourself sitting down and having a conversation about anything and been at ease.

Would i vote Fianna Gail, i don't no as they haven't said exactly and it didn't come across on the interview what they would do to change things. You need to give the people facts and not statements on what needs to be done. We know the contry is bankrupt (fact) so keeny and co tell us exactly what you would do.

So to answer will i vote Fianna Fail again, probably not just from a point of principal in that they knew what was going on in the construction trade and all they did was join and with them and went along for the ride.

Let me guess you were one of those who voted for the flynns :rolleyes:

Oh I bet you will vote ff again.
You will find some excuse to justify it like you don't like Kenny, they haven't given you a signed 300 page proposal on how to get out of the mess that country is in.
Anyway you will have come up with more excuses for ff's allowing the property bubble and their poor handling of the economy other than the corrupt bankers, the buyers, rich developers leading them astray, lehmans brothers and the subprime crisis, etc etc.

You don't chose a leader on the basis of who would be best to go drinking with.
That is why, and you even admit it, that bertie got in and why we are where we are today.
Oh and peice of information bertie was not always the friendly guy you think, that was for the cameras and election time.

Ah forget it.
I am wasting my time and what infuriates me and totally disillusions me is that there are still people out there like you.

galwayrush

Paddy James wrote: »

Firstly i have to say i am from Mayo and also i have always voted Fianna Fail.

Would i vote Fianna Fail again?

......snip...................

This is the type of mindset that has the country ****ed.:(

Reminds me of a quote from an old man, a local FF fanatic................Bertie's stroke of genius opened up Croke Park for soccer
This blind devotion, no matter how silly, wrong , misguided or pathetic it is.

mad m

Seen some of the interview, he came across weird/strange and always has to me. I cringed when he smiled like it was unnatural. I would not vote for him, then again I would find it hard to vote for any of them.

JonathanAnon

I'm always reminded of the interview with Brian Kerr, that is frequently played back on Newstalk's Off The Ball .... "How can an honest answer be a wrong answer" ...

Enda seems like a genuine guy, not the greatest intellectual the country has ever seen.. but genuine, and hard working all the same. He answered the questions on the fly, instead of having the G.W.Bush/Bertie Ahern/Sinn Fein practiced answers to all the expected questions.

Enda Kenny should have a PR guy asking him all these questions before he comes on live telly. And he should stop that stupid smile and start looking at people with the "Roy Keane" eye of determination of somebody with the conviction to change the country.

narddog

For those of us looking for a creditable alternative to the current government EKs apperance was, IMHO, depressing. If you can't handle RT on a Friday night chat show what chance do you have.

He sounded rushed, unsure of himself at times and utterly unconvincing.He did throw in some good oneliners, but overall he didn't come off as a Taoiseach in waiting.

I speak as someone who can't wait to see FF kicked out, but is not sure of the capabilities of the other choices available. His response regarding the guy who received over 200k in expenses was the sort of verbal diarrhea I would normally associate with FF. As for his attempt to explain why he wouldn't go into government with SF, his response was both confusing and contradictory.

As for the interviewer, he treated both BC and EK the same, with his constant interrupting and quick fire questions. Any politican worth his salt should be able to handle that.

Regards,
K.

Paddy James

"Why should they ? We're paying FF to do the job, so they should start doing it. "



Em Hello we are paying Kenny and Co as well! So what do they do sit there as he has doen for the last 11 elections and along with Michael Ring bladder on with no real facts. Sure Kenny couldn't even give FACTS on why he won't go into government with SF??

I think my overall point is been missed

1 People in Ireland only judge by the cover so the majority of people didn't look past Berties smiles and bass drinking as he seemed to a lot (not saying every1) to be an ordinary easy going person so they voted for FF on the basis of Berite been leader

As a result Enda comes across as been to much of a teacher and you just can't "warm" to him. So as a result the Irish will dismiss him and wont bother looking behind the "face". If Richard Bruton was leader or George Lee i think you would see a change in mood and FG would swing the votes they need and who knows they could get a majority in next election.
(note this is coming form someone who has always voted FF)