So Michael D IS running again!

Capt'n Midnight

Edgware wrote: »

Or do we need old man Higgins with his finger on the button?

Actually yes, the President of Ireland is Supreme Commander of the Irish Defence Forces.


But Under the Defence Act of 1954, military command is exercised by the Irish Government through the Minister for Defence who manages and controls the forces.

So no, the president doesn't get to press the button down.

VinLieger

Rhineshark wrote: »

At this point I don't see O'Doherty getting any nominations. What possessed her to make a conspiracy out of Veronica Guerin's murder a couple of days before going to her brother in his capacity as a Fingal councillor for a nomination?

I dunno with Gallagher, Duffy and Freeman all through there's still 28 other councils who might like to feel relevant by putting literally anyone forward.


I dont think Freeman has the right temperament for the ****show this campaign is inevitably going to devolve into and can see her making mistakes because of it out of frustration. On the other hand Duffy's arrogance will likely be his downfall. Gallagher has been burned once so its unlikely we will see much silliness from him until the debates where he will try to stand above everyone else and want to appear on Higgins level.

Beechwoodspark

Did anyone see Joan freeman on 9 news last night.

She said something like I got my nomination on world suicide prevention day so it’s a really happy coinicidence. Came across as a bit odd

Water John

Its a subject sh'e deeply immersed in. For her it may have had some karma feeling. Maybe the choice of words wasn't perfect. But to read anything into that would be nit picking. None of us know how words would come out, with a live mike in front of us.
I'm not sure where she'll be on my ballot, at present. But of the nominated and likely runners, I would scratch Duffy and likely the SF candidate, esp if it's Ni Riada.

eastwest

Water John wrote: »

Its a subject sh'e deeply immersed in. For her it may have had some karma feeling. Maybe the choice of words wasn't perfect. But to read anything into that would be nit picking. None of us know how words would come out, with a live mike in front of us.
I'm not sure where she'll be on my ballot, at present. But of the nominated and likely runners, I would scratch Duffy and likely the SF candidate, esp if it's Ni Riada.

I doubt if the army council will endorse ni Riada. My bet is o'caolain.

Edgware

Gemma is working on the Princess Diana killing. Reckons it was the Mexicans

marieholmfan

Edgware wrote: »

Gemma is working on the Princess Diana killing. Reckons it was the Mexicans

Gemma is a national treasure.

Zubeneschamali

Henryhill2 wrote: »

I've got a terrible foreboding that SG has a winning plan

I hope he at least has answers to a few questions:

When did you resign from Fianna Fail?


Seriously, when?


Are you a member right now?


Why did you lie about it last time?

Hotblack Desiato

Rhineshark wrote: »

What did she [Gemma] think was going to happen?

Like everything else she tweets about, thought doesn't enter into it.

Water John wrote: »

[Freeman]Maybe the choice of words wasn't perfect. But to read anything into that would be nit picking. None of us know how words would come out, with a live mike in front of us.

Isn't it rather important for a prospective head of state that they can have a microphone stuck under their nose at any time and say the right thing, not panic or cause a diplomatic embarrassment?

Zubeneschamali wrote: »

[Gallagher]I hope he at least has answers to a few questions:

"Why do you think the electorate will endorse a former* FF bagman who lied about it seven years ago?"


* I am assuming former!

Water John

I think SF might be pushing the O'Caolain line to show a pretence of some sort of internal democratic process and that Ni Riada will be the choice. O'Caolain TMK expressly said he had no interest in the job.

VinLieger

Water John wrote: »

I think SF might be pushing the O'Caolain line to show a pretence of some sort of internal democratic process and that Ni Riada will be the choice. O'Caolain TMK expressly said he had no interest in the job.

I dunno, they may be watching the antivax noise surrounding Gemma and having second thoughts on Ni Riada

Rhineshark

Out of the current batch, I'd go for Higgins with an outside chance (need more research) on Freeman.

