Tales from the Canvass

[QuizMaster]

...Don't get carried away guys.

Yeah well like I say, I expect us to lose some votes and seats We can only do our best.
I know all the criticisms, I've heard them 100 times before and there is nothing new in this thread. On balance, walking away would be worse thatn staying put. Everything about Irish politics comes down to a lose-lose equation these days. For everyone.

I'll be out tonight (maybe) and will report back.

[wysiwyg]

In fairness, I don't believe that the Greens are responsible. Most of the damage was done before they were in government.

My beef with the Greens is that they are propping up the most useless, corrupt, cronyist pack of chancers that has ever run this country (and by God, there has been some competition in the past).

That and their failure to defend their own core principles in government.

If the Greens was to stay away from blame for this mess, then the simply need to stay away from a television camera.

The PD's biggest downfall was Mc Dowell's inability to shut up and his ego the size of Everest, where he simply had to open his trap on the television to tell us all how really really smart he was, and how us ignorants should listen to him because he knew what was best for us.

He ended up defending every single bad news story, while some smart FF minister was on the telly every time there was a good news story (remember them???)

Hence, the PD's got blamed for bad news, while FF took credit for good news.. and the PD's got wiped out

Every time there is bad news from the Government, Gormley and Ryan should simply tell Cowen to send out Willie, or Noel, or Martin, or Dev Og... and take the blame for their own mess.

[grassroots]

I have been all over Ireland East at this point, pop. 720,000. This would be the reaction I have been getting. Senior citizens the most striking in their hostility.
No matter what FF say people are blaming them for the mess. Evidence for this exists in the relative absence of malice towards the Greens. It is becuase at some subliminal level they are not held responsible. However, the contagion effect may come into play at any point, particularly if their TD's are fronting the Governments defence in the media. This may not happen before June but again we are in a highly volatile situation. It is also possible that voters will return to FF to a degree. I always ask myself " what about the people who are silent!" Don't get carried away guys.

Was it Oscar Wilde that said the only thing worse than being insulted is being ignored. FF are getting in the neck because people know they are in charge of the Organ. The Greens are not getting it in the neck because people know who the monkey is. In the end people never vote for the monkey.

[QuizMaster]

Was it Oscar Wilde that said the only thing worse than being insulted is being ignored. FF are getting in the neck because people know they are in charge of the Organ. The Greens are not getting it in the neck because people know who the monkey is. In the end people never vote for the monkey.

And this is why we're going up in the opinion polls?
Yes I see. Very interesting. The monkey, the organ, of course. *strokes chin*. This politics mullarkey is more complicated than I first thought. Pray treat us to some more of your gems of wisdom.

[greengoddess]

It is the silent ones that FF are very afraid of Nessa. As someone who's canvassed in one form or another over half my life, you get used to a certain level of lets call it abuse on a doorstep, from blind partisan abuse, to a curse on all your houses abuse. It took me a while to understand the long in the tooth FFers who advised me never to worry about these people... they were never going to vote for you, or never going to vote for anyone. FF always relied on there 30% "silent core vote", who smiled at everyone on the doorstep, wished everyone well, and then voted FF as they had always done, along with the generation before them

But FF canvassers and candidates are admitting that it is different this time. Where before they could go into a large housing estate, and pick up 30-40% of the vote, they are being told no by their "core", and having to deal with the abuse from the rest. Canvassers simply aren't willing to put up with it, leaving candidates merciless, and in many cases, on the point of simply walking away.

This also happened up to 3 weeks before the General Election in 2007, but Brian Cowens tour de force on the economy turned the whole election around at the very end. Also Enda's inability to land a telling blow on Bertie in the debate didn't help.

But there is no rabbit to be pulled from the hat this time. Cowen can't claim that FF are the only party who can mind the economy, for obvious reasons. There is no leaders debate to show up the Opposition.

Frankly, from canvasssing myself, the most obvious response I am getting from what I personally knew were rock solid FF supporters, is a sense of tiredness. That FF are just there too long, and have lost their own people. They want to get rid a lot of the faces that haev been quota squatting for decades, and replace them with new blood. They have resigned to do this, by turfing FF councillors out this time (and will in any GE in the next few years), to give FF an opportunity to re-invigorate itself, and will then go back to the "real FF party"

This spells a lot of trouble for FF candidates in June, local and European.

Based on that response by the way, may I wish you the best in your own election. I predict that you will win a seat. And well done to you.

Though it is just a pity that one of your first jobs as MEP will be to try to push through "Lisbon 2" against the wishes of the people as already expressed in referendum

This is an interesting post. I suspect you are more experienced then I and in some Party, I suppose everyone else knows which! But nevertheless capable of objectivity. Mark Hennessey said much the same thing in the IT recently. There are also less voters saying " your all the same " this time. Laois Offfaly also contains unexpected hostility even the the middle of cowen territory. This may be again something of an illusion but if it isn't Liam Aylward's seat could just about be in danger. Still we will only see on June 6th, or 9th in Euros. Two days of hell!

[thecretinhop]

I have never voted FF ever, and despise them, Bertie being the exact image of what the party has become, but what is worse I nearly voted for the greens as I thought they had integrity and some soul, im so glad i didnt now, the amount of people I know who did vote green, who state they never will again is very large, I know a few green supporters, they remind me of a cult or something, we are in power, we are making great changes, we are immune from what FF do, absolute rubbish they are worse than FF, at least we know that FF are corrupt gombeens, but what about a party that is keeping them in power yet pretending they are still corruption fighters, makes me sick, I pray they will be wiped out soon. In the meantime roll on the knock on the door from election candidates

[grainne whale]

Indeed.
?Ireland on track to meet EU renewable energy targets? ? Minister Ryan - Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources
Home Energy Saving Scheme now open for business - unprecedented level of interest in insulation grants - Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources
People power - Minister Ryan announces incentives for micro-generation - Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources
New tax incentives for energy efficient business - Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources
Minister Ryan launches new price support for offshore wind - Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources

That's all very fine, but what actually have they done, I've not seen anything!!

[QuizMaster]

That's all very fine, but what actually have they done, I've not seen anything!!

Try opening your eyes.

[imokyrok]

Phew, I thought we were losing a vote there for a minute.

Sargeant and Corr got my 1 and 2 last time. I've already told them they won't get a whiff of a vote next time. If a party is going to hold the balance of power I need to know they have deeply held moral convictions. It's back to voting labour for first preference for me. I'm also proud to say I've never given even the lowest preference vote to any member of FF in twentyfive years of voting.

[thecretinhop]

Try opening your eyes.

thats it exactly what I see in green members I know:
the smug green with snide remarks out of the side of your mouths