The Green Party - a missed opportunity?

[covert]

Looking at today's Irish Times poll, and just from my own reading of the campaign to date, I believe the Green Party are going to look back at Election 2007 as a huge missed opportunity.

The climate (was trying not to use that word, but environment was the only suitable alternative ) could not have been kinder to them in the run-up to the election, with a myriad of Irish and international reports putting the 'Green agenda' in the forefront of peoples minds.

So, how to capitalise on that? How to broaden the appeal of the party and build on the core constituency for whom the environment is their primary concern, and attract more votes from people for whom its a softer issue of interest but not their dominant motivator.

It certainly wasn't by reverting to type and consistently pushing that hard-Green agenda. Rightly or wrongly, the Green Party and its more vocal members have this tree-hugger, sandal-wearing, slightly detached from reality and pragmatism image.

They have that hard vote locked up, but all of their major stunts and policy announcements keeps harping on about this. The natural instinct of most people when they see the head people in the Greens demonstrating how to put in solar panels, looking at wind farms, Trevor in the Metro going on about his organic garden, one of their candidates being head of the Irish Esperanto Society, is to roll their eyes to heaven, and revert to the stereotypical view.

I'm not talking about abandanoning principles. It's just that I don't get the sense that the Greens are able to connect with people on the wider issues like health, education, crime etc which are the bread and butter of electability and Government.

I'm not saying anything against the Greens as able and decent public representatives. I just believe this was the Green's time - they should be coming back hoovering up more votes with double digit seats up to the 12-14 mark, but I just don't see it happening.

[kerrynorth]

The Greens are shooting themselves in the foot by not coming out and explicitly ruling coalition with FF and coming out for the Rainbow. This is costing it some of the floating voters. Oddly, there is a move behind Labour who are more likely to coalesce with FF!

[TradCat]

I think Trevor Sargent's promise to put up the price of petrol by 5 to 10c went down like an lead baloon. When people are under pressure from rising interests rates and inflation a politican threatening to take more money off them is not going to win too many votes.

[Johnny baby]

Well image, for bad or worse, is crucial in any election. The memorable images of Greens so far are a picnic in the green, a visit to an off shore wind farm - they should be out pressing the flesh! C'mon Trevor!

[aisling2323]

i wonder whether the Greens were right to leave the door open to Government with FF :

i always thought of the Green voter as being anti-establishment - almost a traditional protest vote

what do the Green members think on this site

will you alienate some of your core support by going into Government with FF - in the same way that Labour did in 1992 : or are you alienating some voters by leaving that option open :

did the Green party make the right choice going into the election with all options open :

[dsmythy]

I know their the green party and all that but maybe a little less focus on the environment might help? When you knock on the doors do people really ask whats going on with global warming and all that?

[Gombeen]

You know I remember well the ad naseum refrain of every media commentator in the run up to the 2002 general election:

"Greens will be lucky to hold their current two seats."

In all fairness, basing some idea of a green collapse based on one opinion poll (which still has us consistently higher than our 2002 poll figures) is fairly weak people. Standards are dropping here.

[Sligoboy]

You know I remember well the ad naseum refrain of every media commentator in the run up to the 2002 general election:

"Greens will be lucky to hold their current two seats."

In all fairness, basing some idea of a green collapse based on one opinion poll (which still has us consistently higher than our 2002 poll figures) is fairly weak people. Standards are dropping here.

Standards have collapsed in the Greens if they allow abysmally weak candidates like Brian Scanlon run for them in Sligo North Leitrim.

Just what where ye thinking?

[Gombeen]

If you don't like him, don't vote for him. Simple as. But the fact is for the first time ever the people of Sligo have the option to vote for a Green candidate. It's an improvement either way.

[covert]

You know I remember well the ad naseum refrain of every media commentator in the run up to the 2002 general election:

"Greens will be lucky to hold their current two seats."

In all fairness, basing some idea of a green collapse based on one opinion poll (which still has us consistently higher than our 2002 poll figures) is fairly weak people. Standards are dropping here.

If you care to read my original post and address the points, rather than get paranoid and defensive, I am not suggesting a Green collapse.

What I am saying is that given the international environmental agenda at present, that the Greens should be doing better, and I'm wondering why that might be. Of course they are going to pick up seats, but this is a unique opportunity to really get a large jump, and I think they might be missing that opportunity.

If "standards are dropping here" maybe it's because too many party members are unable to see any question of their leaders, however constructive, as anything other than an attack.