I am not Catholic myself (regardless of what the Catholic Church may say about it), but I would not disclude someone merely on the basis of their having a set of religious beliefs, be they Catholic, Hindu or Muslim *as long as said religious beliefs do not affect their work*. She has made the right noises regarding that but I want to look more into her voting record (I know she voted against abortion.) I am not holding her family's connections against her though. As she rather reasonably pointed out, if her sister's work is to be held against her, surely by the same standards her daughter's work should stand for her. (Or they are all individuals and none if it is hugely relevent.)

Got a couple of so far relatively small red flags with Freeman but I also approve of some if been other work so still neutral on her.

O'Doherty appears to be a few ants short of a picnic and I'm not encouraging anti-vaxxers anyway, which also takes out Ni Riada. I just don't like the Dragons crowd. As John Oliver might say with heavy sarcasm "Cute."

pixelburp

Gallagher re-running at all is a strange decision: I'm guessing he either truly believes the taint on his 'brand' has passed, or is still sore after the ignominy of that 2011 TV debate, stubbornly out to prove a point.

Assuming RTÉ don't behave in a 'twice shy' fashion, and just pretend the question-marks over his FF past no longer exist, you'd have to imagine all the accusations will simply resurface, Gallagher spending his time once more defending his business links. And as mentioned, his public profile since then has been negligible.

No more than any other business-person who runs for office, it's hard to shake the suspicion this is merely an excuse to feather some nests, and make business trips on the public purse. It's all well and good decrying expensive Swiss hotel rooms, but you'd want to be severely naive not to foresee extreme nepotism and strokes pulled if anyone like Gallagher got to be president.

marieholmfan

He may be looking for another €130,000.

pixelburp wrote: »

Gallagher re-running at all is a strange decision: I'm guessing he either truly believes the taint on his 'brand' has passed, or is still sore after the ignominy of that 2011 TV debate, stubbornly out to prove a point.

Assuming RTÉ don't behave in a 'twice shy' fashion, and just pretend the question-marks over his FF past no longer exist, you'd have to imagine all the accusations will simply resurface, Gallagher spending his time once more defending his business links. And as mentioned, his public profile since then has been negligible.

No more than any other business-person who runs for office, it's hard to shake the suspicion this is merely an excuse to feather some nests, and make business trips on the public purse. It's all well and good decrying expensive Swiss hotel rooms, but you'd want to be severely naive not to foresee extreme nepotism and strokes pulled if anyone like Gallagher got to be president.

marieholmfan

Hotblack Desiato wrote: »

Like everything else she tweets about, thought doesn't enter into it.

* I am assuming former!

Apparently many of her more off the wall tweets were the result of hacking. It would be fairly easy for a state actor to crack her twitter password. For example by breaking into her home and installing a keylogger on her phone or computer.

VinLieger

Rhineshark wrote: »

I am not holding her family's connections against her though. As she rather reasonably pointed out, if her sister's work is to be held against her, surely by the same standards her daughter's work should stand for her. (Or they are all individuals and none if it is hugely relevent.)

Im more annoyed by her lying and trying to hide the connections than the connections themselves, there is no way on earth that Joan has never heard of Iona until the abortion referendum, they are publicly active in many national debates and as you point out her sister and cousin are active members. I simply think she should admit to having lied is all.

batgoat

marieholmfan wrote: »

Apparently many of her more off the wall tweets were the result of hacking. It would be fairly easy for a state actor to crack her twitter password. For example by breaking into her home and installing a keylogger on her phone or computer.

Eh, she has stated the Veronica Guerin stuff in public and the McCann stuff, hpv stuff etc are things she also stands by... So no state conspiracy...

VinLieger

marieholmfan wrote: »

Apparently many of her more off the wall tweets were the result of hacking. It would be fairly easy for a state actor to crack her twitter password. For example by breaking into her home and installing a keylogger on her phone or computer.

Your kidding me...... is she or her supporters actually pushing this as another conspiracy theory?

marieholmfan

batgoat wrote: »

Eh, she has stated the Veronica Guerin stuff in public and the McCann stuff, hpv stuff etc are things she also stands by... So no state conspiracy...

