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

Paddy James

galwayrush wrote: »

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.

Em again Hello.

The reason i said i was from Mayo was to highlight the fact that Enda is from Mayo and i still won't vote him in as leader of this country. I have always voted Fianna Fail due to one reason and thats down to a relation whos in FF. But as i said wouldn't vote for this party again

Paddy James

narddog wrote: »

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.

Agree

So we have to ask, should we form a new party and try and change things? Just an idea but to be honest couldn't deal with the bull**** that goes with it

narddog

Why would you vote for a party just because of a relation belonging to that party? I don't get that.

Paddy James

jmayo wrote: »

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.



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.



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.

Well agree on your points as well and again wont comment on one part of your statement!

Overall i don't think i explained myself perfectly

I am not saying you choose a leader on who u go drinking with i am saying the Irish (most) like a person they can relate and warm to and that was the case with Bertie

My only point is Bertie ran the country with a smile and was (for most) a people person and the Irish love that. As a result we didnt (most people) take any heed of what FF were up to but now look at the crap they have given us. I am for one p*i*s*s*e*d that a small nation like Ireland allowed themselves to go so far into debt and i blame FF for their policy of supporting the builder.

I will NEVER vote FF again and i was to young to vote for the Flynns!
But in saying that i will only vote for a party that in plain English can tell me how they will run the country different.

Paddy James

Rebelheart wrote: »

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.

Did u notice i put the word WAS in CAPITALS?? I have no time for Bertie and as i said i WAS making point why he WAS popular

annabellee77

Why in the love of F**K cant this country understand we need a government of ACCOUNTABILILY. For the sake of argument, never mind who is in power right now, the bottom line should be.....

You f**k up, you're out, whoever you may be. End of. You do well, you get re-elected. I now I am simplying it, but it's what the bottom line should be. FF need to be out nect time. ASAP. And NO WAY Enda is worse than Bloody Cowen and his Clowns!

I personally know couple of FF TD's and party members shall we say, and all I'll say is I am really really praying FF is out next election ( and to their chargrin I fdon't say otherwise in their presence.....:-) )

We live in a democracy, and when we've F**KED over like we have been as a country as a whole they need to learn they're out......if they are voted back in again next time................................well.......why would they bother change.............................:mad::mad::mad::(:(:(

narddog

Nothing is more overated that the "would you go for a beer with this guy" test for a prospective leader. One of the tag lines for George W Bushs campain was that he was a regular guy you could share a beer with. Same with Bertie Ahern. Tell you what, leave the beer drinking aside. Have you got the ability to lead? I don't want an "ordinary" guy running the show. I want someone above ordinary, someone extraordinary. By definition a leader should be someone set apart from the rest. I know a lot of people I would enjoy sharing a beer with. There isn't one of them I want leading the country.

nesf

annabellee77 wrote: »

Why in the love of F**K cant this country understand we need a government of ACCOUNTABILILY.

We need Redneck accountants?

annabellee77 wrote: »

And NO WAY Enda is worse than Bloody Cowen and his Clowns!

And that's good enough? Seriously, most of us who criticise Enda don't do it because we think he's worse than Cowen but because we look at other people on the front bench (typically Richard Bruton) and think, why isn't he leading them?

oppenheimer1

First of all I have to say that Tubridy was hard on Kenny, whether he was as hard on Cowen, I can't remember. I thought Tubs should have given the man the chance answer some of his questions, yet I am happy he stopped him going off on rehearsed populist nonsense. Kenny isn't comfortable being put on the spot, and it showed through clearly. Modern politics demands a good speaker, Kenny failed on this point.
Kenny also didn't seem to do his homework regarding the Sinn Fein question either, something which he has talked about since before the last election. His handlers should have prepared an answer for this.
What kenny did say though, especially at the start, and that nauseating bit at the end mentioning Harry Potter, was too rehearsed. He may as well have had notes in front of him!

I don't think the audience was a FF one either, just that people like to see politicians put on the spot and actually answer the question asked, not the one they wanted to answer.

Again Kenny didn't demonstrate he has a plan. Until he shows what he will do, rather than attacking everything FF do for the sake of it, I cannot take him seriously. I don't know who in FG would be better, while they have a talented front bench they all seem very dower.

Oh and Enda, please stop grinning, you put me off my tea.

bored and fussy

enda kenny was an embarasment on the late late show,


Enda kenny annoys me when he says he brought fine gael vote up and yes in a way he did, but just hold on a second now,
They were so low the only way was up and i believe john bruton had more T.Ds when they got rid of him than kenny has now,

as for the answer to the sinn fein question he hadnt a clue.
Fine gael are beginning to annoy me not just kenny. not one of them has leadership ambition so what the hell kind of leadership will that make if they all just get behind the dictator.

as for the clothes and the mad grin i give up.

