Upcoming bye-election discussion - Mod instruction post #6. Please read carefully.

chucknorris

Arciphel wrote: »

I have to say, I am getting extremely irked by the FF candidate McGuinness on facebook and the web calling it the "Brian Lenihan election" and the "Brian Lenihan seat". The seat belongs to the people of Dublin West to elect whomever they see fit, and trying to claim it as the Lenihan/FF legacy really is annoying...

Why are you irked? It is Brian lenihan's seat until such time as someone else wins the vote of the people to claim it for themselves.

Remember the electorate (The people of DublinWest) gave the seat to Brian Lenihan in February and until they get to decide on it again it is still Brian Lenihan's seat with all due respect.

If this is all you have to be irked about, David is doing well. Surely you have something else to give out about such as the housing charge for example?

Grudaire

Anyone else watching the debate?

Arciphel

I've met David and I think he is a decent, honest bloke - but the "It's Brian Lenihan's seat" thing does annoy me I have to admit. I suppose it harks back to the sense of entitlement that FF had for so many years in the political landscape in this country, it's hard to believe a FF candidate can try to say they are something new and fresh and then constantly hark back to the old establishment in the next breath.

Personally, I'd have a lot more respect for him if he projected himself as his own man and not as Luke Skywalker to Lenihan's Yoda or something. I think it is very unlikely that Lenihan had anything hands-on to do with McGuinness while he was coming up the ranks, am I wrong there?

On the household tax, this is coming in (it's out of our hands) and I think it has to come in. The stamp duty model for collecting revenue doesn't work when people aren't flipping their houses everything five years. I think it will add a bit of reason to the market as well if people have to factor in what their houses will cost in property taxes down the line. As long as those on SW are given a waiver then I don't see how it is going to cause huge hardship to be honest, and is more equitable than, say, widen the tax bands or increasing the lower rate of tax. The only people who are really against the property tax like the socialists will only rant and rave about it because they know they won't be held to account, they are only in opposition and ther eis no chance of them actually being in a position to implement anything, unlike FG or Labour.

I'd be a lot more concerned about the schooling situation in the area, the unused Hansfield train station, upcoming blanket water charges, the fact that the water towers in Fingal still aren't fixed, what is the plan for expansion of the IT, how is the internship scheme being pushed in D15, what plans are the IDA making to attract more foreign direct investment into the industrial units in the area, and what are they doing to encourage start-ups and expand existing SMEs. As well as spirally costs for energy such as gas, petrol and ESB. The current government still don't seem to have got the finger out on the area of renewable energy and all that, and the situation with the proposed incinerator being stopped was a joke also. Just my two cents...

Grudaire

Before diving headfirst into this thread I should declare that I'm a Green, and have Canvassed for Roderic (So be nice if you see me )

FF have very little hope in the election - and using the Brian Lenihan card shows how worried they are. I don't rate his chances really unless there is a general forgiveness for FF!

I would be cautious of not making the issues too local - particularly with the candidates in the election who are all unlikely to have any major effect on individual decisions. We already have big names who would have the power to swing decisions.

chucknorris

Cliste wrote: »

Anyone else watching the debate?

Indeed I did of course and I hope people did see David up front and he did well. Yes i'm biased but come on, he did well.

Eithne Loftus had a car crash on live TV. My god.

Patrick did well, he was stating he would create agenda's against thing but David was right, he did say on rte drivetime last week that all though he was against this and that, he would always vote for labour in any vote and he admitted that tonight when it was pointed out.

Paul Donnelly was given a torried time. he was not allowed to speak which was unfair I feel.

Ruth was wellm Ruth. Her line of argument has never changed so she went through the motions.

But Eithne Loftus, very poor showing.

Grudaire

chucknorris wrote: »

Paul Donnelly was given a torried time. he was not allowed to speak which was unfair I feel.

But Eithne Loftus, very poor showing.

In fairness:

VB - 'What makes you think a stimulus package would work in an open economy like Ireland whereas it's failed twice in a relatively closed economy like America?'