The Guerin stuff might well be true. Not familiar with any references to HPV (other than the probable hacking) and Gemma may well have had a falling out with Debbie McCann but I am not familiar with the details.

Does Kevin Sharkey have a nomination yet?

Hurrache

Soooo, hacking eh? If I was hacked I'm sure I'd notice at the time and delete any tweets that made me look like a headcase and tell people about it. Not double down on my madness.

marieholmfan

VinLieger wrote: »

Your kidding me...... is she or her supporters actually pushing this as another conspiracy theory?

What conspiracy theory? She has said she was hacked and should be given the benefit of the doubt. Could embedded forces in the Garda Siochana be trying to discredit her and if so why? At first glance one would think that the President would find serious investigative journalism impossible.

marieholmfan

Hurrache wrote: »

Soooo, hacking eh? If I was hacked I'm sure I'd notice at the time and delete any tweets that made me look like a headcase and tell people about it at the time.

She actually did tell people about albeit not immediately.

Loafing Oaf

pixelburp wrote: »

Gallagher re-running at all is a strange decision: I'm guessing he either truly believes the taint on his 'brand' has passed, or is still sore after the ignominy of that 2011 TV debate, stubbornly out to prove a point.

Well his emergence as the frontrunner last time round was so unlikely, I guess he'll be thinking why can't it happen again, especially as the only political heavyweight in the field this time will likely be the incumbent.

Hurrache

marieholmfan wrote: »

She actually did tell people about albeit not immediately.

And yet she double, nay trebled, down on it a couple of weeks ago during her speech about big pharma and the government in their pocket which is the reason why vaccines were being pushed into kids.

So what's the excuse there, mind control?

marieholmfan

Hurrache wrote: »

And yet she double, nay trebled, down on it a couple of weeks ago during her speech about big pharma and the government in their pocket which is the reason why vaccines were being pushed into kids.

So what's the excuse there, mind control?

Body double maybe? Hypnosis? Mind Hacking? Mass hysteria? At any rate we can all agree that she would be an excellent President.

VinLieger

marieholmfan wrote: »

What conspiracy theory? She has said she was hacked and should be given the benefit of the doubt. Could embedded forces in the Garda Siochana be trying to discredit her and if so why? At first glance one would think that the President would find serious investigative journalism impossible.

Where has she claimed she was hacked? The conspiracy theory that veronica guerin was murdered by the state, theres no evidence and gemma has refused to answer questions on it.

marieholmfan

VinLieger wrote: »

Where has she claimed she was hacked? The conspiracy theory that veronica guerin was murdered by the state, theres no evidence and gemma has refused to answer questions on it.

Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. OK Look this is unproductive; it seems to me and I may be unfair here and if so I apologise ; that you are determined to use Gemma's words against her and you are not willing to accept the possibility that she was hacked or deceived.

blackwhite

marieholmfan wrote: »

Apparently many of her more off the wall tweets were the result of hacking. It would be fairly easy for a state actor to crack her twitter password. For example by breaking into her home and installing a keylogger on her phone or computer.

Did the State manage to hack into Gemma personally, and force her to make her despicable defence of John Gilligan by claiming he wasn't resonsible for murderign Veronica Geurin?

Hurrache

VinLieger wrote: »

Where has she claimed she was hacked? The conspiracy theory that veronica guerin was murdered by the state, theres no evidence and gemma has refused to answer questions on it.

She actually raised it herself again after Jimmy Guerin spoke about it at Fingal,

https://twitter.com/gemmaod1/status/1039257190404644865

and yet unironically an hour later she posted this
https://twitter.com/gemmaod1/status/1039267269459812353

VinLieger

marieholmfan wrote: »

Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. OK Look this is unproductive; it seems to me and I may be unfair here and if so I apologise ; that you are determined to use Gemma's words against her and you are not willing to accept the possibility that she was hacked or deceived.

Where has she claimed she was hacked and that he tweets are the result of hacking as you suggested ? Where is the evidence supporting her claimd about Veronica guerin?