Has Enda Kenny actually won this election indirectly

[Defeated Romanticist]

The problem for FG is the Mullingar accord, which gave them credibility last time will not be renewed. Labour will fight the next election as an independant party. Short of FG winning an extra 32 seats they have no future. There cruising for a fall

[Insider2007]

The problem for FG is the Mullingar accord, which gave them credibility last time will not be renewed. Labour will fight the next election as an independant party. Short of FG winning an extra 32 seats they have no future. There cruising for a fall

Is there anything as funny as a PD offering advice to anyone else about political strategy?

With such idiotic understanding of political tactics, should we have been surprised that your president, leader, deputy leader and three other TDs lost their seats?

[Mad as a hatter]

The problem for FG is the Mullingar accord, which gave them credibility last time will not be renewed. Labour will fight the next election as an independant party. Short of FG winning an extra 32 seats they have no future. There cruising for a fall

"Future" and the "PD's" are definitely two words that don't go together. So in 'future' if i were you, i wouldn't mention that awful word.

[Defeated Romanticist]

When you dance around the issue Insider and Mad as a Hatter you are giving my viewpoint on FGs future credibility. Go on prove me wrong if you can

[corkscribe]

its time Michael Noonan was brought on to the front bench as a spokesperson on justice or health. He needs to be given a meaty portfolio and we need a bit of muscle now in the frontbench.

Leader, Noonan will never be forgiven for how he treated the Hep C victims. It wasn't his fault.. he was badly advised, but it'll be a millstone round his neck for ever

[Apparatchik]

its time FG showed some hunger to win.

Hunger to win is what separated Ahern from Kenny, Cowen from Bruton, FF from FG

[President Bartlet]

Enda has exceeded expectations in this election bringing FG back from the brink of 2002 - so he may not be Taoiseach but he has won a morale victory

[scamallbeag]

So if FG bide their time there is no reason why a slightly better FG media campaign can't learn not to make the same mistakes etc so while it is disappointing for FG now with hindsight it might actually have been a blessing in disguise.

The FG media campaign wasn't all that bad, from what I saw of it, *this* time around. The spindoctors must have been furious (if not surprised that he finally cracked)!

The spindoctors were the problem! First there was the Garda Fallon smear - which FG couldn't stand up - resulting in the Sindo (which had been spoiling for a fight with FF) becoming Ahern's house journal. Kenny was spun within an inch of his life. He used the phrase 'joined-up thinking' nine times in the televised debate.

I agree that the problem was Enda Kenny's inability to spin as professionally as FF. This is what my post said, no?

As for the Garda Fallon fiasco, yes, that's true. Wasn't it one Enda Kenny who met Fallon with Higgins back in 2000? Put simply, FG did try to smear Bertie and everyone knows it. It's hard to spin out of that in the middle of an election -- and it will be next time around as well.

[Mad as a hatter]

When you dance around the issue Insider and Mad as a Hatter you are giving my viewpoint on FGs future credibility. Go on prove me wrong if you can

The issue is this. You put up a post saying FG has no future even though we're the second largest party in the state with 51 seats. And what make this all the more laughable is the fact that its coming from a PD supporter. Can you not see the irony in this.

[Defeated Romanticist]

FG have been the second largest party in this state since their foundation. They only ever got into power (ex FitzGerald period) when Labours hatred of FF was so intense as to drive them into FGs arms. There traditional vote of around 20% will remain intact in the short term but there floating vote will desert them when it becomes apparent that they have no possibility of getting into power in 5 years time producing a '02 style collapse in 2012. You still have yet to address the nubof the issue Mad as a hatter; What is FGs future after Mullingar?

PS. This is a discussion about FGs future not the PDs future. So lets try and keep the issue on FG.