Nehaxak

nesf wrote: »

...but because we look at other people on the front bench (typically Richard Bruton) and think, why isn't he leading them?

Would for sure agree on that one and I've so often heard the same from other people. Thing is though, why hasn't Bruton stepped forward or pushed himself harder to take over as leader ? He surely must know he is more favourable than Kenny by now ?
Is he just content to stay as he is or does he lack motivation or even a bit of bravery to step up and take things over ?

FlutterinBantam

narddog wrote: »

Nothing is more overated that the "would you go for a beer with this guy" test for a prospective leader. One of the tag lines for George W Bushs campain was that he was a regular guy you could share a beer with. Same with Bertie Ahern. Tell you what, leave the beer drinking aside. Have you got the ability to lead? I don't want an "ordinary" guy running the show. I want someone above ordinary, someone extraordinary. By definition a leader should be someone set apart from the rest. I know a lot of people I would enjoy sharing a beer with. There isn't one of them I want leading the country.

In fact I feel that there is more leadership potential if the person was someone you wouldn't feel comfortable going for a drink with.:cool:

efb

I thought RT's interview with EK was very similar to that of BC. Quick fire questions, not accepting BS stock answers

EK grinning twice, on cue, it seems, made him look as genuine as a Rolex on Moore St...

hallelujajordan

I thought it was an excellent interview that showed Kenny up for the fake, charisma-lacking cardboard cut-out that he is.

For those who believe RT was biased because of his FF background you clearly haven't seen the BC interview or read the Sunday papers in the aftermath of the BC interview. Tubridy came out of the blocks firing at Cowen and approached the interview in exactly the same way. Tough, straight, quick-fire questions about the topics that the man on the street are interested in. Remember this is TLLS not Prime Time or the Frontline and it is not the place for in depth political analysis. The difference between Cowen and Kenny is that Cowen settled in and turned the interview around whereas Kenny was looking more and more uncomfortable as the interview went on.

There were two topics that really surprised me. First, Tubridy never asked EK if he would go into coalition with Sinn Fein. He volunteered this information when they were discussing other possible combinations. You would think that if he were willing to volunteer such information then he would be ready to back it up with some solid rationale (or even not so solid, but rationale at least). . The second was the issue with the eliminating the senate. Kenny made a huge blunder when he announced that he was planning to get rid of the senate without telling any of his senators but you would imagine that he would be ready for this line of questioning with something more than 'I'm the boss'. He could have tried to shift Tubridy around to a discussion about how much the senate cost and how little value it added but he didn't.

I imagine that Bruton, Varadkar and Co. were cringing with every inane grin . . you would imagine they would get on the blower to each other first thing Saturday morning "Here lads, we have to do something about this. . . "

oscarBravo

Nehaxak wrote: »

Thing is though, why hasn't Bruton stepped forward or pushed himself harder to take over as leader ? He surely must know he is more favourable than Kenny by now ?
Is he just content to stay as he is or does he lack motivation or even a bit of bravery to step up and take things over ?

Or maybe - just a crazy idea here - having worked with Kenny for the past several years, he judges him on something more substantial than how he comes across on the frigging television?

Honestly, we're reducing this country to the goddamn X-Factor, and it scares the hell out of me.

hallelujajordan

oscarBravo wrote: »

Or maybe - just a crazy idea here - having worked with Kenny for the past several years, he judges him on something more substantial than how he comes across on the frigging television?

Honestly, we're reducing this country to the goddamn X-Factor, and it scares the hell out of me.

There is nothing new about needing to connect with the electorate to sell yourself as a national leader. Politicians have been kissing babies since politics began. .

I think you are understating the importance of the party leaders popularity . . and its not just in Ireland. A UK Labour party led by Tony Blair is more electable than the current party. Same goes for an Ahern led FF unfortunately. .

when the party leader's personal rating is consistently way lower than the parties polling then that sends a clear message to the party. . we like you, but we don't like him . . . FG will ignore this message at their peril.

oscarBravo

I hear you, but the conflation of "electability" with "ability" is part of what I'm concerned about. I don't think we should be celebrating a democracy where someone's competence isn't even a factor, because he's already been dismissed as a TV personality.

bored and fussy

I dont think bruton, Vadadkor or indeed any of them have the bottle to take the tough decisions, if they havent got the bottle to remove this grinning idiot what chance of turning this country around.

FF are delighted with Enda kenny

ninty9er

jmayo wrote: »

Still think problems in the education system is because teachers are lazy and has nothing at all to do with class sizes ?
Or that NAMA will be fine since they will only get the odd loans where developers can no longer pay ?

