So Michael D IS running again!

jm08

VinLieger wrote: »

That is absolute nonsensical rambling.

Also your positions re freeman and the herbalife loan and o brien and the special olympic's donations are completely inconsistent.

Ah, so you have not heard of the controversy over the awarding of the mobile licence or the vast amount of money that was made and which was immediately transferred out of the country in case any tax would have to be paid on it? You might look up the Moriarty Tribunal as well while you are at it.

Rjd2

We have not had a poll since Sep 16th I think, surely we will have some soon?

Hurrache

jm08 wrote: »

Ah, so you have not heard of the controversy over the awarding of the mobile licence or the vast amount of money that was made and which was immediately transferred out of the country in case any tax would have to be paid on it? You might look up the Moriarty Tribunal as well while you are at it.

Aren't you missing the obvious point? There's an issue with the Special Olympics with O'Brien being a patron, putting money into the organisation, but no issue with a presidential candidate taking a loan from a person associated with a company that has been fined for it's practices?

James Brown

marieholmfan wrote: »

Not significant. Unless you believe that American lives don't matter.

One would think someone vying for the office of President of Ireland would put the Irish charities first? Maybe she's hedging her bets for a possible move to the US if/when she loses?

VinLieger

jm08 wrote: »

Ah, so you have not heard of the controversy over the awarding of the mobile licence or the vast amount of money that was made and which was immediately transferred out of the country in case any tax would have to be paid on it? You might look up the Moriarty Tribunal as well while you are at it.

And you might try reading the posts I was replying to?


The poster was being completely inconsistent in describing O briens donations to the special olympic's as not okay but Des Walshs loan to Freeman were grand and people making a big deal about nothing.

FrancieBrady

VinLieger wrote: »

I would consider dodgy to equate to questionable dealings, everything shes involved with is perfectly above board so yes merely disingenuous would be a better description imo.


Whether its correct to be disingenuous to that level especially in a presidential campaign is another issue but i still wouldn't describe it as dodgy.

You are trying to hoodwink the electorate by presenting yourself as something other than what you are.

That is dodgy in any candidate.

VinLieger

FrancieBrady wrote: »

You are trying to hoodwink the electorate by presenting yourself as something other than what you are.

That is dodgy in any candidate.

Agree to disagree.

Political figures are always going to try paint themselves in the best light possible so unless your suggesting every single politician could be labeled as dodgy as they have all undoubtedly engaged in similar behaviour to a certain extent to get where they are then there's not much point in further discussing the minutia of elections past imo

Sultan_of_Ping

I'll vote......but looking at the options, I'm strongly inclined to spoil my ballot.

To say Miggledy has been a disappointment would be an understatement, but he's still way, way ahead of anyone else in the field.

jm08

VinLieger wrote: »

And you might try reading the posts I was replying to?


The poster was being completely inconsistent in describing O briens donations to the special olympic's as not okay but Des Walshs loan to Freeman were grand and people making a big deal about nothing.

Personally I could handle the donations (may as well get something out of him). The bit not so great was that as Chairman of the Event Committee, he was getting plenty of excellent PR from the event. As far as I can remember, he even spoke at the Croke Park opening ceremony.

Edit: he did speak at the opening ceremony. Watch him on youtube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebOUAHY-4Kc

jm08

Matt Barrett wrote: »

One would think someone vying for the office of President of Ireland would put the Irish charities first? Maybe she's hedging her bets for a possible move to the US if/when she loses?

The New York Charity, Solace House is a counselling charity set up to offer support services to the Irish diaspora and was/is part funded by the Dept of Foreign Affairs. It was set up in 2015.

hotmail.com

The vote is just over 2 weeks away and it must be the least interested campaign since the Children's Referendum a few years ago.

I don't think the campaign has led the news bulletins at all!

James Brown

hotmail.com wrote: »

The vote is just over 2 weeks away and it must be the least interested campaign since the Children's Referendum a few years ago.

