Fianna Fáil most popular party, new poll shows

Rightwing

Tabnabs wrote: »

I think it's time to knock that idea on the head.

To quote the head of the Confederation of Icelandic Employers: "Recovery? We're on the road to nowhere."

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/21/us-iceland-economy-idUSBRE91K0JN20130221[/QUOTE]

An unemployment rate of 7.4% isn't to be scoffed at though.

hyperborean

Rightwing wrote: »

Tabnabs wrote: »

I think it's time to knock that idea on the head.

To quote the head of the Confederation of Icelandic Employers: "Recovery? We're on the road to nowhere."

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/21/us-iceland-economy-idUSBRE91K0JN20130221[/QUOTE]

An unemployment rate of 7.4% isn't to be scoffed at though.

With a population of 300k, some of the most fertile fishing grounds in the world, also home grown energy industry at their fingertips!

7.4% is disgracefull, should be 0

Scofflaw

Rightwing wrote: »

Tabnabs wrote: »

I think it's time to knock that idea on the head.

To quote the head of the Confederation of Icelandic Employers: "Recovery? We're on the road to nowhere."

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/21/us-iceland-economy-idUSBRE91K0JN20130221[/QUOTE]

An unemployment rate of 7.4% isn't to be scoffed at though.

Their pre-crisis unemployment rate was about half ours (2.5% to our 5%), and their unemployment is currently half ours.

cordially,
Scofflaw

Rightwing

Scofflaw wrote: »

Their pre-crisis unemployment rate was about half ours (2.5% to our 5%), and their unemployment is currently half ours.

cordially,
Scofflaw

That 2.5% must have been as close to full employment as possible.

Eggy Baby!

MidlandsM wrote: »

The FF bounce back is worrying, I don't ever want to see those inept talentless scumbags run my country again.

The problem is that it isn't just your country!

Nevertheless, FF coming back to power would on paper seem like a step back. But who knows, maybe they will do well.

Zubeneschamali

Eggy Baby! wrote: »

Nevertheless, FF coming back to power would on paper seem like a step back. But who knows, maybe they will do well.

Ooh! Ooh! Sir! Sir!

I know!

Pick me!

Rightwing

Eggy Baby! wrote: »

The problem is that it isn't just your country!

Nevertheless, FF coming back to power would on paper seem like a step back. But who knows, maybe they will do well.

Exactly, the Italian elections this weekend will be interesting, will Berlusconi do well, if he does, it sums up democracy.

Worztron

I wish FF would become extinct.

Hootanany

One word Bertie

Never ever forget.

Silentcorner

FF is to Ireland what Lance Armstrong is to cycling

Sand

@Scofflaw

Every alternative party in Irish politics necessarily starts small. If it's not successful, it remains on the fringes as an irrelevance. If it's successful, at some point it is offered the chance at a coalition, and it's then eradicated.

Rinse and repeat, grumbling in between about the lack of alternatives.

Only if it proves to be an appalling political group without morality or strategy. The parties that were eradicated recently fully deserved it based on their own decisions and policies. Ireland is a better place for their removal. They shouldn't mope around feeling sorry for themselves.

Their pre-crisis unemployment rate was about half ours (2.5% to our 5%), and their unemployment is currently half ours.

And your point is the Icelandic economy is twice as good as ours under all conditions? So they're not doing better than us, because they're twice as good as us anyway?

Zubeneschamali

Sand wrote: »

And your point is the Icelandic economy is twice as good as ours under all conditions? So they're not doing better than us, because they're twice as good as us anyway?

Their unemployment rate has doubled, while real wages and saved wealth have dropped 30%.

If only we could be like them!

Sand

Our unemployment rate has tripled, our debt has quadrupled and our economic performance has been so terrible that flatlining is hailed as "recovery". On the positive side, we still have the best paid public sector in the western world.

Yes, if only we could be like them.

Rightwing

Zubeneschamali wrote: »

Their unemployment rate has doubled, while real wages and saved wealth have dropped 30%.

If only we could be like them!

Their GDP per capita is $38,500. Not too bad, not too bad at all.

Scofflaw

Sand wrote: »

@Scofflaw


Only if it proves to be an appalling political group without morality or strategy. The parties that were eradicated recently fully deserved it based on their own decisions and policies. Ireland is a better place for their removal. They shouldn't mope around feeling sorry for themselves.

Unfortunately, it seems to be the fate of all small Irish political parties. They go into power with one of the bigger parties, the media immediately start saying they'll be used as a mudguard, and whether the media follow the public or the public follows the media, that's exactly what happens.

