#GE16 - North Kildare

sadie06

Orion wrote: »

I think the right people were punished. Both government parties saw a huge drop in their vote and rightly so. As for Stagg - his arrogance is completely astounding and I'm delighted to see him go. My only regret is that it's O'Rourke that took his seat. Much as I'd not have liked to see two FG in again I'd still have rathered that than two FF.

I absolutely agree that this had to happen. I meant the wrong people within the labour party were punished. Joan should be gone (one of the greatest opposition politicians IMO) as should Alan (I love power) Kelly. I don't agree that Stagg is arrogant at all.

Orion

I've met him. I've also had dealings with him via letter and email. Arrogant is too small a word to describe him.

L1011

Orion wrote: »

I've met him. I've also had dealings with him via letter and email. Arrogant is too small a word to describe him.

I wouldn't agree with you at all either.

n97 mini

sadie06 wrote: »

(On a mean-spirited side note, Renua's implosion pleased me greatly).

Was hoping they'd get a few seats. We have soooo many left wing parties/candidates, all seemingly with magic money trees. Brendan Burgess made a comment earlier on AAM about Irish politics in general.

There is very little in policy differences between all the parties. They all want to take more people out of the tax net, maintain high taxes on the higher paid and continue to pay very high rates of social welfare.

Joe Public

Great to see Frank O'Rourke busy as usual with nearly all his posters taken down.

HonalD

Orion wrote: »

I've met him. I've also had dealings with him via letter and email. Arrogant is too small a word to describe him.

I have to agree with others. My experience is that he was both courteous and helpful. Certainly the closest to a Gentleman from the candidates north of the electoral area. IMO.

HonalD

With regard to the Social Democrats Party, given the national implosion of both FG & Labour, having only the 3 sitting TD's returned to date must feel like a missed opportunity?

The 3 seats were won comfortably but given the impressive positive reaction to their contribution to the leaders debates etc., and in fairness to them, a clearly set out manifesto, it looks like the voters didn't buy into them. I don't know why but what am I missing?

L1011

HonalD wrote: »

With regard to the Social Democrats Party, given the national implosion of both FG & Labour, having only the 3 sitting TD's returned to date must feel like a missed opportunity?

The 3 seats were won comfortably but given the impressive positive reaction to their contribution to the leaders debates etc., and in fairness to them, a clearly set out manifesto, it looks like the voters didn't buy into them. I don't know why but what am I missing?

Lack of time to build up their candidates will have been a factor. They had a few ex-Labour members who had run a few times before and had some profile but beyond that only the 3 had any major profile

If Labour don't get a 7th seat it'd be fairly obvious that they'll try (out of need) to do some SIPO-acceptable manouevre to get speaking rights as a 'party' rather than both join the Technical Group and have to arrange speaking time with PBP-AAA, Healey Raes, etc. This can be done without actually merging the parties but it would probably start down that road...

Would be in the SDs long term interests to refuse but definitely not in their short-term interests.

mightybashful

Joe Public wrote: »

Great to see Frank O'Rourke busy as usual with nearly all his posters taken down.

Must have wore himself out halfway through. Our village is still riddled with his face

Funny thing is all lawless ones are down. Don't they do any kind of teamwork

L1011

mightybashful wrote: »

Funny thing is all lawless ones are down. Don't they do any kind of teamwork

They don't get along at all.

Joe Public

mightybashful wrote: »

Must have wore himself out halfway through. Our village is still riddled with his face

Funny thing is all lawless ones are down. Don't they do any kind of teamwork

I'd guess that politicians usually have their own team for doing posters and possibly join forces if hitting a 2nd or subsequent election together under the same banner.

HonalD

L1011 wrote: »

They don't get along at all.

They're both smart so that could change. If it doesn't then their vote management will suffer in the next election. Nothing like a do or die situation to galvanise groups of people.

HonalD

L1011 wrote: »

Lack of time to build up their candidates will have been a factor. They had a few ex-Labour members who had run a few times before and had some profile but beyond that only the 3 had any major profile.

I'm not convinced that it was solely down to a lack of time. When did they launch? Was it last July?

Personally I think that despite their clear manifesto, the electorate didn't buy in. Perhaps more time is needed to win the hearts and minds but a golden opportunity has passed, for whatever reason, and unless there is a spectacular coalition which includes them, then their core no-tax cuts platform will not be realised.

Orion

HonalD wrote: »

They're both smart so that could change. If it doesn't then their vote management will suffer in the next election. Nothing like a do or die situation to galvanise groups of people.

I don't know that it will change. From speaking to numerous people in one of the camps there is no common ground whatsoever.

Orion

HonalD wrote: »

I have to agree with others. My experience is that he was both courteous and helpful. Certainly the closest to a Gentleman from the candidates north of the electoral area. IMO.

They are your experiences and that's fine. Mine differ greatly. I have found him to be the complete opposite. And from other people who have had dealings with him I know I'm not alone.