I don't think the campaign has led the news bulletins at all!

Casey will throw out a few clangers and Gallagher will hold his whist until he loses and throws his toys out of his pram. It'll be amusing.

FrancieBrady

hotmail.com wrote: »

The vote is just over 2 weeks away and it must be the least interested campaign since the Children's Referendum a few years ago.

I don't think the campaign has led the news bulletins at all!

Another main evening news bulletin without a mention.
It was reported thoughthat Emma Mhic Mhathúna's family passed the Aras as a thank you to the President and what he did for her, which will have impact I would imagine.
Otherwise the election is way below the radar/

VinLieger

jm08 wrote: »

Personally I could handle the donations (may as well get something out of him). The bit not so great was that as Chairman of the Event Committee, he was getting plenty of excellent PR from the event. As far as I can remember, he even spoke at the Croke Park opening ceremony.

Edit: he did speak at the opening ceremony. Watch him on youtube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebOUAHY-4Kc

I dont know what you are trying to argue for but i don't really care about o brien or the special olympics as it has nothing to do with this presidential campaign.



I was simply pointing out the hypocrisy of one poster complaining about a previous presidential nominees connection to o brien while at the same time having no issue with joan freemans loans from des walsh.

hotmail.com

FrancieBrady wrote:

Another main evening news bulletin without a mention. It was reported thoughthat Emma Mhic Mhathúna's family passed the Aras as a thank you to the President and what he did for her, which will have impact I would imagine. Otherwise the election is way below the radar/

Turnout is going to be low, very low.

Michael D winning with an extremely low turnout won't be considered an endorsement of his presidency. But perhaps he won't care about that.

Rhineshark

marieholmfan wrote: »

The arguments against Joan Freeman are so weak , disjointed and illogical that any attempt to address any point made will look like strawmanning because the person attempting to defend Ms Freeman is almost forced to construct arguments in order to rebut them ; because no one is making any arguments against her at all.

No, that you're not *responding* (in any relevent way bar making wild "if you don't agree with me you *insert daft allegation*" posts) doesn't mean that arguments aren't being made. It means you are not listening.

A bit like Trump's "nobody knew that X". Nah, that *he* didn't know X doesn't mean that nobody did.

Tangatagamadda Chaddabinga Bonga Bungo

If Sean Gallagher is ahead in any polls I'll despair for the country. I want to know how much he got paid by RTE, and by extension the Irish people from his talking about brown envelopes.

Michael D seems like the best of the lot (although I do worry about his age and health over the next 7 years). But I would take any of them over Fianna Fail bag man Gallagher.

Loafing Oaf

hotmail.com wrote: »

Turnout is going to be low, very low.

Michael D winning with an extremely low turnout won't be considered an endorsement of his presidency.

Or I suppose of the whole system of choosing our head of state by popular vote. But I guess it would have to be catastrophically low for serious questions to be asked about that.

Hurrache

Jesus Christ. Casey on morning Ireland would want to tender, starting at 1 billion, that all the social media companies will then compete, for a platform for all the Irish and their businesses to get in touch with each other through the world. And basically a ban on new hires in tech companies to keep the rent down in Dublin.

VinLieger

Hurrache wrote: »

Jesus Christ. Casey on morning Ireland would want to tender, starting at 1 billion, that all the social media companies will then compete, for a platform for all the Irish and their businesses to get in touch with each other through the world. And basically a ban on new hires in tech companies to keep the rent down in Dublin.

I need to listen to this, the man is not living in reality

Zubeneschamali

Tangatagamadda Chaddabinga Bonga Bungo wrote: »

I would take any of them over Fianna Fail bag man Gallagher.

That's why you vote 1-5 and leave just Gallagher off your ballot.

1. Higgins
2. Ní Riada
3. Freeman
4. z-list RTé celeb 1
5. z-list RTé celeb 2

[not shown in last place: Séan "Bagman" Gallagher]

Zubeneschamali

Hurrache wrote: »

Casey on morning Ireland would want to tender, starting at 1 billion, that all the social media companies will then compete, for a platform for all the Irish and their businesses to get in touch with each other through the world.

