Leo is the new king of Ireland.

charlie14

Good loser wrote: »

Deleted post.

Looks like you missed the mod ruling re banks in relation to this thread.

ancapailldorcha

charlie14 wrote: »

Looks like you missed the mod ruling re banks in relation to this thread.

Mod: Post deleted. Please use the report function in future. Thanks.

charlie14

ancapailldorcha wrote: »

Mod: Post deleted. Please use the report function in future. Thanks.

I really do not do reports on anyone.

I felt the poster missed your instructions, and felt in the spirit of no harm no foul just to mention it to the poster.

FrancieBrady

Leo has had to order a review of his Strategic Communications Unit to assess if it has abused the spending of tax payers money. A bit embarrassing, I bet he was glad of the snow this week.

https://www.rte.ie/news/politics/2018/0302/944598-government-strategic-comms-unit/

Idbatterim

FrancieBrady wrote: »

Leo has had to order a review of his Strategic Communications Unit to assess if it has abused the spending of tax payers money. A bit embarrassing, I bet he was glad of the snow this week.

https://www.rte.ie/news/politics/2018/0302/944598-government-strategic-comms-unit/

An abuse of tax payers money? What do they call the annual billion euro vote grabber every year in that case?!

charlie14

FrancieBrady wrote: »

Leo has had to order a review of his Strategic Communications Unit to assess if it has abused the spending of tax payers money. A bit embarrassing, I bet he was glad of the snow this week.

https://www.rte.ie/news/politics/2018/0302/944598-government-strategic-comms-unit/

I have had a feeling that there was more spin that substance where Varadkar was concerned, and the establishment of that Strategic Communications Unit did not lessen that feeling.
From media coverage over the weekend it appears to be a pretty murky operation that crossed the lines between party politics and the civil service.

McMurphy

I see Sinn Fein and Fianna Fail are both calling for Leo's propaganda dept to be scrapped.

Sinn F plans to table a motion in the D calling for the government's Strategic Communications Unit (SCU) to be disbanded.

The party says it is just a PR unit promoting the Taoiseach and Fine Gael, at the taxpayers expense:p

M.M claimed the propaganda unit was a danger to democracy.

The SCU has come under scrutiny in the last week for allegedly instructing newspapers to make ads look like real news.

The government denies the allegations.

Wasn't their posters on here screaming "fake news" about the spin machine on here?

https://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/sinn-fein-and-fianna-fail-call-for-communications-unit-to-be-disbanded-830919.html

Johnny Dogs

Johnny Dogs wrote: »

I see Sinn Fein and Fianna Fail are both calling for Leo's propaganda dept to be scrapped.

M.M claimed the propaganda unit was a danger to democracy.

Wasn't their posters on here screaming "fake news" about the spin machine on here?

https://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/sinn-fein-and-fianna-fail-call-for-communications-unit-to-be-disbanded-830919.html

It’s great to see politicians have their priorities right after the worst weather for years. Not to mention the housing crisis.

James Brown

[Deleted User] wrote: »

It’s great to see politicians have their priorities right after the worst weather for years. Not to mention the housing crisis.

It's about waste of money and our money being used to promote FG.
You are correct if course, it would/could be better spent elsewhere.

McMurphy

Deleted User wrote: »

It’s great to see politicians have their priorities right after the worst weather for years. Not to mention the housing crisis.

Sounds like something Leo would come out with...

Actually.... he did.

FrancieBrady

Johnny Dogs wrote: »

I see Sinn Fein and Fianna Fail are both calling for Leo's propaganda dept to be scrapped.






M.M claimed the propaganda unit was a danger to democracy.



Wasn't their posters on here screaming "fake news" about the spin machine on here?

https://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/sinn-fein-and-fianna-fail-call-for-communications-unit-to-be-disbanded-830919.html

The shine is coming off Leo's brave new world fairly quickly. You can bet your cotton socks (or his) that there isn't much of substance behind the spin, PR and image making.

charlie14

Johnny Dogs wrote: »

Sounds like something Leo would come out with...

Actually.... he did.

Got a hell of a fright there one night during the bit of snow when I walked in to see Varadkar on the telly flanked by a Garda and a soldier in fatigues.
From the look of it I thought he had either declared martial law or rationing.

