Girl 26 looking to become a TD- WTF?

Grayson

dxhound2005 wrote: »

I don't think Ireland is the only country with political families. Without doing any research I can think of the Paisleys, Robinsons and Benns in the UK, the Kims in Korea and the Castros in Cuba. And now gone the Saddams in Iraq. And the Kennedy and Bush families in the USA. Once people have a democratic choice, which isn't the case everwhere, then I will not deride the people of Meath as being backward or question their reasoning power for the choice they have made.

As far as the McEntees go I don't think the word dynasty is appropriate. Shane McEntee was the first TD in the family and his daughter may well prove to be the last.

The family thing is irritating, but not as bad as the age for me. I can understand someone who grew up with a parent in politics being interested in it. But I'd expect them to have something on their CV besides their family name. If she was 10 or even 5 years older and had actually done something and held down a job for a while I'd have more respect.

Yitzhak Rabin

For those that are saying she was only elected on a sympathy vote, I don't think anyone has adequately explained why people voted broadly along the lines of the national opinion polls (i.e Majority in favour of centre-right politics, rejecting the hard left lunatic promises) ???

dxhound2005

Grayson wrote: »

The family thing is irritating, but not as bad as the age for me. I can understand someone who grew up with a parent in politics being interested in it. But I'd expect them to have something on their CV besides their family name. If she was 10 or even 5 years older and had actually done something and held down a job for a while I'd have more respect.

There were other older candidates so the electorate in Meath must not have been of the same opinion as you. Bear in mind that people can vote at 18.

As far as CV goes they only had what was in front of them to choose from. Who had a better CV in your opinion?

dxhound2005

mikom wrote: »

Ah, for fucks sake.

I have a dead horse out the back if you want to flog that as well.

A few more here.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_political_families

Grayson

Yitzhak Rabin wrote: »

For those that are saying she was only elected on a sympathy vote, I don't think anyone has adequately explained why people voted broadly along the lines of the national opinion polls (i.e Majority in favour of centre-right politics, rejecting the hard left lunatic promises) ???

I think it's naive to think that a small sample in meath would reflect the overall national trend in surveys. It's also failing to account for 60% of voters not voting. Whereas 100% of those responding to a survey would be considered voters. So they're different groups (i.e. people who vote are not the same demographic as people who are eligable to vote. It's like comparing the opions of people who say they are catholic Vs. People who attend mass (to steal from the ethnically catholic thread). The people who don't attent mass will probably have a less conservative outlook).

Others have mentioned that in some polls and interviews that sympathy was a factor. And if that's the case, it was a factor (without saying how much) which would indicate that the national polls were not accurate anyway.

dxhound2005

I haven't heard it mentioned but it is possible (no proof) that some ex Labour voters voted for her to keep out FF. The general view among commentators was that their man had no chance but it was very tight between FG and FF. So switching to FG would have the dual purpose of keeping FF out and returning a coalition TD.

Bob_Latchford

dxhound2005 wrote: »

A few more here.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_political_families

irish ones
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Families_in_the_Oireachtas

Henlars67

Grayson wrote: »

I think it's naive to think that a small sample in meath would reflect the overall national trend in surveys. It's also failing to account for 60% of voters not voting. Whereas 100% of those responding to a survey would be considered voters. So they're different groups (i.e. people who vote are not the same demographic as people who are eligable to vote. It's like comparing the opions of people who say they are catholic Vs. People who attend mass (to steal from the ethnically catholic thread). The people who don't attent mass will probably have a less conservative outlook).

Others have mentioned that in some polls and interviews that sympathy was a factor. And if that's the case, it was a factor (without saying how much) which would indicate that the national polls were not accurate anyway.

For a Red C poll, people are asked how likely they are to vote and the poll results are weighted accordingly.

I don't think she was the best candidate and I certainly wouldn't have voted for her, but fine gael put forward the candidate they felt had the best chance of winning and thy were right to do so.

The way some people are reacting you'd swear she was just handed the job, but she wasn't, the electorate chose her.

The fact that over 60% of people didn't vote, while disappointing doesn't tarnish her victory at all in my view.

Those people were obviously happy to allow the other 38% make their choice for them.

I really can't understand people who don't bother to vote, in the last GE I spent the day in a polling station, and saw one elderly woman who was actually in pain just from walking to the booth. Another man had signed himself out of hospital for a few hours to cast his vote.
A family arrived together to cast a vote before going to a funeral to bury another family member.

When one sees the effort that some people make to cast their vote it is quite sickening to see people who just don't bother out of laziness or apathy.

Bob_Latchford

Maybe the 60% didnt fancy any of the candidates and thought its same old same old, i cant blame them.

