The Official After Hours Presidential Election Thread **POLL RESET 23/10**

retalivity

billymitchell wrote: »

You should get up earlier

10am here, and ive been up for nearly 3 hours :P

seamus

billybudd wrote: »

No one was smearing him till monday night. he has questions to answer but he wont answer them at this stage he is smearing himself.

The accusation has been flying around since the start, but the anti-FF have had very little to pin him down on until Monday. Though to be fair to him, if he'd admitted to it then it would have done less damage than his stumbling and spluttering over it. He has said all along that he was previously a FF supporter, but no longer. So accusations of legitimate fundraising for FF in 2008 shouldn't have phased him.

I Heart Internet

stonetrower wrote: »

I left Ireland when I turned 16yrs old. Spent 40 years working and living all over the world. I have witnessed elections in 4 different countries and I have to say that I am disgusted with the way the media and the politicians have behaved in this Presidential election. The media all seem to be supported/backed by either FF or FG. The media are trying to tell us who to vote for by using character assassination rather than telling us the candidates policies and what they can offer the people of this great country.
I am voting for the person who has had the most dirt thrown at them by the gutter press.
Mc Guinness
Norris
Gallagher
Dana
Davis
Higgins
Mitchell

So none of this dirt was their own doing??? Mitchell and Higgins are the "worst" becuase no one has fired dirt at them?? I'm confused.

I Heart Internet

seamus wrote: »

The only agenda the media are pushing is the headlines one. You take the most polarising candidates and you make them even more polarising, and you get the best headlines. They don't care who gets in so long as they can sell their stories.

McGuinness - Terrorist, IRA apologist/member, possible murderer
Norris - Homosexual academic, with a "West Brit" accent.
Gallagher - Young unknown non-politician celebrity
Dana - Known anti-EU rabid Catholic looney

Davis - Suburban housewife-like relative unknown. Inoffensive
Higgins - Looks like your grandad. About 200 years old. Inoffensive
Mitchell - Looks like your Dad. About as embarrassing. Largely inoffensive despite ridiculously catholic agenda.

The actual underlying agendas come from various groups who don't like the noisest candidates.

McGuinness is being smeared by the anti-SF brigade.
Norris is being smeared by the fundamentalist homophobic Christian right
Gallagher is being smeared by the anti-FF brigade.
Dana is smearing herself.

So you're complaining that the media is generalising and looking for headline grabbing characteristics of the candidates (Norris "west-brit", etc).

Then you go and make huge, generalised accusations about those you claim have underlying agendas and are smearing candidates. Tell me, are there tall, albino members of Opus Dei involved in the smearing of Norris??

K-9

I Heart Internet wrote: »

So you're complaining that the media is generalising and looking for headline grabbing characteristics of the candidates (Norris "west-brit", etc).

Then you go and make huge, generalised accusations about those you claim have underlying agendas and are smearing candidates. Tell me, are there tall, albino members of Opus Dei involved in the smearing of Norris??

I don't think it's an outlandish thing to state that hardline Anti SF and conservative Catholic elements have it in for McGuinness and Norris!

Gallagher is out for me, similarly McGuinness lied about his IRA membership in interviews in the 80's. The stand out candidate is Higgins for me.

seamus

I Heart Internet wrote: »

So you're complaining that the media is generalising and looking for headline grabbing characteristics of the candidates (Norris "west-brit", etc).

Then you go and make huge, generalised accusations about those you claim have underlying agendas and are smearing candidates. Tell me, are there tall, albino members of Opus Dei involved in the smearing of Norris??

I didn't complain about anything. I merely made a few general observations as to the main groups involved in this campaign.

The fact that you appear to be upset by my broad generalisations says more about you than it does me.

I didn't say that everyone who was anti-Norris was a crazy religious homophobe.

I Heart Internet

seamus wrote: »

The fact that you appear to be upset by my broad generalisations says more about you than it does me.

Of course it says more about me....I'm the one saying it. :rolleyes:
It says that I'm upset you "observe" generalisations in the media and then go on to generalise yourself.

In general, I feel that's bad.

--Kaiser--

Lollipops23 wrote: »

As opposed to the candidate who's handled themselves the best during debates/interviews etc?


Seems slightly odd retarded if you ask me....

FYP

Andrew33

Kasabian wrote: »

Do these in reverse order, might prove easier.

Don't be silly, I'll just use my other one.

dooksgolf

I'm wondering whether there are any boardies who have changed their mind re voting for gallagher as a result of what came to light during the Frontline program?

I Heart Internet

dooksgolf wrote: »

I'm wondering whether there are any boardies who have changed their mind re voting for gallagher as a result of what came to light during the Frontline program?

I was gonna give him the benefit of the doubt and give him a No. 2. Now he's getting nothing.

billymitchell

dooksgolf wrote: »

I'm wondering whether there are any boardies who have changed their mind re voting for gallagher as a result of what came to light during the Frontline program?