James Brown

FrancieBrady wrote: »

The shine is coming off Leo's brave new world fairly quickly. You can bet your cotton socks (or his) that there isn't much of substance behind the spin, PR and image making.

To be fair after Kenny the faithful probably insisted on scripted PR spin.
Varadkar must be a big disappointment. Aside from his personal style of off script 'let them eat cake' gaffes they could have rolled in any FG caretaker. In fact true to form they could have parachuted in the party HQ caretaker ala the driver on the IW board

Phoebas

Johnny Dogs wrote: »

I see Sinn Fein and Fianna Fail are both calling for Leo's propaganda dept to be scrapped.






M.M claimed the propaganda unit was a danger to democracy.



Wasn't their posters on here screaming "fake news" about the spin machine on here?

https://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/sinn-fein-and-fianna-fail-call-for-communications-unit-to-be-disbanded-830919.html

Calling it the 'spin machine' and the 'propaganda unit' is itself spin and propaganda.

McMurphy

Phoebas wrote: »

Calling it the 'spin machine' and the 'propaganda unit' is itself spin and propaganda.

I guess you better fire off a strongly worded email to various media outlets that are using these words to describe the scu so.


Taoiseach’s ‘Department of Spin’ will cost €5 million in 2018

The Government has maintained its Strategic Communications Unit - dubbed as its “spin department” - will be cost neutral despite the Budget 2018 documents showing it will cost €5 million to run next year.

Opposition parties on Tuesday highlighted the conflict between the document and earlier statements by the Taoiseach on the subject. They say the unit is a “spin machine” for Mr Varadkar and Fine Gael that will be used to promote political propaganda.

And when you're finished there, line up all the party's in opposition who are doing likewise.

Myself? When I read lines such as

The review follows criticism over the way advertisements were placed in newspapers for Project Ireland 2040, with instructions from a subcontracted company that advertorials had to look like normal stories. There have also been concerns about Fine Gael politicians who featured in the State-paid ads.

Propaganda sounds like an apt description (paid for by your taxes and mine)

Edward M

Matt Barrett wrote: »

To be fair after Kenny the faithful probably insisted on scripted PR spin.
Varadkar must be a big disappointment. Aside from his personal style of off script 'let them eat cake' gaffes they could have rolled in any FG caretaker. In fact true to form they could have parachuted in the party HQ caretaker ala the driver on the IW board

Varadkar a disappointment?
He is a disappointment to many, but the figures he is getting in polls belies any point being made about this disappointment, is their not spin in talking of his disappointment while he is showing unrivalled popularity?

blanch152

FrancieBrady wrote: »

The shine is coming off Leo's brave new world fairly quickly. You can bet your cotton socks (or his) that there isn't much of substance behind the spin, PR and image making.

Matt Barrett wrote: »

To be fair after Kenny the faithful probably insisted on scripted PR spin.
Varadkar must be a big disappointment. Aside from his personal style of off script 'let them eat cake' gaffes they could have rolled in any FG caretaker. In fact true to form they could have parachuted in the party HQ caretaker ala the driver on the IW board

Shine coming off? Varadkar a big disappointment?

Yet they are up in the opinion polls and Varadkar is the most popular leader?

Something doesn't add up. I think your opinions are fanciful and wishful thinking rather than based on any reality.

Zubeneschamali

Edward M wrote: »

Varadkar a disappointment?
He is a disappointment to many

Mainly to supporters of FF, SF etc.

charlie14

Zubeneschamali wrote: »

Mainly to supporters of FF, SF etc.

Quite a few of his own TD`s and ministers as well according to media reports.
Even prior to the latest revelation on this SCU there were rumblings of FG TD`s not being happy with it.

charlie14

blanch152 wrote: »

Shine coming off? Varadkar a big disappointment?

Yet they are up in the opinion polls and Varadkar is the most popular leader?

Something doesn't add up. I think your opinions are fanciful and wishful thinking rather than based on any reality.

As I have pointed out before, when it has come to poll they have been shown to be as much to do with fanciful and wishful thinking than reality when compared to actual election results.

FrancieBrady

blanch152 wrote: »

Shine coming off? Varadkar a big disappointment?

