US experts hired to fight the 'dirtiest' election ever

[David Cochrane]

Fianna Fail and Fine Gael have employed top-flight American spin doctors with vast experience of 'negative advertising' to win the dogfight for power.

The emergence of 'hired guns' from overseas signals a new departure for Irish parties. The campaign is already set to be the most abrasive and bitter for decades with the main players planning to target each other with highly personalised campaigns.

The Irish Independent can reveal that some of the most feared strategists in America will enter the fray to advise the parties on how to emerge victorious from the bruising campaign. - Irish Independent

[jmcc]

The Irish Independent can reveal that some of the most feared strategists in America will enter the fray to advise the parties on how to emerge victorious from the bruising campaign.

I should imagine that they will be a bit out of their depth here in Ireland given the two and half channels available for TV advertising. And as for the kind of negative advertising they get up to, you'd hear far worse in a pub.

Regards...jmcc

[rockofcashel]

The Irish Independent can reveal that some of the most feared strategists in America will enter the fray to advise the parties on how to emerge victorious from the bruising campaign.

I should imagine that they will be a bit out of their depth here in Ireland given the two and half channels available for TV advertising. And as for the kind of negative advertising they get up to, you'd hear far worse in a pub.

Regards...jmcc

I know.. you can see it now ...

FF poster

"Kenny is an eejit"

FG retort

"Ahern is a bigger eejit"

[padraig]

If this is true it just shows how devoid of any real policies both parties have to offer the electorate.

[rover]

interesting to note that while fine gael have stan greenberg working for them (man behind bill clinton's second election).........poor old fianna fail have retained bob shrum - who has a reputation in america of being completely jinxed

astonishingly- he has managed the campaigns of EIGHT losing democratic presidential candidates - from george mcgovern ( ) all the way up to john kerry

here is a washington post article on him

Shrum is legendary in American politics. As a consultant, he helped to elect America's past four Republican presidents. Unfortunately, he did it while working for Democratic candidates.

"Shrum has worked on the campaigns of seven losing presidential candidates -- from George McGovern to Bob Kerrey -- capping his record with a leading role in the disaster that was the Gore campaign," writes Amy Sullivan in "Fire the Consultants," a wonderfully sardonic essay in Washington Monthly. "Yet, instead of abiding by the 'seven strikes and you're out' rule, Democrats have continued to pay top dollar for his services."

In fact, during the 2004 Democratic primary season, several candidates, impressed by Shrum's many victories in Senate races, battled to woo him to their campaign. John Kerry won that battle. He hired Shrum and . . . lost the election, Shrum's eighth consecutive presidential defeat.

"Although Shrum has never put anyone in the White House," Sullivan writes, "in the bizarro world of Democratic politics, he's seen as a kingmaker."

Don't cry for Shrum either. "After pocketing a $5 million paycheck following the election," Sullivan writes, "Shrum is back from a vacation in Tuscany and now advising Sen. Jon Corzine's (D-N.J.) gubernatorial race."

the jinx seemed to have the same impact here. shrum did the fianna fail stuff prior to and after the local election disasters. he apparently came up with the socialist conversion of bertie, the father sean healy display, and the "unity, community, prosperity" and "bowling alone" rhetoric of bertie in 2004 and 2005

all of which was a complete failure

[revereie]

I doubt that very much - Bertie is on record as saying social cohesion/capital is very important to him - years before he invited yer man over here tio speak (sorry; the professor's name escapes me).

[rover]

I doubt that very much - Bertie is on record as saying social cohesion/capital is very important to him - years before he invited yer man over here tio speak

bit of a pity his actions and policies werent in linw with his guff then isnt it???

everyone from charles haughey to ned o keeffe has said that he has presided over the most right wing uncaring government in the history of the state

[jmcc]

I know.. you can see it now ...

FF poster

"Kenny is an eejit"

FG retort

"Ahern is a bigger eejit"

It could be even worse given the culture clashes:
FG: Bertie is a Socialist.


Regards...jmcc

[Eddiepops]

God this is a terrible day for Iirish politics. From the work i've seen already from these dudes they have little understanding of the idiosyncracies of the Irish political system. Remember also that Irish parties will have to go into coalition with their opponents after the election and that a totally negative campaign will ruin relations within the next government, as well as further cheapening and lessening the level of political debate in the country. Still, they'll get a nice pay packet out of it so good for them eh!

[Ernesto]

God this is a terrible day for Iirish politics. From the work i've seen already from these dudes they have little understanding of the idiosyncracies of the Irish political system. Remember also that Irish parties will have to go into coalition with their opponents after the election and that a totally negative campaign will ruin relations within the next government, as well as further cheapening and lessening the level of political debate in the country. Still, they'll get a nice pay packet out of it so good for them eh!

It's more likely that it will be FG and FF attacking each other ... seen that FG/FF will need Labour/PD/Green to go into government