Sinn Fein and how do they form a government dilemma

We were told this for months by some of the regular diehards on here. It seems that some of them have spent so long under British rule that they have become more British than the British themselves and thought that getting the highest percentage automatically led to a majority of seats. Worse, they didn't understand the PR-STV system and thought SF were shafted by it and that those elected on the fifth count were or less importance. It was bonkers stuff.

The real clever play after the next election will be for FF to do a C&S with SF. SF won't have enough TDs with a brain for form a Cabinet so there will be some inevitable huge f-ups in the first few months, allowing for a new election.

A lot of talk and noise comes from Mary Lou and Sinn Fein. Nothing behind it is the problem.

I'm sure she did call them "twiddle dum and twiddle dee" because that about the level of political debate you get from Sinn Fein. It plays to a certain voter, the same people who think Pearse Doherty is a great TD with his faux outrage act for the last 5 years on every topic.

Sinn Fein problems start when people start to review their policies. The "tax the rich" works on the people who like name calling but once you get past that you see the entire policies they have invented are a stack of card.

In the last election a lot of people never analyzed their policies, this time that won't happen and it will be their manifesto which will get the most attention. Based on recent document thats when it will start to fall apart, like only SInn Fein would release an alternative budget with mistakes in it. That's not even considering the 28% error they made on the "tax the rich" nonsense they came up with

They are 7 0r 8 points ahead of where they where in 2020.

Policies would seem to be holding up and attracting voters.

*I doubt those that place Doherty top of the candidate list in Donegal would agree with your assessment of him as a TD either. Didn't he poll enough to bring two in along with him. 'Certain' voters indeed.

If these 'rich backers' are backing SF without being aware of their very open and transparent views on these matters then it their own problems.

Is there a precedent for this...what 'rich backers' voiced their anger before when SF spoke out on American aggression and imperialism or on Israel?

If most people don't read policies, why would anyone's policies be important then? I actually want a political party that can change their policy if it becomes clear it is wrong or no longer suitable.

This is where your opinion is at variance with those who elect him with a massive majority. I'll stick with the opinion of 21,044 Donegal people over some random person who doesn't like SF in general TBH.

Well you don't like SF, that is clear and you want us to think your dislike of Doherty is rational.

I'll remind you that every single TD was 'elected' by people, 'certain' or otherwise.

You haven't explained why 'policies' are important if 'most people don't read them'.

What are SF's policies?

Since you dont think Manfesitos are worth anything, how do we know what they are going to do.

I see John Lee in the Pale and Male has an article about a bit of rumptions going on in SF. Even got a few quotes from a front bencher. Turns out even they felt the motion last week was a fiasco. Seems the lads up North are still able to dictate policy in the “Free State”.

Big Tent politics might prove challenging for SF.

All parties have spats and that wasn’t what I was suggesting as well you know.

Usually watertight from SF when it comes to party decisions, structures, who the power brokers are etc.

A senior member of the party giving a quote off the record to a hack from the Daily Mail expressing dissatisfaction with the leadership and the decision to call a vote of confidence in the MoJ must be a first. In fairness they’ve probably moved on from doing a Denis Donaldson on whoever it was if they were to find out.

Bullying claims, a few terrible opinion polls, struggling to keep the online army under control on Twitter, Mary Lou looking bored and uninterested. You wouldn’t have to be a party member to know something isn’t right at the moment.

You do know what off the record means? Not everyone is out to get the Shinners. They are now playing county hurling and are subject to the same criticism and scrutiny as other political parties. This is normal and the howls of unfairness and the abuse from the hardcore lads on Twitter is falling on deaf ears.

Thats the question nobody can answer.

Not sure if serious.

It's ironic that Sinn Féin essentially ended the civil war politics between Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, only for it to restart because Fine Gael and Sinn Féin hate each other... because of civil war politics!

Yeah they don't really hate each other, it's just the hardliners really.

Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael could merge, with possibly conservatives splits. On the other hand, Fianna Fáil could pivot to being more conservative and rural (not under Martin), which would set them apart from Fine Gael again. Either Fianna Fáil gets squeezed into a merger, or Fine Gael gets squeezed into being a minor party.

I think a lot of people have a fantasy of Sinn Féin getting into government, screwing everything up, losing most of their support, and then politics resets. But I think Sinn Féin is more likely to end up like the establishment parties, and one of the current parties will get pushed out. At the moment it is really hard to judge though, especially with the election likely over a year out.

SF has gone back to the tried and trusted issue of roaring about housing.

But the DM article by John Lee raises important points.

If we get an SF minister, will they have to go to the boys in West Belfast to get permission about this or that?

How ill Irish people feel that essentially non-EU foreigners are dictating policy?