Yet they are up in the opinion polls and Varadkar is the most popular leader?

Something doesn't add up. I think your opinions are fanciful and wishful thinking rather than based on any reality.

Polls are fickle things, unless of course they underscore what you support.

James Brown

Edward M wrote: »

Varadkar a disappointment?
He is a disappointment to many, but the figures he is getting in polls belies any point being made about this disappointment, is their not spin in talking of his disappointment while he is showing unrivalled popularity?

Show me what he has done, this new and shiny young firebrand? He's stayed the course and if he's up in the polls, arrogance waste and crises aside, that's all that matters right?

If anyone but Leo spent half as much public money on biased PR they'd be calls for stepping down.
Morals and ideology traded for points in a poll. Go team!

Edward M

Matt Barrett wrote: »

Show me what he has done, this new and shiny young firebrand? He's stayed the course and if he's up in the polls, arrogance waste and crises aside, that's all that matters right?

If anyone but Leo spent half as much public money on biased PR they'd be calls for stepping down.
Morals and ideology traded for points in a poll. Go team!

He is ahead in the polls by a mile, i m as perplexed as you matt, what are the others doing so wrong that this good for nothing is doing so well?

Idbatterim

Edward M wrote: »

He is ahead in the polls by a mile, i m as perplexed as you matt, what are the others doing so wrong that this good for nothing is doing so well?

the others are total and utter jokes. Speaks volumes about most of the clowns that go into politics!

FrancieBrady

Idbatterim wrote: »

the others are total and utter jokes. Speaks volumes about most of the clowns that go into politics!

He shiny and new. And he is spending your money and mine telling people that he is.

New things tarnish given time.

James Brown

The man has little to offer. He was and is little more than a mouth piece when it comes to issues regarding broader society.
On the usual cronyism and failed policy he stays the course followed by Kenny. Help certain parties dodge tax legally and put private business above the public.

The tax payer money squandered on bias spin is Leo's Bertie bowl/vanity project except the tax payer gets nothing but well crafted party PR.
Of course people happy their team is in have no problem with such waste.

Perceived best of a perceived bad bunch. Great legacy. Could have made history and 'change(d) the way we do business' but no..

Topgear on Dave

Hes been a lucky boy so far. Hes got a bit too much slick PR stuff alright, its all a bit too Bertie Ahern-ish for me but the poll results really show how the opposition are hopeless.

FFS after the last election TDs were climbing across each other to stay in opposition. Many have no interest in going into government and doing "hard stuff".

Its all about building their personal brand or their party, keeping their political careers going and holding the seat.

Zubeneschamali

The shine has gone off him, we all see through the spin, he's useless.

[Why is he popular in the polls, so?]

It's just a temporary shine because he's new, we will all see through him in time, he looks good but will be proven useless.

[So, the exact opposite of what you said a minute ago?]

Yes.

FreudianSlippers

Matt Barrett wrote: »

Help certain parties dodge tax legally and put private business above the public.

... isn't closing the Double Irish tax loophole literally the first thing that Varadkar's Government did after he became Taoiseach?



(rhetorical question; the answer is yes)

blanch152

Zubeneschamali wrote: »

The shine has gone off him, we all see through the spin, he's useless.

[Why is he popular in the polls, so?]

It's just a temporary shine because he's new, we will all see through him in time, he looks good but will be proven useless.

[So, the exact opposite of what you said a minute ago?]

Yes.

Well spotted. The story does change all the time:

FrancieBrady wrote: »

The shine is coming off Leo's brave new world fairly quickly. You can bet your cotton socks (or his) that there isn't much of substance behind the spin, PR and image making.

FrancieBrady wrote: »

He shiny and new. And he is spending your money and mine telling people that he is.

New things tarnish given time.

There is a certain whiff of desperation to attempts to put down Leo.

There are a lot of politicians without any substance both now and in the past - Bertie Ahern, Shane Ross, Mary-Lou McDonald, Simon Harris, Tim Dooley, Pearse Doherty, to name just a few - and for many of them, the shine never came off or has lasted a long, long time. Some of them still have a chance to do something substantive, but Leo appears to have a lot more and done a lot more than most of them. However, he still has a long way to go to fill the shoes of Bertie.