C&H General Election Thread

Slow Show

Jesus, did ye know that if you press spacebar you send out these arrow things that kill everyone? I just found out, and there I was jumping like a mad yoke and feeling glad Mary Harney still wasn't a party leader. Mind = blown.

jefreywithonef

Mary Coughlan killed me. Bitch.

Loved her response to some criticism someone dealt her in the Dáil one time: "[You better] Watch yourself".

Slow Show

Ugh I've collected the five-point plan and it's still not over. Anyone wanna spoil the ending for me? The suspense is killing me...

Grindylow

Slow Show wrote: »

Ugh I've collected the five-point plan and it's still not over. Anyone wanna spoil the ending for me? The suspense is killing me...

He runs past lots of random people threw on top of eachother and into a castle type thing if I remember correctly. :P

Namlub

I hate how it goes back to the very start every time you die, gah.
MUST. FINISH.

Mr. Spock

Not eligible to vote crew.

jumpguy

Anyone watching the Leader's Debate? Why does Enda Kenny sound like an Irish batman?

Namlub

I so want him to say 'It's the economy stupid!' at some point

kev9100

I bet Martin's mother is ashamed at his rudeness:pac:.

Pigwidgeon

Hmm, I was pretty sure I was going to vote Fine Gael, but they keep doing things that are making me rethink that seriously. Firstly the getting rid of Irish thing, I don't agree with that. Now with what Lucinda Creighton has come out and said about gay marriage, I know they're her own views and all, but I still don't particularly want someone with those views having a major influence in this country.

I'm really leaning towards just voting for indepents at the moment.

MavisDavis

kateos2 wrote: »

Hmm, I was pretty sure I was going to vote Fine Gael, but they keep doing things that are making me rethink that seriously. Firstly the getting rid of Irish thing, I don't agree with that. Now with what Lucinda Creighton has come out and said about gay marriage, I know they're her own views and all, but I still don't particularly want someone with those views having a major influence in this country.

I'm really leaning towards just voting for indepents at the moment.

This is one issue that is really annoying me lately. Fine Gael are not going to get rid of Irish, what they've said is that they are going to review the current method of teaching the subject and then decide if it should be made optional for the Leaving Cert. Which means everyone will still have to do it to Junior Cert level before they completely forget how to speak it.
I don't see the issue with only interested students doing Irish for the Leaving. They'll be more likely to actually learn something, rather than just cramming cúpla focail for the oral because they have to. Our current system is not working. Forcing students to "speak" a language has failed us since the foundation of the State. Maybe letting students decide for themselves would actually help the situation. I think it merits consideration.

As for Lucinda Creighton's comments, they are unbelievably ill-timed and thought out. I completely disagree with what she said, but I don't think she'll have a major influence in the running of the country.

Pigwidgeon

MavisDavis wrote: »

This is one issue that is really annoying me lately. Fine Gael are not going to get rid of Irish, what they've said is that they are going to review the current method of teaching the subject and then decide if it should be made optional for the Leaving Cert. Which means everyone will still have to do it to Junior Cert level before they completely forget how to speak it.
I don't see the issue with only interested students doing Irish for the Leaving. They'll be more likely to actually learn something, rather than just cramming cúpla focail for the oral because they have to. Our current system is not working. Forcing students to "speak" a language has failed us since the foundation of the State. Maybe letting students decide for themselves would actually help the situation. I think it merits consideration.

I don't know, I was never the biggest fan of Irish for the leaving, but I still think it's important, for students to do our national language throughout school. Obviously the course needs to be completely restructured, but I personally think it should be compulsory.

In my opinion, more of an emphasis needs to be put on Irish, I think that the majority of primary schools should be Irish speaking, giving everyone a better starting standard of Irish, and if that's successful, then maybe look at making it optional. If it's made optional, people aren't going to pick it. A lot of people don't have the basics of the language down, and attempting honours Irish wouldn't be considered if they can do another, easier course for points.

Also, the gaeltacht areas would suffer hugely from this. With less people doing Irish, less people will go to Irish college for the summer, and it will be a huge blow to them economicly speaking.

As for Lucinda Creighton's comments, they are unbelievably ill-timed and thought out. I completely disagree with what she said, but I don't think she'll have a major influence in the running of the country.

Ok, I'll admit, major influence was probably a bit strong a phrase to use, but if she was in my constituency I definitely wouldn't vote for her now.

Duffy the Vampire Slayer

Lucinda... Another Fine Gael TD thats an embarrassment to Mayo.

KnifeWRENCH

kateos2 wrote: »

Now with what Lucinda Creighton has come out and said about gay marriage, I know they're her own views and all, but I still don't particularly want someone with those views having a major influence in this country.I'm really leaning towards just voting for indepents at the moment.

This is why I could not vote for Fine Gael. I think there are a lot of those views in the party (and in FF aswell, but FF are populists who'll just do what they're told. FG actually think for themselves!) To be fair to Creighton, I don't think she's the only member of her party with those views. She's just been more vocal about it than others.

I mentioned it earlier, but a "Christian Democracy" party is not a party I can support.

And the irony of that is that Garret FitzGerald, probably the most liberal and socially progressive Taoiseach this country ever had, was a leader of that exact same party.

