Is Cowen fit to lead?

[councilkid]

Well, is he?

If you want someone to lead your country into bankruptcy, then I'd say Cowen's your man.

[Squire Allworthy]

If he had any sense he would bow out gracefully. The path he is on is heading one way only and that is down. It is not going to get a lot better.

[yehbut_nobut]

In no particular order...

I can tell you in my opinion why cowen is so great, but sure you will simply refute them. here goes

one of the highest FP votes in the country
years of ministerial experience
popular within the party
open minded
progressive in his policy approach

I know he’ll be very disappointed with the negative views expressed here, particularly coming from people who were previously so supportive of him & so open minded on his becoming Taoiseach.

as a ff supporter im very worried its hard to see if cowen will recover from this in time for the locals next year i dont think his connecting with middle ireland we need to see some new ideas comming from the gov to kick start the economy and get the banks to give out money again or else ff will loose more seats next year off a low mark .

What arrant nonsense. Ofcourse brian is fit to lead. Hes in a difficult situation no douvt about it, but I have total confidence in him, as does the nation.... Bring on the next redC poll.

Good to see you're reading a quality newspaper there. Cowen is an intellectual heavyweight. He is fit, capable and qualified to lead. A point which will be proven in the '09 local elections.

[Samell]

No I don't think he is. But he is in a loose loose situation, quit now and the independents will not back a new FF leader, so an election is called, at last, and the new leader is tarred with the label as the 'Leader who lost the election'. Hold on and BE the 'Leader who lost the election'. Call an election and be the man who lost the party, or do nothing and be the man who lost the COUNTRY.
Party or country a decision he will not make.

[Simbo67]

No I don't think he is. But he is in a loose loose situation, quit now and the independents will not back a new FF leader, so an election is called, at last, and the new leader is tarred with the label as the 'Leader who lost the election'. Hold on and BE the 'Leader who lost the election'. Call an election and be the man who lost the party, or do nothing and be the man who lost the COUNTRY.
Party or country a decision he will not make.

And that's why he should go. If he can't make that decision.

[Mitsui2]

Party or country a decision he will not make.

He made that decision long ago, by remaining as a presumably contented central figure in the see-no-evil (so long as it's one of your own doing it), thief-promoting, public-money-hoovering, bubble-blowing, developer-licking, nest-feathering, stroke-pulling, nodding & winking, Bertie-loving, trough-crawling excuse for a political party that is the modern Fianna Fáil.

He chose Party.

[zuiderzee]

In his defence, on the radio thing, there is one lyric that springs to mind

"Its not the right to be sober - now the idiots are taking over'
NOFX.

Perhaps it is an ironic comment on the Lenehans or FG that we're too thick to get.

[Clareboy]

No! No! No! A thousand times No!

[fungus]

I don't think he's fit to do jack. I want an elected Taoiseach in charge not one of Bertie's cronies. Also I don't think, as his FF and Green buddies suggest, we should quickly forget about that terrible interview he did last week. He sounded drunk and incoherent to me. Thats no way for a leader of any country to behave especially since he had advance notice that he was going to be doing an early morning interview the next day. Wonder will anyone confront him at the National Ploughing Championships tomorrow.....