So like the Internet, but 40 years late?

ArmaniJeanss

Zubeneschamali wrote: »

That's why you vote 1-5 and leave just Gallagher off your ballot.

1. Higgins
2. Niada
3. Freeman
4. z-list RTeleb 1
5. z-list RTeleb 2

[not shown in last place: S "Bagman" Gallagher]

Voting down the list is kinda pointless if MDH is your number one.
His second preference will only come into play if he gets eliminated early enough for there to be 2 or more candidates left. That's surely impossible, his very worst abjectly terrible performance must be second place I'd have thought?

I usually vote #1 for the no-chance candidate I like, and then #2 for my real preference - but this time I'll probably just #1 MDH and leave the rest blank.

Zubeneschamali

ArmaniJeanss wrote: »

Voting down the list is kinda pointless if MDH is your number one.

this time I'll probably just #1 MDH and leave the rest blank.

When you come down to it, voting at all is usually kinda pointless - It is extremely unlikely that your individual vote will matter, so voting all the way down against the unlikely case where MDH is eliminated is the same kind of one in a million shot.

Sam Russell

Zubeneschamali wrote: »

When you come down to it, voting at all is usually kinda pointless - It is extremely unlikely that your individual vote will matter, so voting all the way down against the unlikely case where MDH is eliminated is the same kind of one in a million shot.

It is a civic duty to vote. Anyway, it is not whether your vote counts, it is whether your vote is counted. If it is, then it counts.

The last two referendums were carried by significant majorities that give the results huge validity. That is because people voted, even though the vote would have carried exactly the same without just the single vote that you may have cast.

marieholmfan

ArmaniJeanss wrote: »

Voting down the list is kinda pointless if MDH is your number one.
His second preference will only come into play if he gets eliminated early enough for there to be 2 or more candidates left. That's surely impossible, his very worst abjectly terrible performance must be second place I'd have thought?

I usually vote #1 for the no-chance candidate I like, and then #2 for my real preference - but this time I'll probably just #1 MDH and leave the rest blank.

How about
Freeman 1
MDH 2


The rest nowhere


I will be doing

MDH 1
Freeman 2

I like her but I think he will do a better job and I don't mind the idea of a 'do nothing' President. If our 85 year old President has reduced his schedule to 4 events in Galway and Dublin per week (Travellers education centre, Poets helping at risk youth, Traveller Poetry Project, reception at Cuban embassy)

that's fine by me.

I think the older the better for a President to be honest. I never want to hear about them again after they leave office. Robinson using the job as an audition for the UN was despicable and McAleese trying to wangle the son a job as an FF TD equally so.

Also Michael D will only get his pension for like 5 years max after he retires (unless he really is a leprecahun of course.)

hotmail.com

A do nothing president? Every president is a do nothing president in Ireland. I hadn't seen or heard from McAleese for years up until her last year when she received the Queen and Obama.

Michael D is the same. His age is almost irrelevant because the job is so ridiculously easy.

Casey in this for the laugh.

marieholmfan

hotmail.com wrote: »

A do nothing president? Every president is a do nothing president in Ireland.

Good! Anyway Michael D does loads.

Loafing Oaf

hotmail.com wrote: »

A do nothing president? Every president is a do nothing president in Ireland. I hadn't seen or heard from McAleese for years up until her last year when she received the Queen and Obama.

Michael D is the same. His age is almost irrelevant because the job is so ridiculously easy./QUOTE]

Does thinking like this not lead you and others to question why we have an election for the role at all? If any old eejit could do the job, why not have the government nominate some eminent person who we could be guaranteed would not embarrass the country?

marieholmfan

Loafing Oaf wrote: »

why not have the government nominate some eminent person who we could be guaranteed would not embarrass the country?

Like Michael D Higgins or Joan Freeman?