Does Irish politics have a Boris...?

AlekSmart

Not everybodys ideal Politician I`d imagine,but he does manage to tread a definite line with his London Mayoralty.

Would any present day Irish politician have the ability to deliver a 26 minute speech covering every topic from Olympics to Riots to Business to Buses to Latin and more particularly Soho !!!.....Clare Daly perhaps ?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIVZbxjH92s

Could it be said we have a need for Boris like Politicians......Mick Wallace perhaps ?

However,I suppose Enda will just have to do us for now...:(

Death and Taxes

AlekSmart wrote: »

Not everybodys ideal Politician I`d imagine,but he does manage to tread a definite line with his London Mayoralty.

Would any present day Irish politician have the ability to deliver a 26 minute speech covering every topic from Olympics to Riots to Business to Buses to Latin and more particularly Soho !!!.....Clare Daly perhaps ?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIVZbxjH92s

Could it be said we have a need for Boris like Politicians......Mick Wallace perhaps ?

However,I suppose Enda will just have to do us for now...:(

We do, his name is Leo:D

charlemont

If we had a Boris, He wouldn't be respected by most voters.
I actually like Boris though he seems to be a warm approachable person.

Cookie_Monster

Irish voters aren't ready or able to accept and vote for such a person yet IMO

mike65

Despite the influx of so called "colourful" characters its hard to imagine anyone as freewheeling as Bo-Jo as its highly unlikely they'd be given the space or would frankly have the talent to pull it off. Johnson is foolishly written off my many as a fool/knave he is a very smart operator who uses his wide ranging intellect to wow the public. If the UK had a French style political system he'd be a shoe in for President.

Slideshowbob

Dan Boyle

Manach

Mr Johnson has written and presented some excellent work and some across as very much a man in the Renaissance mold with a popular touch.
I've recently read an article written by Dan Boyle on the ombudsman, and he actually came across as making some good solid points.

The Waltzing Consumer

mike65 wrote: »

Despite the influx of so called "colourful" characters its hard to imagine anyone as freewheeling as Bo-Jo as its highly unlikely they'd be given the space or would frankly have the talent to pull it off. Johnson is foolishly written off my many as a fool/knave he is a very smart operator who uses his wide ranging intellect to wow the public. If the UK had a French style political system he'd be a shoe in for President.

The space or talent to pull it off?

I don't get the love affair many people have for Boris Johnson. I just think think people like him cause he was on Have I Got News For You

An interesting look at Boris's fiscal policy
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/jul/28/boris-johnson-top-rate-tax-cut

Wanting to cut tax on those earning over 150,000 a year whilst significantly increasing travel fares.

Lets not also forget his political interference in a criminal case as Mayor. Sure, Phil Hogan writes a letter about Traveller housing and is demonised, but Boris Johnson is someone posters admire for a much more serious interference?? Double standards me thinks.

Oh how about his lovely remark that earning 250,000 pounds as side job as a journalist was "chicken feed". Padraig Flynn is a disgrace for moaning about his huge salary but Johnson is lovable and admired for much the same?

Oh and the racist allegations, sure we will demonise the FG mayor for comments, but when it comes to Boris, sure he is a warm approachable person.

And to keep things a bit more close to home. Let us not forget how he called a self-raising (not tax payers) St. Patrick's day dinner, "Lefty Crap"
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/frontpage/2012/0313/1224313205731.html

So is there an equivalent Irish politician, no, our politicians do the same things, we just don't have the same blinkers on as many do for this twat.

FloatingVoter

If you mean a clown character...we invented the format

Step forward, Willie O' Dea. And put down that weapon.

SebBerkovich

FloatingVoter wrote: »

If you mean a clown character...we invented the format

Step forward, Willie O' Dea. And put down that weapon.

Willie is the man for me, lovable buffoon with access to weapons. This could be the beginning of an awful Ben Stiller movie.

The_Conductor

AlekSmart wrote: »

Would any present day Irish politician have the ability to deliver a 26 minute speech covering every topic from Olympics to Riots to Business to Buses to Latin and more particularly Soho !!!.....Clare Daly perhaps ?