The way some people are reacting you'd swear she was just handed the job, but she wasn't, the electorate chose her.

For me thats the most backward thing about it, that voters actually voted for her and she won! You get the politicians you deserve.

dxhound2005

Bob_Latchford wrote: »

Maybe the 60% didnt fancy any of the candidates and thought its same old same old, i cant blame them.



For me thats the most backward thing about it, that voters actually voted for her and she won! You get the politicians you deserve.

Democracy in action. What other way would you have it?

Henlars67

If I didn't fancy any of the candidates in an election I would vote in such a way as to keep out the one I deemed worst of the lot, but I would still definitely vote.

expectationlost

ah shure the family has that missing wage packet now that will help their money toubles, that's what important

MadsL

pickarooney wrote: »

In fairness, if someone has emigrated it's a bit impractical for them them run for office in Ireland.

Ah, but think of the travel expenses.

Anyway, I see that after being elected the bold Helen is hard at work in the constituency office, catching up on her Dad's overdue pressing matters of State.

Oh wait...
Twitter 1h ago...

Helen McEntee ‏@HMcEntee 1h
Chill out time! Happy Easter everyone

https://twitter.com/HMcEntee/status/318000276206407680/photo/1

Fantastic how these young TDs work so tirelessly for the country :rolleyes:

Yitzhak Rabin

MadsL wrote: »

Ah, but think of the travel expenses.

Anyway, I see that after being elected the bold Helen is hard at work in the constituency office, catching up on her Dad's overdue pressing matters of State.

Oh wait...
Twitter 1h ago...

Helen McEntee ‏@HMcEntee 1h
Chill out time! Happy Easter everyone

https://twitter.com/HMcEntee/status/318000276206407680/photo/1

Fantastic how these young TDs work so tirelessly for the country :rolleyes:

Have a bit of cop on. She's just been through a hectic election campaign. Its a weekend and a national holiday.

Madam_X

She should be working 15 hours a day 365 days a year. Well ok, a half day Christmas day.

MadsL

Yitzhak Rabin wrote: »

Have a bit of cop on. She's just been through ka hectic election campaign. Its a weekend and a national holiday.

She's being paid 92k a year, probably no-one has tackled the pile of correspondence in the office since her Dad died and here she is in her first tweet post election Tweeting about Chilling out!

Ask TDs about holidays and they will be the first to whinge about not getting one as they work so hard. Yet here she is, rubbing our faces in the fact that she's off surfing. It is not me that would want to cop on.

repsol

There cannot be many other jobs that allow the children of the person holding the position to inherit it ,if they decide to top themselves. Apart from The Dail ( McEntee, Coveney etc) I think only the monarchy has such succession rights. It is pathetic cronyism.

Yitzhak Rabin

repsol wrote: »

There cannot be many other jobs that allow the children of the person holding the position to inherit it ,if they decide to top themselves. Apart from The Dail ( McEntee, Coveney etc) I think only the monarchy has such succession rights. It is pathetic cronyism.

Pretty sure the people of Meath voted for her there buddy.

Henlars67

MadsL wrote: »

She's being paid 92k a year, probably no-one has tackled the pile of correspondence in the office since her Dad died and here she is in her first tweet post election Tweeting about Chilling out!

Ask TDs about holidays and they will be the first to whinge about not getting one as they work so hard. Yet here she is, rubbing our faces in the fact that she's off surfing. It is not me that would want to cop on.

She's not rubbing anyones face in it.

Have you ever been involved in an election campaign?

I've been involved in numerous election campaigns and it is extremely tiring and really takes a lot out of you, and that's just being part of the campaign team.

For the candidates it's much worse, they don't get any time off during the campaign and have media appointments etc to take part in as well.

All of the candidates are entitled to chill out for a couple of days now and relax.

I'd be the first to criticise any government TD when the opportunity presents, however to criticise her for 'chilling out' after the election is absolutely ridiculous

Artful_Badger

Yitzhak Rabin wrote: »

For those that are saying she was only elected on a sympathy vote, I don't think anyone has adequately explained why people voted broadly along the lines of the national opinion polls (i.e Majority in favour of centre-right politics, rejecting the hard left lunatic promises) ???

I addressed this in your thread where you were were trying to claim a chicken would be elected if they ran for FG because people only vote based on party policies.

You ignored that though as I'm sure you'll ignore everything in here and keep on calling left wing politics mental while talking nothing but shíte yourself.

handlemaster

never liked this way of family politics. The sympathy vote.

suicide_circus

MadsL wrote: »

in her first tweet post election Tweeting about Chilling out!.

