Brian Cowen roars past Ahern in popularity ratings

[Mariella Froster]

From Irish Examiner

[sarak]

cowens satisfaction is as minister for finance not leader though - its fairly different question and not comparable.

[meriwether]

And why has his budget not delivered for FF?

Id say everyone is more popular than Ahern at the moment.

Question is.....what are the FF backbenchers going to do?

Ahern is now a liability. His excuses are simply not believed.
People can choose to ignore the allegations (its not important, we have an aconomy to run, it was a long time ago, not much money, etc etc etc) but next to nobody actually believes the allegations are false.

[Silvio Dante]

The longer Bertie stays in the job the better it is for Brian in these unsettling economic times. Brian will be a soid, dependable leader for at least a decade health permitting and all that. We're getting more ike North Korea every day...

[Anorakphobia]

FF in an awful spot.
I'd say they want to drop Ahern off a cliff but know they can't.
Their stance always has been that Ahern is untouchable until Mahon concludes its report. If they shaft him before this the grassroots will be livid at been seen to have barked to FG/Lab's tune.

This will leave FF in a quandary. They cannot take orders from the opposition and will therefore likely limp on with this comedy show of a leader.
Similarly, Cowen will be only too happy to sit tight for a few months at least and hopefully let the worst of the slowdown sink in before sinking the knife right between Bertie's shoulder blades.

Speaking of comedy, I might even buy the Sindo this weekend.
Should be a right laugh with wall to wall soft pieces on Ahern and Cowen meanwhile being blamed for everything from the property collapse to the Kennedy assassination.

[rockyracoon]

The title of the post could have just as easily been: Ahern plummets below Cowen in Satisfaction ratings. I wonder if Cowen is looking across the Irish Sea and monintoring his counterpart's less than stellar performance?

[Mariella Froster]

FF in an awful spot.
I'd say they want to drop Ahern off a cliff but know they can't.
Their stance always has been that Ahern is untouchable until Mahon concludes its report. If they shaft him before this the grassroots will be livid at been seen to have barked to FG/Lab's tune.

This will leave FF in a quandry. They cannot take orders from the opposition and will theerfore likely limp on with this comedy show of a leader.
Similarly, Cowen will be only too happy to sit tight for a few months at least and hopefully let the worst of the slowdown sink in before sinking teh knife right bewteen Bertie's shoulder blades.

Sorry to repeat myself but I posted the opinion yesterday that Ahern is behaving as if he had an inexhaustable supply of love and forgiveness from the faithful. He does not. Grassroots FF is like Ahern himself - opportunistic, cunning and grasping - they are already beginning to weary of him. I kind of feel sorry for Cowen in a way - its not his fault Ahern has made such a monumental plonker of himself. What's he supposed to do? Disguise his talents and act dumb so as not to seem like the more intelligent and capable person that he is? Dont get me wrong. I loathe Fianna Fail - they're a cancer on the arse of Irish politics. But objectively speaking, it's Ahern who is putting the knife between his own shoulder blades.

[Mariella Froster]

Letter in Irish Examiner

Bertie’s ‘vegetables’

ONE wouldn’t normally see any similarities between Bertie Ahern and Margaret Thatcher. But, insofar as members of his cabinet are devaluing themselves by condoning what amount to his lesser standards in public life, there is a point of comparison.

I refer to the celebrated Spitting Image characterisation of the former British prime minister’s own government colleagues: “The vegetables? They’ll have what I’m having!”

Oliver McGrane
32 Marley Ave
Rathfarnham
Dublin 16

[adrem]

FF in an awful spot.
I'd say they want to drop Ahern off a cliff but know they can't.
Their stance always has been that Ahern is untouchable until Mahon concludes its report. If they shaft him before this the grassroots will be livid at been seen to have barked to FG/Lab's tune.

This will leave FF in a quandry. They cannot take orders from the opposition and will theerfore likely limp on with this comedy show of a leader.
Similarly, Cowen will be only too happy to sit tight for a few months at least and hopefully let the worst of the slowdown sink in before sinking teh knife right bewteen Bertie's shoulder blades.

Sorry to repeat myself but I posted the opinion yesterday that Ahern is behaving as if he had an inexhaustable supply of love and forgiveness from the faithful. He does not. Grassroots FF is like Ahern himself - opportunistic, cunning and grasping - they are already beginning to weary of him. I kind of feel sorry for Cowen in a way - its not his fault Ahern has made such a monumental plonker of himself. What's he supposed to do? Disguise his talents and act dumb so as not to seem like the more intelligent and capable person that he is? Dont get me wrong. I loathe Fianna Fail - they're a cancer on the arse of Irish politics. But objectively speaking, it's Ahern who is putting the knife between his own shoulder blades.

It's your objectivity I particularly like !

[Silvio Dante]

Dont get me wrong. I loathe Fianna Fail - they're a cancer on the arse of Irish politics.

I'm constantly amazed to hear and read such venom towards FF(the natural Party of government) on a contnual basis from certain quarters. Don't get me wrong its fine by me if you opppose their policies and so on but why the bitter vitriolic language..?