David Norris wouldn't even break a sweat covering these topics- and he has lots of colleagues in the Seanad who would give him a reasonable run for his money- with the possible exception of the Latin....... Boris is a bit of an institution- as is David Norris. Politics in either country would be a lot more boring without their presence........

The Corinthian

It's actually quite interesting how successful Boris Johnston, the epitome of an upper class toff and buffoon, has been. He has a character that screams at one not to take him seriously, and largely people don't, which probably explains why he's received so much attention recently - people are surprised that he's not made a mess of things in London.

But both the view that he is a buffoon and now surprisingly competent are founded in irrational prejudices. He's actually a very well educated and intelligent man, who's been able to build on and/or maintain the successes of his predecessor. Even he admitted this, to give him is due.

As to whether Ireland could have a Boris in politics? Possibly the buffoon part, but otherwise almost certainly not. Unlike the English, who at worst benignly tolerate their class system, we're hypersensitive to any suggestion that one even exists. We have no honours system, unlike almost all of the rest of Europe (even republics), almost never use (professional) titles and will rarely address anyone by their surname.

Ireland is the only country I've ever lived in where you have to dumb down your vocabulary to get on with people. If you don't, you'll end up hearing the usual comments asking whether "you swallowed a dictionary". Their attitudes twoards you will harden and you'll feel the distance form just because your background and accent differs from theirs. After all, isn't employment of a polysyllabic lexicon terribly "patronizing"?

So as a people, we will not vote for the educated, let alone 'upper class', outside of the university panels for the Seanead, instead we prefer someone who we can call by their first name, as ignorant as us and with whom we can identify with (and go to when we have to speed up a planning application).

So our lovable buffoons will be those sporting cloth caps, prone to speaking with unintelligible brogues and in farming analogies. Thus, while no doubt Jackie Healy-Rae is more than likely capable to discuss Latin in a public speech - but he's not going to be so stupid as to do so and alienate two thirds of his constituents who'll resent him for it.

Xantia

Well we did have a Boris for a while.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=qSe4G4lE_J4#!

Xantia

http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/september/30/newsid_2542000/2542983.stm

Lapin

The Waltzing Consumer wrote: »

And to keep things a bit more close to home. Let us not forget how he called a self-raising (not tax payers) St. Patrick's day dinner, "Lefty Crap"
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/frontpage/2012/0313/1224313205731.html

He touches on a point here.

In my own experience, many of those who purport to speak on behalf of Irish people living in London get very touchy at the slightest hint of critisism or even humour (however poorly attempted it may be).

As the Irish Times article above states, Sinn Fein have a high profile presence at Irish events in London. So I cannot blame Johnson for his use of the phrase "Lefty Crap".

I refuse to use the contrived term "Irish Community" to describe Irish people residing in the British capital. There is no such community. Rather a group of individuals, clusters, clubs and groups each with their own vested interests.

None of them speak for me. I do that for myself and did so when I voted for Boris Johnson as Mayor.

thebman

Peter Matthews has a hint of Boris to him.

Due to not being a career politician, he has fun poked him on shows like VB and sometimes makes obvious mistakes and can come across as looking out of his depth.

Then you see him asking questions and answering them about the state of our banks and he can make everyone else in the room that spoke before him look like a fool in 2 or 3 sentences.

unfortunately including the leaders of his own party who seem to fail to listen to his expert advice.

COYW

No we don't. He is far too intelligent behind his goofy persona to be a part of politics here. People would never accept such a politician. Peter Matthews is probably the smartest politician here and strangely enough he came into politics from business as opposed to the standard routes.

The Corinthian

We had somewhat of a Boris in Michael McDowell. While not a 'lovable' buffoon, he did press the same buttons in terms of social class, education and intellectualism.

And he was hated for it. I say he was for it, because almost any discussion you'll find even here on him tended to be founded on a personal dislike of the man - you may have disliked his policies, but this became a distant second factor.

Unlike his predecessors; Desmond O'Malley (a Limerick man of the people) and Mary Harney (A working class Dub), he was a barrister, educated and well spoken, married to one academic and brother to another - and this simply never sat well with the average guy on the street.