PD - 'Because we need jobs'.

If you talk to Vincent you have to actually answer the question he puts to you - otherwise he turns into a cranky git. Paul had no answer - that was the problem.

Any opinion on Roderic? I (with bias of course) thought he dealt with VB's questions quite well.

And Eithne...

chucknorris

Cliste wrote: »

In fairness:

VB - 'What makes you think a stimulus package would work in an open economy like Ireland whereas it's failed twice in a relatively closed economy like America?'

PD - 'Because we need jobs'.

If you talk to Vincent you have to actually answer the question he puts to you - otherwise he turns into a cranky git. Paul had no answer - that was the problem.

Any opinion on Roderic? I (with bias of course) thought he dealt with VB's questions quite well.

And Eithne...

Roideric was fine, not problems at all. He spoke well and had his points made clear. Absoluley no issues there at all in fairness.

Grudaire

chucknorris wrote: »

Roideric was fine, not problems at all. He spoke well and had his points made clear. Absoluley no issues there at all in fairness.

Damn everyone else for being so incoherent and taking the spotlight


I hope the bye-election gets more coverage coming up to the election..

wildlifeboy

vote number 1 NULTY

Pepe LeFrits

This is an important election so I think I'll be breaking the candidates down on a points basis to decide who I'll vote for. I've selected four key criteria and given them each a rating out of 5. Highest total gets my vote, but I may change the scores before election day.

Eithne Loftus, Fine Gael
Website: 0 points. Doesn't appear to have one.
Dress sense: 3 points. Has some wardrobe flare, in a mad aul Aunt Nuala sort of way.
Chance-of-a-chinwag: 4 points. I'd say she's great conversation in the fruit & veg aisle.
Underdog factor: 0 points. Incumbent party. Boourns.
Total: 7.

Patrick Nulty, Labour
Website: 2 points. Pretty minimalist, but has a lot of actual content, which I can appreciate, I suppose.
Dress sense: 1 point. 3 button and a bit baggy. Can do better.
Chance-of-a-chinwag: 2 points. He looked a bit miserable at Coolmine the other day and wasn't exactly wrenching my arm off to have a chat. To be fair, I was probably scowling at the time.
Underdog factor: 1 point. Beaten last time round. Counts for one point.
Total: 6.

Ruth Coppinger, Socialist
Website: 4 points. The blog scroll bar at the bottom is a bit stupid and glitchy, but nice enough otherwise. Good job.
Dress sense: 0 points. Probably would join Boyd-Barrett's too-anti-establishment-to-wear-a-tie gang.
Chance-of-a-chinwag: 1 point. As long as I didn't speak any opinion or really say anything at all, we'd have a great chat.
Underdog factor: 3 points. It'd be some craic to see her and Joe battling it out for the one seat next election.
Total: 8.

Paul Donnelly, Sinn Fein
Website: 3 points. Reasonably clean and well presented, but with one big glitch smack bang in the middle of the front banner.
Dress sense: 2 points. Going through the motions.
Chance-of-a-chinwag: 3 points. Looks painfully earnest. Makes me feel like an elitist tosser just by looking at him, but would probably say that's OK.
Underdog factor: 3 points. Not much chance, but he's doing well enough for points as it is.
Total: 11 points.

David McGuinness
Website: 2 points. Not great.
Dress sense: 3 points. Not the worst actually.
Chance-of-a-chinwag: 4 points. I reckon he's a drinker.
Underdog factor: 10 points. HA HA HA.
Fianna Fail penalty: -20 points.
Total: -1.

ROG, Greens
Website: 3 points. Simple and presentable, peppered with a dashing photo of Rog.
Dress sense: 5 points. Easily the best of the lot. Sharp suit and awesome facial hair.
Chance-of-a-chinwag: 3 points. Sounds like a bit of a smarty but talk of recycling is likely.
Underdog factor: 4 points. I'd give him the five but I'm worried the points tallies will make people think I'm a Green.
Fianna Fail penalty: -5 points.
Total: 10 points.