Sand wrote: »

And your point is the Icelandic economy is twice as good as ours under all conditions? So they're not doing better than us, because they're twice as good as us anyway?

My point is apples and oranges, really. We're no more comparable with a country of 300,000 people than we are with one of 45 million.

cordially,
Scofflaw

sanbrafyffe

il second you on that mate

Hootanany wrote: »

One word Bertie

Never ever forget.

thecommietommy

Amazing OP. If FF nuked the country the vegetables would still vote for them :mad: :mad:

Rightwing

thecommietommy wrote: »

Amazing OP. If FF nuked the country the vegetables would still vote for them :mad: :mad:

The rationale behind it is: my grandpa used to vote for FF, so I will too.

thecommietommy

Rightwing wrote: »

The rationale behind it is: my grandpa used to vote for FF, so I will too.

Well in fairness, voted for FF before migrated over to FG and a lesser extent Labour. Now they are finding out their the exact same, been corrupt middle class vegetables they wouldn't dare venture outside of the Fianna Gael axis. Society might change and that would never do etc.

Rightwing

thecommietommy wrote: »

Well in fairness, voted for FF before migrated over to FG and a lesser extent Labour. Now they are finding out their the exact same, been corrupt middle class vegetables they wouldn't dare venture outside of the Fianna Gael axis. Society might change and that would never do etc.

That's a mistake a lot of people make. This Govt. has very little room for manoeuvre. Austerity is the name of the game across Europe. We have no choice on the matter.

Mr.Micro

Rightwing wrote: »

That's a mistake a lot of people make. This Govt. has very little room for manoeuvre. Austerity is the name of the game across Europe. We have no choice on the matter.

Irish people do not like reality. FF never lived in reality, so no wonder the two are mutual. We have a lot to thank FF for, the dark years when Dev was in power, the church rule and all the abuse that went with State sanction, the Magdalene launderies, corruption, scandals, corrupt planning and the economy crash, etc etc. A truly remarkable legacy but Irish people love the past.

Rightwing

Mr.Micro wrote: »

Irish people do not like reality. FF never lived in reality, so no wonder the two are mutual. We have a lot to thank FF for, the dark years when Dev was in power, the church rule and all the abuse that went with State sanction, the Magdalene launderies, corruption, scandals, corrupt planning and the economy crash, etc etc. A truly remarkable legacy but Irish people love the past.

Or, you could be a cynic like I am, and say FF indeed do live in reality. The likes of bertie ahern knew exactly what they were doing, and put self and party nterests ahead of the country. Consequently, they won't have to worry about inflation/cuts etc ever again.

Death and Taxes

Latest Red C poll for Sunsay Business Post
STATE OF THE PARTIES
Fine Gael: 28% (no change)
Labour: 12% (+1%)
Fianna Fáil: 26% (+5%)
Sinn Fein: 16% (-3%)
Independents/others: 18% (-3%)

http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/new-poll-boost-for-ff-585875.html

michael999999

WileyCoyote wrote: »

Latest Red C poll for Sunsay Business Post
STATE OF THE PARTIES
Fine Gael: 28% (no change)
Labour: 12% (+1%)
Fianna Fáil: 26% (+5%)
Sinn Fein: 16% (-3%)
Independents/others: 18% (-3%)

http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/new-poll-boost-for-ff-585875.html

I dont believe them anymore, who the hell do they poll for these?

cast_iron

Sand wrote: »

Our unemployment rate has tripled, our debt has quadrupled and our economic performance has been so terrible that flatlining is hailed as "recovery". On the positive side, we still have the best paid public sector in the western world.

Yes, if only we could be like them.

They are good reasons not to be like us, not to be like them.

Only if it proves to be an appalling political group without morality or strategy. The parties that were eradicated recently fully deserved it based on their own decisions and policies. Ireland is a better place for their removal. They shouldn't mope around feeling sorry for themselves.

I'd broadly agree, though who is moping around feeling sorry for themselves? The reality of going into government as a minority party means you generally have to compromise on policy and this is precisely what tends to alienate the voters that voted for them in the first place. Bit of a catch 22. I could see SF voters deserting them in droves if they got in and the reality of being in govt and making tough decisions comes to fruition. Similar to Labour's current poor showing and the Greens and PDs in the past.

Scofflaw

michael999999 wrote: »

I dont believe them anymore, who the hell do they poll for these?

The Irish public, I'm afraid.

cordially,
Scofflaw

Dob74

michael999999 wrote: »

I dont believe them anymore, who the hell do they poll for these?

The sad thing is we haven't seen anything yet.
Wait til Phil Hogan starts sending out bills for property tax.
And Bord Gais dig up every footpath in the country to install water meters and then send you the bill for it.