Lazines isn't the issue, lack of willingness to discipline is. Class sizes aren't an issue. Yes I still believe that.

On NAMA, you and I both know, that there isn't a single human that will be able to determine whether it was a good idea until it has been wound down.

Filan

I was shocked at the monosyllabic expression of Enda. Biffo and Co. are criminals but Enda Kenny expresses himself very poorly and cannot inspire confidence.

Liam Byrne

ninty9er wrote: »

On NAMA, you and I both know, that there isn't a single human that will be able to determine whether it was a good idea until it has been wound down.

100% untrue.

We don't know if the government will get damn lucky and it'll somehow "work out", but it's definitely not a "good idea".

Compare it to putting your life's savings on a number on a roulette wheel.....if it works, then you're sorted, but if not, you're screwed....and that's totally dependent on stuff you can't control (or in the case of FF claiming that an overpayment is somehow a "discount") won't even try to. It does not make it a "good idea" by any stretch of the imagination.

And the opposition offered alternatives; but FF ignored them in order to - they claimed - avoid nationalisation, which they now finally admit will probably have to happen anyway!

Add in the fact that NAMA can only work if Ireland gets seriously inflated and uncompetitive again (as I outlined in a more appropriate thread) and you have a sickening gamble with billions of OUR money.

lugha

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!

I felt like crying when I read this. :(:(

Filan

I'd say Enda might be a nice guy to have a pint with but...is it possible he's a lot smarter than he shows? Is he trying too hard to be all things to all men and as a result appears a nobody? If Friday is his true self, as opposed to following a script, he's appaling.

Be yourself Enda, people might actualy respect you more.

lugha

Filan wrote: »

I'd say Enda might be a nice guy to have a pint with but...is it possible he's a lot smarter than he shows? Is he trying too hard to be all things to all men and as a result appears a nobody? If Friday is his true self, as opposed to following a script, he's appaling.

I don't care if he is appaling on a personal level and I'm not remotely interested in going for a pint with him. My interest in him only extends to his capacity to lead this sate and all this horse manure about image and charisma and appeal have nothing to do with this. If you were hiring a plumber to do a job you would seek to ascertain if he was competent, if he had the experience, if he had a reputation for honesty and so on. In other words questions which will allow you to decide if your decision to hire him will be rewarded. Would you decline to hire a plumber because you didn't quite like his image, or because you wouldn't think he would make much of a drinking buddy? Why not apply a bit of the same kind of common sense to selecting our public representatives? I.e. select them on the basis of how well you think they can do a job.

Liam Byrne

hallelujajordan wrote: »

I thought it was an excellent interview that showed Kenny up for the fake, charisma-lacking cardboard cut-out that he is.

I'm not particularly surprised (both in terms of reality and in terms of some of your previous posts), but I am wondering why you didn't post something similar following Tubridy's interview with Mr fake, vacuous, laugh-about-corruption Ahern ?

Filan

Well an articulate person does tend to convince one that they are up for the job. It is easier to believe in them. Enda fudged nearly every question and has rarely presented any concrete ideas. He might be ok as a Taoiseach , as there is bright people on the F.G. front bench. The 'pint culture' has led to people of vision not getting elected, would Barak Obama have been elected as a t.d. here? But Enda doesn't articulate any vision.

lugha

Filan wrote: »

Well an articulate person does tend to convince one that they are up for the job. It is easier to believe in them.

So if my afore mentioned plumber had a silver tongue, this would end your assessment of his suitability to do a job and you would set him to work. I feel like crying even more. :(:(:(

Sulmac

This whole "going for a pint" school of politics makes me even more convinced that we need a national list electoral system.

Also, loads of people would have loved to have gone for a pint with Bertie, who many would say is very charismatic and charming... and look where he left us.

To be honest I'd have rather have Kenny as Taoiseach and let Bruton do what he does best, Finance.

Filan

Well how else can Kenny be judged, other than on what he says? It's not as though he has a track record on action. Yes a plumber who spoke with confidence would inspire confidence in me, I would also seek a reference and try to view past work. What is there to go on with Enda?.

thebman

I don't get the want to go for a pint with attitude.

Don't you have friends of your own to go for a pint with?

Why the hell would you want to go for a drink with a politician? What would you talk about? :-/

None of them are charismatic, you'd have to be crazy to find people that go out of their way at every opportunity to avoid making decisions but if anything good happens will be there grinning trying to take credit for it and if anything bad happens, the EU made them do it.

Irish politicians are almost all weasels and shouldn't be trusted. I wouldn't go for a pint with one. I'd buy the first round and he'd tell me he/she left their wallet at home when he came to their round.