Barry Caesar Hunt, Ind
Website: 1 point. He's a new Indo so I'll give him a bonus point here. Has Twitter at least.
Dress sense: 0 points. Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Chance-of-a-chinwag: 5 points. I'd say he'd talk the ear off ya.
Underdog factor: 5 points. Go on, do it Barry.
Total: 11 points.

So it looks like the emperor or Gerry's man has my vote as things stand, though things could change quickly with a change of clothes or a new candidate. Anyone know if Clement is going to run again?

NakedMonkey

Zaph wrote: »

He's wearing studs in both ears. Never trust a man with studs in both ears. Or something.

I arrived home the other day to find I'd missed an actual, real live candidate at my door. I know this because there was a leaflet and hand written on it was "Sorry you were out when I called. Dave". What a nice man, so friendly and informal. However he could have signed it JFK and he still wouldn't be getting my vote.

I personally had one of them stuffed in my door in the last election by 2 teenagers posting on his behalf. I was walking down my stairs as they were walking towards the door.

The Waltzing Consumer

God, just watched that debate, awful stuff from them all.
http://www.tv3.ie/videos.php?video=40744&locID=1.65.169&date=2011-10-04&date_mode=&page=1&show_cal=&newspanel=&showspanel=&web_only=&full_episodes=

So my judgement:

Roderic: Not bad, seems like a great guy, but won't vote for him, he is a Green Party member

Donnelly: Shown to be full of empty populist nonsense and bravado, could not back up anything with substance

Mcguinness: Waste of space, more harping about the dead, get your own life.

Eithne: God, she speaks so slowly, really would be a terrible TD in my view

Patrick: Don't like him, he is a populist too, but even worse, cause he would flip flop on everything once in Government, would say anything for a vote.

Ruth: If you can't say anything nice... waste

Looks like another spoiled vote for me.

chucknorris

Might be worth another look.

http://www.tv3.ie/shows.php?request=tonightwithvincentbrowne&tv3_preview=&video=40744


O'Gormon - Had his points at hand and stuck to them. kept it safe. Didn't get much air time.

Donnelly - Torn apart and taken from his script of figures and then roasted and he capitulated. When asked where he got his figures, he informed VB he got them from watching VB's show. wow.

Loftus - Car crash TV

Nulty - "if i am elected on 27th October, same sex marriage, we did x, y, z and i'm against everything but i'll vote with labour at all time" It's the same in every interview. Caught on the broadside by DmcG toward the end.

McGuinness - Did not promise anything but did say he would continue BL's representation of DublinWest and he set the agenda on the show. VB took his question and fired it at Nulty and Loftus. "why should DW electorate vote another silent backbencher in to government" cue the b*******t answers.

Coppinger - She did well, she gave her position and she gave it clearly. She also highlighted the broken promises of the new government but more importantly she jumped on to what David McGuinness highlighted when she stated to Nulty "you said it yourself, you will vote with the labour party at every opportunity".

WATCH IT AGAIN.

Grudaire

I thni it's a difficult election because the candidates can't promise very much to the electorate. We have government parties whose hands are tied by the IMF/ECB, an opposition who is either tainted by being in government, association with terrorism, and/or having off the wall left wing leanings.

What would make you vote for any particular candidate?

Personnally I'm going on overall party policies and the individuals potential as a politician into the future.

chucknorris

Cliste wrote: »

I thni it's a difficult election because the candidates can't promise very much to the electorate. We have government parties whose hands are tied by the IMF/ECB, an opposition who is either tainted by being in government, association with terrorism, and/or having off the wall left wing leanings.

What would make you vote for any particular candidate?

Personnally I'm going on overall party policies and the individuals potential as a politician into the future.

Where you out postering last night?

Grudaire

chucknorris wrote: »

Where you out postering last night?

Haha, unfortunately I'm not able to help as much as I'd like. I couldn't make last night, once a week is how much I do for his campaign!

The place is fairly filling up with posters though :-\

chucknorris

Cliste wrote: »

Haha, unfortunately I'm not able to help as much as I'd like. I couldn't make last night, once a week is how much I do for his campaign!