He may also have been a flawed politician, but ultimately I believe it was his social class that principally damned him in the Irish electorate's eyes.

AlekSmart

The Corinthian wrote: »

So as a people, we will not vote for the educated, let alone 'upper class', outside of the university panels for the Seanead, instead we prefer someone who we can call by their first name, as ignorant as us and with whom we can identify with (and go to when we have to speed up a planning application).

So our lovable buffoons will be those sporting cloth caps, prone to speaking with unintelligible brogues and in farming analogies. Thus, while no doubt Jackie Healy-Rae is more than likely capable to discuss Latin in a public speech - but he's not going to be so stupid as to do so and alienate two thirds of his constituents who'll resent him for it.

Very pertinent post Corinthian,and you quite correctly allude to Seanad Eireann membership.

I am somewhat disappointed to read Enda Kenny's recent statement reaffirming his "committment" to abolishing the Senate.

This I believe is Mr Kenny merely indulging in reverse engineered popularity similar to the "Tax The Rich" cobblers being regularly trotted out by the "Lefty Crappers" made famous by Boris Johnson.

Until we,as a people,start to see some value in the finer things in life,along with a broad education and ability to form and refine our own attitudes then,I fear, we shall continue to mystify people such as The Corinthian.

Son Of A Vidic

The Corinthian wrote: »

It's actually quite interesting how successful Boris Johnston, the epitome of an upper class toff and buffoon, has been. He has a character that screams at one not to take him seriously, and largely people don't, which probably explains why he's received so much attention recently - people are surprised that he's not made a mess of things in London.

But both the view that he is a buffoon and now surprisingly competent are founded in irrational prejudices. He's actually a very well educated and intelligent man, who's been able to build on and/or maintain the successes of his predecessor. Even he admitted this, to give him is due.

As to whether Ireland could have a Boris in politics? Possibly the buffoon part, but otherwise almost certainly not. Unlike the English, who at worst benignly tolerate their class system, we're hypersensitive to any suggestion that one even exists. We have no honours system, unlike almost all of the rest of Europe (even republics), almost never use (professional) titles and will rarely address anyone by their surname.

Ireland is the only country I've ever lived in where you have to dumb down your vocabulary to get on with people. If you don't, you'll end up hearing the usual comments asking whether "you swallowed a dictionary". Their attitudes twoards you will harden and you'll feel the distance form just because your background and accent differs from theirs. After all, isn't employment of a polysyllabic lexicon terribly "patronizing"?

So as a people, we will not vote for the educated, let alone 'upper class', outside of the university panels for the Seanead, instead we prefer someone who we can call by their first name, as ignorant as us and with whom we can identify with (and go to when we have to speed up a planning application).

So our lovable buffoons will be those sporting cloth caps, prone to speaking with unintelligible brogues and in farming analogies. Thus, while no doubt Jackie Healy-Rae is more than likely capable to discuss Latin in a public speech - but he's not going to be so stupid as to do so and alienate two thirds of his constituents who'll resent him for it.

When I read such an excellent post like that, it really restores my faith in Boards.ie.

* raises a glass *

COYW

Corvus Maximus wrote: »

When I read such an excellent post like that, it really restores my faith in Boards.ie.

* raises a glass *

I have to agree. It sums the nation up brilliantly. Education and success are seen as crimes in this country for some strange reason.

AlekSmart

COYW wrote: »

I have to agree. It sums the nation up brilliantly. Education and success are seen as crimes in this country for some strange reason.

Hey....! Don't forget wealth.....!

djpbarry

The Corinthian wrote: »

Ireland is the only country I've ever lived in where you have to dumb down your vocabulary to get on with people. If you don't, you'll end up hearing the usual comments asking whether "you swallowed a dictionary". Their attitudes twoards you will harden and you'll feel the distance form just because your background and accent differs from theirs. After all, isn't employment of a polysyllabic lexicon terribly "patronizing"?

You’ll encounter the very same attitude in plenty of places around the UK – it’s difficult to imagine Boris winning an election in Birmingham, Liverpool or Newcastle, for example.

Not that I’d blame them – the man makes me cringe.

super_furry

Varadkar has all the buffoonery and posh boy antics, without the likability.