FF with there buddies in the press will be all over this.

I hope Labour have the balls to walkout of government.

Let the people get what they want a FG/FF coalition. No more of a left wing and right wing party go into coalition and have no clear direction

COYW

thecommietommy wrote: »

Well in fairness, voted for FF before migrated over to FG and a lesser extent Labour. Now they are finding out their the exact same, been corrupt middle class vegetables they wouldn't dare venture outside of the Fianna Gael axis. Society might change and that would never do etc.

I think you are doing them a disservice. They understand that society would change but they do not believe that hard left politics, which is the only alternative available to people, is better than the brand of politics that is currently in place. I do not agree with the current brand of politics, as someone who is to the right economically but I would take it any day over left-wing idealism.

michael999999 wrote: »

I dont believe them anymore, who the hell do they poll for these?

By asking a few thousands people.

Dob74 wrote: »

No more of a left wing and right wing party go into coalition and have no clear direction

This drives me mental. FG are not right wing. They are centre right at most. FF were never right wing. They threw obscene amounts of money into the public purses. That is not right wing!

donegal_road

the only poll I will believe will be the results of the local elections

Death and Taxes

Dob74 wrote: »

I hope Labour have the balls to walkout of government.

Labour+Balls
Does not compute!

Rightwing

Dob74 wrote: »

The sad thing is we haven't seen anything yet.
Wait til Phil Hogan starts sending out bills for property tax.
And Bord Gais dig up every footpath in the country to install water meters and then send you the bill for it.

FF with there buddies in the press will be all over this.

I hope Labour have the balls to walkout of government.

Let the people get what they want a FG/FF coalition. No more of a left wing and right wing party go into coalition and have no clear direction

The easy thing for Labour would be to walk out of government.

And FF are as left a party as is out there. The last 15 years should have taught us that.

hyperborean

Rightwing wrote: »

And FF are as left a party as is out there. The last 15 years should have taught us that.

Bribing the public and unions is not left wing, FF are populist, will change spots like the weather for power, little like their shadow FG

Rightwing

hyperborean wrote: »

Bribing the public and unions is not left wing, FF are populist, will change spots like the weather for power, little like their shadow FG

It is. Bribing the public and unions = spending what you can't afford.

FF are populist, no doubt about that, and the people will never want cuts, that's why FF can't be considered anything other than a left wing party.

Worztron

Don't forget the FF sHELL giveaway starring Ray Burke. :mad:

Waestrel

Worztron wrote: »

Don't forget the FF sHELL giveaway starring Ray Burke. :mad:

Cant forget what did not happen, but please, rant on, this is AH.

0ph0rce0

They become the most popular party in the polls.

THEN

They come out with putting up the price of booze in the shops again, You dont mess with an Irish persons drink.

After that i guarantee they wont be on top in the next poll :pac:

hyperborean

Rightwing wrote: »

It is. Bribing the public and unions = spending what you can't afford.

FF are populist, no doubt about that, and the people will never want cuts, that's why FF can't be considered anything other than a left wing party.

Rubbish, do you even know what right and left wing is?

Rightwing

hyperborean wrote: »

Rubbish, do you even know what right and left wing is?

Go on then, give us your insight into such a complicated topic.

hyperborean

Rightwing wrote: »

Go on then, give us your insight into such a complicated topic.

I am not going to spoon feed you, explain in simple terms how FF were left wing? None of your old " they increased social welfare" rubbish either,

Show me were left wing ideology is dominant in the FF policies during their most recent stint in power.

Rightwing

hyperborean wrote: »

I am not going to spoon feed you, explain in simple terms how FF were left wing? None of your old " they increased social welfare" rubbish either,

Show me were left wing ideology is dominant in the FF policies during their most recent stint in power.

I partly guessed you wouldn't be able to.

hyperborean

Rightwing wrote: »

I partly guessed you wouldn't be able to.

Unwilling to debate properly, libertarian by any chance?

Rightwing

hyperborean wrote: »

Unwilling to debate properly, libertarian by any chance?

If you can't answer questions, don't ask them.

Mr.Micro

Government plans inquiry into bank guarantee

http://www.rte.ie/news/2013/0224/369360-banking-guarantee-inquiry/

That might be uncomfortable reading for Martin who appears to have amnesia re the 11 years of being a FF minister, and his role in the banking crisis. If such an inquiry takes place, it might put a few dents in the FF resurgence, then again maybe not, as the former would require logic, and we all know that logic is not too common when it comes to the voters that support FF.