The place is fairly filling up with posters though :-\

Yea your team were out and about alright - what's the view from the doors?

Grudaire

chucknorris wrote: »

Yea your team were out and about alright - what's the view from the doors?

Having only been out canvassing once for just over an hour you can take this with a pinch of salt (or add a high margin of error!)

Basically the overall view from everyone canvassing is that people have definitely thawed, where in the last election the attitude was 'no' to 'f-off' people are engaging, and there was no hostility.

Several houses indicated that they would be giving RO'G a preference and unsurprisingly most doors were uninterested/couldn't vote! One refused the leaflet from us.

One person engaged us, and very constructively outlined why he would not vote for RO'G, a few different points were made by him and the person I was canvassing with - that was possibly my favourite door of the whole lot.

chucknorris

As the election is coming up this is sure to be a vocal point on the door step's.

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/beds-axed-two-days-after-burton-pledge-2899477.html

"The memo said activity had to be curtailed, adding the "difficult decision" had been made at an executive meeting on October 4 -- the same day ministers pledged their commitment to the hospital's future.

Social Protection Minister Joan Burton, Health Minister Dr James Reilly and Transport Minister Leo Varadkar met with consultants at the hospital just three days ago at the opening of a new endoscopy wing."

Alltodo

Have there been any polls done for the by election yet? And does anyone know when the final date for nominations is?

chucknorris

Alltodo wrote: »

Have there been any polls done for the by election yet? And does anyone know when the final date for nominations is?

Final date for nominations is next week I believe and last day to register to vote is today.

There is odds available from most bookies but they are based on the general election. No official polls as yet!

Morag

Also there are two referenda we are being asked to vote on, on the same day.

http://www.referendum2011.ie/

chucknorris

Sharrow wrote: »

Also there are two referenda we are being asked to vote on, on the same day.

http://www.referendum2011.ie/

Smashing point Sharrow. Allot of attention has gone off this and they are very important decisions.

Kiwi_knock

Nominations for the Dublin West by-election closed today with 13 candidates declared.
Fine Gael's Eithne Loftus, Patrick Nutly (Labour), David McGuinness (Fianna Fáil), Paul Donnelly (Sinn Féin), Ruth Coppinger (Socialist), Roderic O'Gorman (Green Party) and Peadar Ó Ceallaigh (Fís Nua) are among those contesting the election.
The six independent candidates are the former Apprentice candidate Barry 'Cesaer' Hunt, Benny Cooney, John Frank Kidd, Jim Tallon, Gary Birmingham and Brendan Doris
Voting in the by-election takes place on Thursday 27 October, the same day as the Presidential election.
The seat was vacated following the death in June of the Fianna Fáil TD and former minister for finance Brian Lenihan.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2011/1012/dublinwest.html

Never heard of any of these independents (apart from Caesar Hunt) or the Fís Nua candidate. Could see the vote shared out even more. Not sure if the large number of independents will benefit any of the parties.

tenandtracer

Here they all are, with photos

http://dublincountyreturningofficer.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=119&Itemid=125

Zaph

tenandtracer wrote: »

Here they all are, with photos

http://dublincountyreturningofficer.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=119&Itemid=125

The first guy looks like something straight out of Darby O'Gill and the Little People. Candidates from Athlone and Arklow? Wtf are they doing standing here?

Morag

Why are candidates who live in arklow and athlone or at least have addresses there running in this constituency?

Pepe LeFrits

Pretty sure the Fis Nua guy ran in Dublin South East in the general - edit - yeah, he did. Cooney looks familiar too.

Switching constituencies is ridiculous.

The Waltzing Consumer

Why the hell are their people residing in Finglas, Athlone, Liffey Valley, Bonham Street and Arklow running for West Dublin by-election????

They can get lost, our bunch are bad enough without having to deal with them.

Although, can we keep the leprechaun guy, as a pet? :pac:

Morag

Parts of finglas were bright in to the constituency when they re shaped it and parts of Lucan as for the rest of then I've not the foggiest.