I'd say not many have, hardly any of them were going to vote for him in the first place

tonycascarino

To me Sean Gallagher is a spoofer of the highest order & has about as much charisma as a block of concrete.

dooksgolf

OK ,aside the boardies,do you think any of the 40% who were polling for him last w/e will have changed their mind?
BTW-I wouldn't touch him,MMG or Dana with a barge pole

Lord TSC

On a related note...has anyone had campaigners come to their door? I've had none, but a few leaflets. I found this last time with the general elections as well; has door to door campaigning gone at the wayside?

billybudd

seamus wrote: »

The accusation has been flying around since the start, but the anti-FF have had very little to pin him down on until Monday. Though to be fair to him, if he'd admitted to it then it would have done less damage than his stumbling and spluttering over it. He has said all along that he was previously a FF supporter, but no longer. So accusations of legitimate fundraising for FF in 2008 shouldn't have phased him.

Sorry should have clarified, was not talking about his dealings with FF, more his business dealings, he seems to be as confused as the rest of us over these multi accounts and resting monies etc, his FF past is nothing to much, he should have just admitted at from the start he was soliciting money for FF, maybe shameful but nothing wrong.

The state grants he recieved are another problem for him, why he took money from a company on its knees and why he was given grants when his business was obviously failing, these questions needed adequate answers and he could not give them.

PAULWATSON

I'd vote for BOSCO before any of these puppets.

Wolfe Tone

Teamshadowclan wrote: »

On a related note...has anyone had campaigners come to their door? I've had none, but a few leaflets. I found this last time with the general elections as well; has door to door campaigning gone at the wayside?

I've had no one come to my house in Drogheda either, got some in Dublin though.

billybudd

Teamshadowclan wrote: »

On a related note...has anyone had campaigners come to their door? I've had none, but a few leaflets. I found this last time with the general elections as well; has door to door campaigning gone at the wayside?

Depends where you live, working class areas are no go for alot of these parties now, part from the shinners.

Sir Oxman

billybudd wrote: »

Depends where you live, working class areas are no go for alot of these parties now, part from the shinners.

FG, SF and Labour here. Dublin CC

Lord TSC

I'm on the outskirts of Drogheda in one of the "nicer" estates and we've had no one whatsoever

Shame too. Some I'd love to have a go at. Hmm...maybe that's why they aren't coming.

seamus

dooksgolf wrote: »

OK ,aside the boardies,do you think any of the 40% who were polling for him last w/e will have changed their mind?
BTW-I wouldn't touch him,MMG or Dana with a barge pole

A sizeable proportion I think.

My gut feeling is that he got votes on the basis that Norris had collapsed, but the only other viable candidate was Michael D, who's a bit old and not independent. Gallagher seemed to provide a credible independent candidacy and mopped up those people who wanted a "least worst" candidate that isn't Michael D.

"Credible" and "independent" seems to have vanished for him. He'll probably still poll quite well, but I think Micheal D has it in the bag. Even if MDH doesn't come out strong at the start, he is the most likely to mop up the second preferences from all of the others.

Fluorescence

Out of curiosity, is it better to completely fill your polling card or just give preferences to candidates you approve of?

Morlar

fluorescence wrote: »

Out of curiosity, is it better to completely fill your polling card or just give preferences to candidates you approve of?

It depends who you are voting for. Pm Sent.

Lord TSC

fluorescence wrote: »

Out of curiosity, is it better to completely fill your polling card or just give preferences to candidates you approve of?

Thats a completly personal choice. Just remember that a low vote can still be used in transfers while no vote means no vote.

I reckon I'll fill out about 4.

Tea-a-Maria

Norris was out in UCD canvassing today.

The fact that the election is on a Thursday is ruling out a lot of student voters though,myself included.Who is it that decides the date of the election?

Morlar

Tea-a-Maria wrote: »

Norris was out in UCD canvassing today.

The fact that the election is on a Thursday is ruling out a lot of student voters though,myself included.Who is it that decides the date of the election?

The polls are open 7am till 10pm no ?

Wolfe Tone

Morlar wrote: »

The polls are open 7am till 10pm no ?

Yeah but it is a pain, a lot of guys are from places like Kerry, Donegal etc, I'm alright cause I just have to head to Drogheda, but a lot of students wont vote.

Lord TSC

Tea-a-Maria wrote: »

The fact that the election is on a Thursday is ruling out a lot of student voters though,myself included.Who is it that decides the date of the election?

There's ways to vote even if you live away from home like that. The fact it's on a Thursday isn't stopping you voting; it's the fact you didn't bother looking into and working on the ways to let you vote...

Fluorescence

Teamshadowclan wrote: »

Thats a completly personal choice. Just remember that a low vote can still be used in transfers while no vote means no vote.

I reckon I'll fill out about 4.

I'm planning on marking 3, but was curious anyway Thanks!