Ah fair play to ya Helen! Have an auld chillax there. I wont join you however because i have to work my ****ing arse off over the long weekend. You see, i have to break my bollix for a fraction of your well deserved 92k in order to get raped with taxes so you can get your hard earned 92k! But sure you wouldnt know that having never had to struggle and pay your own way.

MadsL

Henlars67 wrote: »

She's not rubbing anyones face in it.

Tweeting pics of you off enjoying yourself is what 26 year old women do. First PR mishap for her and she hasn't even set foot in the Dáil yet.

Have you ever been involved in an election campaign? I've been involved in numerous election campaigns and it is extremely tiring and really takes a lot out of you, and that's just being part of the campaign team. For the candidates it's much worse, they don't get any time off during the campaign and have media appointments etc to take part in as well.

No, I haven't. Sounds awful, and to think that they do all of that to take a miserable wage and pension. Oh wait.

I have on the other hand been involved with the volunteer side of the planning process, taking time off work and working long into the night to write formal legal documents and examine documents submitted to ABP. No-one I worked alongside ever got a wage or a pension.

All of the candidates are entitled to chill out for a couple of days now and relax.

Are they. So funny how before the election, when asked, they all talk about how they can't wait to be getting stuck into the job.

I'd be the first to criticise any government TD when the opportunity presents, however to criticise her for 'chilling out' after the election is absolutely ridiculous

Is it? I wasn't aware politicians were entitled to Sundays off. How enlightening.

Yitzhak Rabin

Lots of bitter angry and frankly ridiculous opinions just posted there.

Getting the impression that they're a tad disappointed their own candidate didn't fare so well.

Artful_Badger

Yitzhak Rabin wrote: »

Lots of bitter angry and frankly ridiculous opinions just posted there.

Getting the impression that they're a tad disappointed their own candidate didn't fare so well.

Your tolling is getting more and more obvious.

MadsL

Yitzhak Rabin wrote: »

Lots of bitter angry and frankly ridiculous opinions just posted there.

Getting the impression that they're a tad disappointed their own candidate didn't fare so well.

Not at all. I understand that TDs take holidays, just very few of them tweet to say how chillaxed they are. Especially galling is the sycophants who pat them on the back to say how much they have deserved it.

Exhausted after the campaign - You walked about and talked to people ffs, not like you did a week down a coalmine. Now get stuck in and do some actual work. I thought the point of electing young wans was their drive and enthusiasm? I guess not.

Grayson

Henlars67 wrote: »

For a Red C poll, people are asked how likely they are to vote and the poll results are weighted accordingly.

That was my point. it doesn't take into account that 60% of them won't vote.

Henlars67 wrote: »

The way some people are reacting you'd swear she was just handed the job, but she wasn't, the electorate chose her.

After FG selected her based on her dad. And even then feck all people actually voted.

Henlars67 wrote: »

Those people were obviously happy to allow the other 38% make their choice for them.

What makes you think that? Seriously, how can you actually say that. It's not be because they looked at the list of candidates and thought none of them were worth the effort? Surely the fact that she got 9,356 first-preference votes, ending up with a total of 11,473 out of an electorate of over 60k shows how few people were actually motivated to vote for her.

Satts

I for one was very impressed with how she handled the election count and victory speech.

No harm at all to have some more youth and women in the Dáil.

Yitzhak Rabin

Artful_Badger wrote: »

Your tolling is getting more and more obvious.

Quite the opposite I would have thought. Are people genuinely expecting someone to be elected one day, and immediately get cracking into work on an Easter weekend. Its ridiculous. She's entitled to time off, just like anyone else. It strikes me as trolling and anti-govt for the sake of it bias tbh.

MadsL wrote: »

Not at all. I understand that TDs take holidays, just very few of them tweet to say how chillaxed they are. Especially galling is the sycophants who pat them on the back to say how much they have deserved it.

Exhausted after the campaign - You walked about and talked to people ffs, not like you did a week down a coalmine. Now get stuck in and do some actual work. I thought the point of electing young wans was their drive and enthusiasm? I guess not.

You clearly have no idea what an election campaign is like if you think its strolling around chatting to people.

What are you expecting her to do, its not like Leinster house is going to be a hive of activity today.

MadsL

Yitzhak Rabin wrote: »

You clearly have no idea what an election campaign is like if you think its strolling around chatting to people.

'Tis terrible, Joe. 26 years old Joe, me poor auld legs.

What are you expecting her to do, its not like Leinster house is going to be a hive of activity today.

And yet her party chairman managed to get a meeting with Residents of a Ghost Estate with a view to rethinking their LPT.

Charlie Flanagan ‏@CharlieFlanagan 4h
Meeting with residents of Rockview Green Portlaoise's most haunted ghost estate. Wrong to seek property tax here Rethink needed urgently..

https://twitter.com/CharlieFlanagan