FF playing very clever game

[Fr. Hank Tree]

Fair play, FFers, ye're playing a very clever game in this election.

Basically, FF are trying to fool the irish people into thinking that the oppostion parties especially FG are engaged in a dirty smear campaign against Bertie Ahern because they are afraid to talk about the real issues that affect peoples' lives.

I was listening to Noel Dempsey on Saturday View and he was practically accusing FG of orchestrating the current smear campaign against Bertie Ahern.
He kept saying he wants to talk about the issues but 'the opposition don't seem to want to for some reason' as if we were losing the argument on issues. Basically the FF party line is now that FG and the media are engaged in negative politics and running away from the issues in order to harm FF and Bertie's good name. Those FG ba$tards will do anything for power...

What's really ironic is that this media campaign and focus is actually generating sympathy for Bertie Ahern and distracting peoples attention from the issues, where the opposition was actually doing well on a week ago. And Noel Dempsey knows this all too well. He knows that the more the Bertie Ahern issue is brought up the better. He'll accuse the opposition of running away from the issues(when in fact it's in the opposition's interest to talk about the issues and to FF's detriment). The Pds leaving government will further serve to rally support for Bertie Ahern and FF.

The sbp poll confirms my fears as a FGer that the media are inadvertently sabotaging FG/Lab's election campaign. We want to talk about health and education but the media insist on choosing and pursuing their own agenda,thereby distracting voters, muddying the water, complicating things and generating support for Bertie...

The election is turning into a referendum on Bertie Ahern.

[CJH]

FG can't have it both ways. On one hand you're jumping up and down with excitement at all the innuendo. Then, when it doesn't have the desired effect, you're moaning that it's all a nasty ploy to divert attention from the opposition

The idea that FF is happy with all this is unrealistic, to say the least

[beardyboy]

It is up to you to set the agenda - a good general picks the battleground - that is why I admire the way that Kenny seems to be keeping this at arms length -there are 4 outcomes of this scandal in my mind

1 It does not affect the electorates intentions - which means that it was a waste of time and energy for all sides

2 It lowers FF ratings - which then allows FG to officially hammer the FF on it putting the boot in when FF is down

3 it raisies FF ratings (sympathy vote) in which case FG come out and condemn it as a media driven witch hunt and blames all negativity on the media

4 it provokes anti-politician response from the electorate ( a plaque on all your houses) - in which the response to 3 is followed and calls for more honesty and integrity in public life and lay siege to the moral high ground.

[CJH]

It is up to you to set the agenda - a good general picks the battleground - that is why I admire the way that Kenny seems to be keeping this at arms length -there are 4 outcomes of this scandal in my mind

1 It does not affect the electorates intentions - which means that it was a waste of time and energy for all sides

2 It lowers FF ratings - which then allows FG to officially hammer the FF on it putting the boot in when FF is down

3 it raisies FF ratings (sympathy vote) in which case FG come out and condemn it as a media driven witch hunt and blames all negativity on the media

4 it provokes anti-politician response from the electorate ( a plaque on all your houses) - in which the response to 3 is followed and calls for more honesty and integrity in public life and lay siege to the moral high ground.

Thanks for nailing your colours to the mast there

[beardyboy]

It is up to you to set the agenda - a good general picks the battleground - that is why I admire the way that Kenny seems to be keeping this at arms length -there are 4 outcomes of this scandal in my mind

1 It does not affect the electorates intentions - which means that it was a waste of time and energy for all sides

2 It lowers FF ratings - which then allows FG to officially hammer the FF on it putting the boot in when FF is down

3 it raisies FF ratings (sympathy vote) in which case FG come out and condemn it as a media driven witch hunt and blames all negativity on the media

4 it provokes anti-politician response from the electorate ( a plaque on all your houses) - in which the response to 3 is followed and calls for more honesty and integrity in public life and lay siege to the moral high ground.

Thanks for nailing your colours to the mast there

What colours are they?

[Fr. Hank Tree]

FG can't have it both ways. On one hand you're jumping up and down with excitement at all the innuendo. Then, when it doesn't have the desired effect, you're moaning that it's all a nasty ploy to divert attention from the opposition

The idea that FF is happy with all this is unrealistic, to say the least

My problem is that we don't want to have it both ways. We've an election plan carefully laid out. We don't want to talk about his finances, we wnt to talk about the stuff that gets us votes. There's no political gain to be had. But the media are going after something that the public don't give a crap about and are hostile towards and we're becoming embroiled in it.

FF are manipulating events legitimately to their advantage...

Stupid 'F'ing Meeja

[beardyboy]

Come on Hank - here is the line

Sorry we cannot speculate about matters which are subject to investigation - we - as a law and order party - would prefer that due process is applied - the real question that the electorate wants an answer to is blah blah blah.

What is so difficult about that?

[Fr. Hank Tree]

We can have whatever line we want, but that isn't going to stop the media talking about it. That's my problem. The waters are being muddy-eed(?). Before it was a clear-cut option between alternative coalitions on public services i.e. things people care about and on which FG and Lab were making inroads. Now it's about Bertie being hounded, whether or not he did such and such with his money..etc..

Frank Flannery yesterday expressed concern that this was a 'complicating factor' in people's choice of voting, eg. before
'i'm disgusted with the governments broken promises and their handling of the health-services, so i'm going to vote against them'
Whereas now it's
'i'm disgusted with this government, but as for Bertie Ahern, i'm going to vote to show my support for him against this unfair onslaught and invasion of privacy'

[Rocky]

Come on Hank - here is the line

Sorry we cannot speculate about matters which are subject to investigation - we - as a law and order party - would prefer that due process is applied - the real question that the electorate wants an answer to is blah blah blah.

What is so difficult about that?

That's basically what we are saying. Hopefully it will work. FF are trying to accuse us of starting the rumours, however I hope people are smart enough to actually read what Kenny and Rabbitt and everyone in FG and Labour are saying.

[beardyboy]

Come on Hank - here is the line

Sorry we cannot speculate about matters which are subject to investigation - we - as a law and order party - would prefer that due process is applied - the real question that the electorate wants an answer to is blah blah blah.

What is so difficult about that?

That's basically what we are saying. Hopefully it will work. FF are trying to accuse us of starting the rumours, however I hope people are smart enough to actually read what Kenny and Rabbitt and everyone in FG and Labour are saying.

So do I