Ugh, I dunno......politics. Mindfúck.

illiop

I don't get a vote what with being "out foreign" and all, so I haven't been paying attention as it would probably depress me. I have, however, spent AGES trying to figure out why I hate Enda Kenny so intently (apart from his voice and general mannerism). Today I realised why. He is the spitting image of "Joe 90"...which, as a child, I also had an irational hatred for...





...yes. That's the extent of my input on what is potentially one of the most important political events of our generation...

amacachi

KnifeWRENCH wrote: »

This is why I could not vote for Fine Gael. I think there are a lot of those views in the party (and in FF aswell, but FF are populists who'll just do what they're told. FG actually think for themselves!) To be fair to Creighton, I don't think she's the only member of her party with those views. She's just been more vocal about it than others.

I mentioned it earlier, but a "Christian Democracy" party is not a party I can support.

And the irony of that is that Garret FitzGerald, probably the most liberal and socially progressive Taoiseach this country ever had, was a leader of that exact same party.

Ugh, I dunno......politics. Mindfúck.

Why not just vote for what will give the best results? A single-party government whether FG or Labour would give almost the same results, if anything FG's stance on education is probably more "progressive" than Labour's.

SarcasticFairy

Om nom nom voting for the first time!

Go vote, yay!

Bottleopener

Voted earlier today, got in and out pretty quick

Insect Overlord

Voted there just after six o'clock.

Namlub

My dad voted for Fianna Fail, what the deuce

Pygmalion

Also voted, grand bitta democracy there.

KnifeWRENCH

amacachi wrote: »

Why not just vote for what will give the best results? A single-party government whether FG or Labour would give almost the same results, if anything FG's stance on education is probably more "progressive" than Labour's.

I couldn't care less about HL Leaving Cert Irish tbh.

Obviously I voted for what I think will give the best results. Otherwise, there's no point in voting. FG are gonna get into government, that's pretty much guaranteed. But at least I have the satisfaction of knowing that they got no preference from me.

Slow Show

My dad voted for an independent because he used to sell him spuds...

Now THAT is democracy.



Can't wait for the counting tbh, I find it weirdly addictive - it's like how I enjoy the Eurovision results more than the actual event.

amacachi

KnifeWRENCH wrote: »

I couldn't care less about HL Leaving Cert Irish tbh.

Obviously I voted for what I think will give the best results. Otherwise, there's no point in voting. FG are gonna get into government, that's pretty much guaranteed. But at least I have the satisfaction of knowing that they got no preference from me.

Genuine question, (I may be misremembering) but if one prefers FG's economic policy what reason is there to vote against them?

KnifeWRENCH

amacachi wrote: »

Genuine question, (I may be misremembering) but if one prefers FG's economic policy what reason is there to vote against them?

The economy is a big priority. It's not the only thing to consider.

And I was talking more in general terms; that I'd tend to agree more with right wing economic policies than left wing economic policies I didn't say I agreed with the magical "5-point plan" or anything specific to this election. Economically, Labour have been drifting from the left towards the centre for a while now. Which is definitely a good thing, in my mind.

And while Joan Burton as finance minister would be painful, I would much prefer to have Gilmore as Taoiseach over Kenny. A government with the likes of Kenny, Creighton and Varadkar among it's ranks is not a prospect that I look forward to.

I do hope FG do well in government. I hope their plan works and they bring about positive changes for the economy. I hope Kenny turns out to be a much better leader than expected. For the good for the country. But it wouldn't make me any happier with having a socially conservative Christian democracy in power. Which is why I hope FG will not be a single party government.

FG itself is somewhat split between social conservatives and social liberals; I sincerely hope that the latter come more to the fore in the next 5 years.

amacachi

KnifeWRENCH wrote: »

I do hope FG do well in government. I hope their plan works and they bring about positive changes for the economy. I hope Kenny turns out to be a much better leader than expected. For the good for the country. But it wouldn't make me any happier with having a socially conservative Christian democracy in power. Which is why I hope FG will not be a single party government.

Alas they'll be able to do SFA because barring a miracle (it'd be enough to convert me :pac:) they're not going to get in themselves. The "Christian Democracy" thing is a bit of a misnomer at the present momeny though IMO, I don't think Christian values are going to play much of a role in the next government. Also FG are probably as likely as Labour to open up schooling etc. away from the Catholic Church, something that can't happen soon enough.

FG itself is somewhat split between social conservatives and social liberals; I sincerely hope that the latter come more to the fore in the next 5 years.

The good thing is though that it's gonna be all economics over the next Dail so there's little need to worry about the hick-type conservatism that even I'll admit makes up a large part of FG.

Duffy the Vampire Slayer

Looking like four FG and one FF in Mayo.... I hate this county :mad:

unknown13

FG appear to own South East Dublin. Looking like all there candidates in Dublin South (3), Dublin South East (2) and Dun Laoghaire / Rathdown (2) are getting in.

amacachi

Duffy the Vampire Slayer wrote: »

Looking like four FG and one FF in Mayo.... I hate this county :mad:

That would be some epic vote management if it turns out like that.

Grindylow

For Waterford..

Latest Tally, 103 of 167 boxes tallied. The frontrunners: Deasy (FG) 19.79%, Coffey (FG) 18.12%, Kenneally (FF) 14.4%, Halligan (Ind) 10%, Cullinane (SF) 9.83%, Conway (Lab) 9.37%, Ryan (Lab) 9.3

So looks like 2 FG anyway and I'm not sure if we get 2 or 3 candidates? I'm pretty sure it's 3, so it's looking like a FF?