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About LinkBackshaving failed his first electoral test as Taoiseach, could it be the beginning of a slide a la Gordon Brown?
having failed his first electoral test as Taoiseach, could it be the beginning of a slide a la Gordon Brown?
You forget the Irish political mindset is vastly different to the UK - as soon as people vote no they'll feel guilty and go 'aw poor Biffo' then watch the next pool put FF through the roof and they'll take their anger out on Kenny - wait and see!
I know it's seems illogical but time and time again FF are the cute hoors who trick us - again and again we fall for it, we get p*ssed off, vow never to fall for it again - again, get some revenge at some poll, feel guilty, then blame FG.
A 'no' vote would be Kenny's fault. Already more FG voters reject the Treaty than back it.Originally Posted by The Earl of Desmond
When someone asked this on another thread some weeks ago I predicted no damage. However as the vitriol and the bullying from the Yes side and Cowen has increased to a cruscendo I think he is already damaged now for implying that we are beholden to Europe and have to vote whatever way they say. We on the no side are not "loolahs/mad/insane" etc. Can't say the same about the elites though.
I don't think he'll be particularly damaged, except among some of his colleagues in Europe, nor will Kenny. Kenny will be gone within 18 months anyway, Bruton will be leader. Cowen could have reason to be p1ssed off with Ahern though.
What's with this Bruton rubbish? Have you ever him = believe me as nice as he is and as much of a policy wonk he is he most certainly does not have the skills to a leader. I don't mean that as a bad thing - just as it took the skills of Kenny to motivate us to get over 2002 it took the skills of Bruton to build credible policies - the skills of the likes of Kenny and Bruton are compatable and complimentary.
It's not the leader of FG that is the problem - it's a certain mindset - I assume it has to do with always coming second - if a sportsperson always came second no matter how hard they trained it's bound to have an impact - same has to be true in politics.
A No vote will make no difference to Cowen or Kenny although FG have weaker stomachs than FF so they'll panic if there's a No vote.
Some took the shilling from England to betray Ireland.
Cowan took the Euro.
He is a spent force, whether if he hangs on for a year or a decade he will always be remembered as somebody that tried to sell our Country for a place at the table to partake of the fatted pig (the one on the spit), not the interfering Merkel.
To ensure smooth government, losing on such a major constitutional issue ideally should require the government to resign and make way for a new government made up of politicians from the winning side, possibly after an election. That way the government consists of politicians who bear responsibility for whatever are the consequences of a No victory. The problem in Ireland is that the No politicians are such crazies, they could never hope to muster more than about ten TDs, even if they win the referendum. So, if the No side win the referendum and inevitably we continue to have a government which lost the referendum (true even if the present government was replaced by an FG/Lab government), its a mess, whatever way you look at it.
[quote=The Earl of Desmond]What's with this Bruton rubbish? Have you ever him = believe me as nice as he is and as much of a policy wonk he is he most certainly does not have the skills to a leader. I don't mean that as a bad thing - just as it took the skills of Kenny to motivate us to get over 2002 it took the skills of Bruton to build credible policies - the skills of the likes of Kenny and Bruton are compatable and complimentary.
It's not the leader of FG that is the problem - it's a certain mindset - I assume it has to do with always coming second - if a sportsperson always came second no matter how hard they trained it's bound to have an impact - same has to be true in politics.
A No vote will make no difference to Cowen or Kenny although FG have weaker stomachs than FF so they'll panic if there's a No vote.[/quote:1vvguoz7]I'm not a FGer but he has impressed me in debates and speeches on a few occasions now. Kenny never has. But I suppose it's up to FGers themselves, though they haven't chosen wisely in a while.
[quote=The Earl of Desmond]What's with this Bruton rubbish? Have you ever him = believe me as nice as he is and as much of a policy wonk he is he most certainly does not have the skills to a leader. [/quote:117nz5xr]I agree. Reilly has the right stuff.