Good loser

hyperborean wrote: »

I am not going to spoon feed you, explain in simple terms how FF were left wing? None of your old " they increased social welfare" rubbish either,

Show me were left wing ideology is dominant in the FF policies during their most recent stint in power.

How about their signing all those social partnership deals? Surely those were about dishing out moneybags to public service unions. Plus allowing them huge inputs into health, education and social welfare policies.

When disputes arose in the public sector all the unions had to do was escalate it up to Bertie and capitulation ensued.

Plus the huge increases in social welfare.

FF is a catch all populist party, which is essentially what socialism is.

Scofflaw

Rightwing wrote: »

It is. Bribing the public and unions = spending what you can't afford.

FF are populist, no doubt about that, and the people will never want cuts, that's why FF can't be considered anything other than a left wing party.

I'm afraid that's a level of nonsense that's quite unacceptable on a Politics forum. Handing out money to the public is done by both left and right wings - all that differs is the methods of targeting those handouts. Your personal definition is not the definition of left-wing, and this kind of post is frankly close to trolling, as quite a high proportion of your posts have been.

Please don't post this kind of thread-derailing nonsense.

moderately,
Scofflaw

Atomicjuicer

I've read through every post in this topic and I'm amazed at how consistently blind boards forum dwellers are to the true political sentiment of the rest of the population of Ireland.

None of you have a clue.

As one of the "vegetables" who gave FG their chance and watched as they overstepped boundaries more significant to our nation than anything mentioned in this thread I am ready to go back to the best this politically pathetic country has to offer: FF.

FG have wasted the leeway given to them for the current economic state of the country by bringing in abortion. The end.

Silentcorner

Atomicjuicer wrote: »

I've read through every post in this topic and I'm amazed at how consistently blind boards forum dwellers are to the true political sentiment of the rest of the population of Ireland.

None of you have a clue.

As one of the "vegetables" who gave FG their chance and watched as they overstepped boundaries more significant to our nation than anything mentioned in this thread I am ready to go back to the best this politically pathetic country has to offer: FF.

FG have wasted the leeway given to them for the current economic state of the country by bringing in abortion. The end.

So let me get this straight, you believe that all posters who do not support FF are blind and clueless and are therefore politically pathetic...

Now I'm struggling to keep a straight face at this point but please tell us what this real political sentiment is?

FF are at 27% of a recent poll (27% of decided voters that is, undecided is at 27% of total poll)...FF are a long long long way from redemption

Maybe you can enlighten us on one topic, how are FFs finances...cheap political populism is one thing, paying for a election campaign is a whole other issue

Worztron

Waestrel wrote: »

Cant forget what did not happen, but please, rant on, this is AH.

Really? :eek:

Read this then: http://www.shelltosea.com/content/gas-oil-robbery

Get it right! This is Politics not After Hours.

Rightwing

More proof in what I was saying.

It's a shame that this is viewed as trolling


http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/ahern-a-genuine-socialist-says-mccreevy-228947.html
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern is one of the few genuine socialists in the country, his former finance minister claimed today.

European Commissioner Charlie McCreevy said he believed the Taoiseach’s controversial assertion of his political beliefs.

“Well Bertie pronouncing himself as a socialist wasn’t a surprise to me because funny enough, I believe Bertie Ahern is one of the few socialists in Dáil Eireann, and would have said that many many years ago,” he said.

There was genuine amazement in political circles when Mr Ahern made the pronouncement in a newspaper interview last year. It was widely seen as an attempt to reposition Fianna Fáil as a party for working class people in the face of Sinn Féin’s growing popularity.

K-9

Rightwing wrote: »

More proof in what I was saying.

It's a shame that this is viewed as trolling


http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/ahern-a-genuine-socialist-says-mccreevy-228947.html
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern is one of the few genuine socialists in the country, his former finance minister claimed today.

European Commissioner Charlie McCreevy said he believed the Taoiseach’s controversial assertion of his political beliefs.

“Well Bertie pronouncing himself as a socialist wasn’t a surprise to me because funny enough, I believe Bertie Ahern is one of the few socialists in Dáil Eireann, and would have said that many many years ago,” he said.

There was genuine amazement in political circles when Mr Ahern made the pronouncement in a newspaper interview last year. It was widely seen as an attempt to reposition Fianna Fáil as a party for working class people in the face of Sinn Féin’s growing popularity.

You seem to have ignored the low PAYE and PRSI and Capital Gains Tax rates, both big parts of their taxation policy and borrowed from the PD's, hardly left wing policies no matter how anybody defines left and right wing. Their policies were about as centrist as you could get.