Fine Gael in the next election

[Apparatchik]

[quote=Defeated Romanticist]

FG's best hope is that Brian Cowen packs Dermot Ahern or Dempsey off to Europe allowing Mairead to run and win in a bye-election. She is not only the best hope they have, she is the only hope they have.

I agree she'd make a fine leader. But what makes you think FG could win the bye-election?

A vague and fairly distant hope with little chance of fruition is still a hope.[/quote:26ghqsku]A philosophy worthy of your moniker.

[erneman]

Dedrie Clune is wonderful person, a great dinner guest, but a hopeless public rep, don’t come back with “the people elected her”. The people elect all sorts, Jackie and Michael Healy-Rae, Charlie Haughey, Ray Burke, Liam Lawlor, Emmet Stagg, Martin Ferris etc.

Buttimer is just a gurrier and a gombeen man, and has proved the fact time and time again in his “wet week in politics”. If not for his daddy!!!

I don't know who this Buttimer is? Probably Enda's right hand man or maybe his daddy was!!!

I hope Kite you have a couple of Euro for the liable on this 'gurrier and a gombeen man'. You could be done for 3 euro. I believe the Sunday Times had to pay out £1 to Albert a few years back.

Inflation - a terrible thing. No doubt Enda will sort it and you'll only be out 2 euro.

[Apparatchik]

Enda will lead the third interparty goverment after the next election ,its the only way to oust fianna fail.

Kenny couldn't face down a shuddering bowl of Bird's jelly, let alone the Marxist left.

[riker1969]

I have my doubts about Enda but I think its too soon to talk about ditching him. Cowen is a bully boy poor and simple. Name one radical thing he ever did?? Enda needs to take him on more in the Dail but remember this -people vote with their wallets not what they see on TV. Look what happened to Joe Higgins an excellent debater? Pat Rabbit-great put downs but he achieved little for Labour. People did not want to ditch FF last time because they are up to their balls in debt and rejecting them meant the dream was over-which it is. One last thing-the Marxist left as a threat??!

[Apparatchik]

I have my doubts about Enda but I think its too soon to talk about ditching him. Cowen is a bully boy poor and simple. Name one radical thing he ever did?? Enda needs to take him on more in the Dail but remember this -people vote with their wallets not what they see on TV. Look what happened to Joe Higgins an excellent debater? Pat Rabbit-great put downs but he achieved little for Labour. People did not want to ditch FF last time because they are up to their balls in debt and rejecting them meant the dream was over-which it is. One last thing-the Marxist left as a threat??!

I mean Gory Adams the Marxist threat.

[just_society]

He'll be left there for the time being anyway. He hasn't done anything wrong.

FG usually lack credibilty as an alternative when they keep switching leaders. They are a united party now and can get back to business now that Ahern is gone. With a slowing economy , poor infrastructure and worse public services, there's plenty of opposing to do!

Another anti-Enda thread and I swear, I'll start another 'What has Brian Cowen ever done' thread in retaliation....

Don't make me do it!!

[riker1969]

I tend to agree but Enda needs to toughen up and lighten up.

[Fr. Hank Tree]

He'd be a great leader of FG...for FF. At the next election I'd imagine FG going down to about 40 seats from where they won't recover, the likes of Varadker, Deasy and Enright and co will get sick of the sham arguments and the need to watch what they are saying to keep Labour onside and walk out and form a decidedly right wing tory party, FG fatally weakened will limp on but Labour will overtake them to become the prime force of the permanent opposition.
This will happen irregardless of who the leader is.

Worst. Analysis. Ever.

And why would these people even leave FG if that was the case? If the party was really down to 40seats (which it won't be because FG doesn't carry baggage anymore and more importantly it's not voted for by lots and lots of dying old people like FF), they would easily gain control of the party and twist it their way. They're hardly going start afresh.

[Richie Nixon]

I think the Local elections will tell a lot. In fairness much of Fine Gael's activity has been predicated on BertieGate. Kenny has been a great success as Fine Gael Leader. A good Euro/Locals, was followed by a great General Election. However, now Kenny will need to push his best foot forward. If there is a terrible lack of decent policy flowing from FG Headquarters, I believe they could suffer in 2009. A poor Locals and a defeicent year or two either side of the locals could have Fine Gael looking for a new leader before 2012

[Rocky]

I think the Local elections will tell a lot. In fairness much of Fine Gael's activity has been predicated on BertieGate. Kenny has been a great success as Fine Gael Leader. A good Euro/Locals, was followed by a great General Election. However, now Kenny will need to push his best foot forward. If there is a terrible lack of decent policy flowing from FG Headquarters, I believe they could suffer in 2009. A poor Locals and a defeicent year or two either side of the locals could have Fine Gael looking for a new leader before 2012

For the time that we're at there is a decent level of policy coming from FG. The policy document on quango's that was released recently was quite good for example and got a fair bit of media attention.

For the time that we're at there is a decent level of policy coming from FG. The policy document on quango's that was released recently was quite good for example and got a fair bit of media attention.

It's going to be interesting local and European elections, for FG because they did quite well in 2004 and FF did terribly. However the party should of course aim to do better, although it will be difficult to retain the second European seat in Lenister. I see no way, in which Enda Kenny will not lead FG into the next election, unless FG drop massively in the polls before the local/European elections and I see little evidence to suggest that is going to happen. As is constantly stated on this site, Enda Kenny has been one of FG’s greatest leaders ever and definitely their best one since Garret. Since Enda has become leader FG has done well in every election and has constantly been rising in polls except for a few blips here and there, which are to be expected. Therefore it would be simply madness and very stupid if FG were to remove Enda as leader.