FF/FG/Green Government - Part 3 - Threadbanned User List in OP

No blanch, ‘losing’ is about losing.

The jury is out on whether going in to government will be another decimating loss for FG. Signs are not good.

Perhaps you don't understand Irish politics. FG did not win the last GE. It did not win the 2016 GE and it did not win the 2011 GE. In each of those elections, it relied on other parties to make up a working majority for government.

Technically, FG lost in the 2020 GE. It lost in the 2016 GE. It lost in the 2011 GE. It lost in the 2007 GE. It lost in the 2002 GE. It lost in the 1997 GE. It lost in the 1992 GE. It did not win a majority to govern in any of those General Elections.

There is no guarantee that Varadkar will be elected taoiseach by FF and the Greens. His election as taoiseach is dependent on those votes. FF has its own problems and it may be about to replace Martin as leader. It has already held at least one meeting to discuss what happens next.

Regards...jmcc

I think that Martin is under a lot of pressure and it seems that the majority of FF is planning for a new leader. This IT poll has probably set the cat among the pigeons in FG and there may be a few articles floated in the media about how various FG politicians would like to be leader (much like Donohoe's run before Christmas and John Drennan promoting McEntee in the Irish Mail on Sunday). The problem for both parties is that there isn't much talent in either. With FF, it is either Jim O'Callaghan or Michael McGrath. With FG, it is either Paschal Donohoe or Simon Coveney. (Jennifer Carroll McNeil would be a better choice than either of them (but not Helen McEntee) but she's only a first term TD).

The Homelessness issue is a major problem for FFG and Martin in particular. Look at this clip from RTE with Sarah McInerney asking him about the subject:

She is a better journalist than Miriam O'Callaghan. Now, look at Martin's hands as he is trying to answer. Notice the rat-like clawing motions. He had these actions largely under control and used open handed gestures but once he is put under pressure, the old habits emerge. Sarah McInerney is probably one of RTE's best journalists and she did not let him off the hook.

Regards...jmcc

No matter how you want to propagandise it, FG lost. FG lost the last GE and was beaten into third place. It did not get a majority in 2016, 2011, 2007, 2002, 1997. FG did not win a majority of seats to govern.

To put it in simple terms for you: FG lost.

It may be upsetting for FG voters and supporters but that's reality. Of course, if you are not an FG supporter, it may not bother you.

Regards...jmcc

It was fantastic TV 😁

I'm trying to get my head around all these Housing commencements.

We never hear about when they'll be actually finished, just commencemrnts 🤔

We're hearing about all these Local Authorities renovatiing 1000"s of unused buildings, Where 🤔

Actual completed Social housing completions seem incredibly Low 🤔

There's certainly development going on in Dublin (Apartments, primarily for rental purposes) 🤔

We know there's a chronic shortage in skill trades 🤔

I've personally heard of Sites closing due to increased costs 🤔

I personally know projects were builders have walked away rather than loosing money (projects half finished), essentially cheaper to shut sites down. 🤔

I know a senior person in Building supplies and they are pulling their hair out with lack of supplies, almost weekly price increases, literally only able to give quotes valid of a matter of days and having to reduce credit terms. This not a woodies store, major player. 🤔

I'm no construction expert and know most of what the housing minister says is poppycock, but just at a basic level and looking at one sector I'm coming to a conclusion it's one big fairy tale combined with a lot of wishful thinking.

Heaven knows how much its costing government (US) to cover developers on public projects, extra costs, despite contracts in place and subsidising other developers to build all these apartments 🤔🤔

Now we've Mica rebuild and other promises 😳 who exactly is going to start sorting out the Mica buildings

Quite the conundrum, so to speak.

Personally at the time of Leo's victory in the FG leadership contest , I thought it was more about looking for a younger, fresh face , Slick on media, Trendy , hip so to speak type person to lead, move away from the Tired , stale leadership of the past . I cant recall how close the contest was between him and Coveney.

Leo's really not made much of a difference to FG fortune's apart from insuring they've diminished, that's a simple fact .

He quickly proved himself to be superficial, Arrogant, surprisingly extreme , Petulant, lacking in genuine empathy , Smug and more recently, viciously Petulant.

I believe a large cohort within FG were not entirely happy with his appointment, for various reason's. True he's been in charge a long time, true also, he's overseen a dramatic decline in FG fortune's and indeed reputation.

I'm quite happy for him to continue 😏

The objections are usually not without merit. There are plenty of places to build that wouldn't be objected to also, what is stopping them from building there? Or do they just have tunnel vision for maximising profits? They could build 6,000 homes tomorrow in many areas, yet they seem to be focusing on small land pockets that they already know will come with plenty of objections, until somebody somewhere finds a loophole or creates one and they get the green light for it to be objected to again.

It's not all one way. Developers don't just get to pick and choose where to build and then complain and moan when people unsurprisingly object.

FG only went into government in 2020 to stop SF getting in and Leo recently said he would go into government again if it meant stopping SF getting into power.

Most parties would be keen not to allow SF take power, it's not uniquely FG. Despite the inane mutterings of some FF TDs, there is no great fondness for them in that party either, nor in Labour. I doubt the SDs have them on their Christmas card list either.

As an aside, I genuinely don't get this vicious antipathy towards all party leaders. It's a representative democracy, not a presidential one and if people's voting intentions are driven by such vitriol they might want to review their concept of democracy. One can vote for what one considers a good local TD, even if the overall party line is not fully to your liking.