L1011

HonalD wrote: »

I'm not convinced that it was solely down to a lack of time. When did they launch? Was it last July?

Personally I think that despite their clear manifesto, the electorate didn't buy in. Perhaps more time is needed to win the hearts and minds but a golden opportunity has passed, for whatever reason, and unless there is a spectacular coalition which includes them, then their core no-tax cuts platform will not be realised.

It can take a full electoral cycle (GE->Local->GE) for candidates from established parties on the up to get known enough to get elected.

If they don't manage to keep momentum going though they're going to have the same fate as their nearly identical predecessor - Democratic Left.

granturismo

Orion wrote: »

They are your experiences and that's fine. Mine differ greatly. I have found him to be the complete opposite. And from other people who have had dealings with him I know I'm not alone.

Likewise, your experience differs from mine. He was very helpful over a number of years to a local group I was involved with in the 2000's.

daheff

The Mulk wrote: »

I'd prefer O'Rourke over Lawless, he seems a hard worker so I hope he gets in.

I wouldnt vote for O'rourke. He called to my door canvassing votes for the council last time out. I told him i'd never heard of him. He told me he'd been a councillor for the past 10 years and was working hard for the community. All of that is complete BS -he was co-opted to the council in between the 2014 and 2009 elections to fill a vacant seat.

Joe Public wrote: »

Great to see Frank O'Rourke busy as usual with nearly all his posters taken down.

busy sticking up 'Thank you for your vote' stickers on his posters


did see this which made me laugh
http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/photo-man-attempts-to-remove-clamp-from-van-used-to-promote-fianna-fail-election-candidate-frank-orourke-34198425.html

Joe Public

daheff wrote: »

I wouldnt vote for O'rourke. He called to my door canvassing votes for the council last time out. I told him i'd never heard of him. He told me he'd been a councillor for the past 10 years and was working hard for the community. All of that is complete BS -he was co-opted to the council in between the 2014 and 2009 elections to fill a vacant seat.

You'd be surprised how little some people know about the area they live in, I've come across people, living locally, who don't know the name of the river that runs through Celbridge. I'm not suggesting you are in this category but if people have no reason or interest to familiarise themselves with their own area and people then a lot of stuff can just pass like ships in the night.

L1011

I know the name of the river that runs through Celbridge... Think only non locals moving in wouldn't surely?

brian_t

So now that Stagg no longer has access to the tax funded Oireachtas stationary - does that mean that all his "friends and supporters" will no longer get a Christmas card from him.

Joe Public

L1011 wrote: »

I know the name of the river that runs through Celbridge... Think only non locals moving in wouldn't surely?

Non locals would be about 90% of the population of Celbridge

vektarman

Joe Public wrote: »

You'd be surprised how little some people know about the area they live in, I've come across people, living locally, who don't know the name of the river that runs through Celbridge.

The Toni.

milewidehead

Now that FF's "Brown Envelope Boys" are back in town, we'll all be grand. Sure what could possibly go wrong?.....

brian_t

milewidehead wrote: »

Now that FF's "Brown Envelope Boys" are back in town, we'll all be grand. Sure what could possibly go wrong?.....

Remind me what party Hugh McElvaney was a member of.

People who slag off others who voted for FF seem to forget that "Brown Envelope Boys" were members of Fine Gael and Labour too.

Joe Public

Posters (including the plastic cable ties) must be removed within 7 days of polling day. These requirements for election posters are set out under section 19 of the Litter Pollution Act 1997 and the Electoral (Amendment) (No. 2) Act 2009. - See more at: http://www.environ.ie/environment/waste/litter/election-posters#sthash.BWfFdcC2.dpuf


Lots of posters from most candidates are still up and many in ditches or on the road. A number of cable ties have been left behind where posters have already been taken down by candidates' teams.

L1011

Mostly Young and Merriman posters in Maynooth last night. Palmerston is covered in pretty much every party still.

Orion

I let both of them know yesterday on twitter. Merriman said they'd be down by tomorrow. Young didn't respond.

Orion

Orion wrote: »

I let both of them know yesterday on twitter. Merriman said they'd be down by tomorrow. Young didn't respond.

I take that back. The ones I told Young about yesterday are gone. One for Lawlor opposite the train station and Merriman everywhere. Green ones are gone too.

daheff

Joe Public wrote: »

You'd be surprised how little some people know about the area they live in, I've come across people, living locally, who don't know the name of the river that runs through Celbridge. I'm not suggesting you are in this category but if people have no reason or interest to familiarise themselves with their own area and people then a lot of stuff can just pass like ships in the night.

I agree with what you are saying...especially for commuter towns. but my point is that O'rourke outright lied to me telling me he'd been a councillor for the past 10 years, when that wasnt the case.

Orion wrote: »

I let both of them know yesterday on twitter. Merriman said they'd be down by tomorrow. Young didn't respond.

Young doesnt respond to emails either. I asked him a few questions about his financial policies and he failed to respond at all.

Say what you will about Stagg..at least he would respond to people, and failry promptly too.