Who will lead the YES campaign for Lisbon II?

[mollox]

Now that it seems probable that we’ll have a Lisbon II referendum, who will lead the YES campaign?
The NO side have Ganley/Libertas as a focal point, the YES side needs a champion to lead a coherent, informed and united campaign.

While it should logically be the Taoiseach, Brian Cowen proved to be a divisive leader in Lisbon I and has done nothing since to suggest that he can rally and credibly lead the other main political parties on the YES side.

Ideally, a YES leader would be well known and respected but non-party or, at least, a respected, (semi) retired politician.

John Palmer would be credible, but a Brit leading the campaign would leave it wide open to more NO distortions and allegations of foreign interference. (“But what about the brit Ganley?” I hear you ask)

RTE’s Sean Whelan did a great job in explaining the treaty and the EU last time out. Would he have the weight?

Pat Cox would have the weight – but would he be too patrician for the electorate?

Bertie Ahern – oh no – my two typing fingers are seizing up….

[Twin Towers]

Dull as ditchwater those you delineate there. Who else?

[Bobert]

I'll do it...

[CookieMonster]

*Please be Dick Roche, pleas be Dick Roche...*

[FrankSpeaks]

Who is John Palmer?

[Bobert]

The 4th Earl of Shelbourne, peasant!

[TradCat]

Pat Kenny. Let's make it official.

[Big Bobo]

The Irish Times obviously

[unaligned]

If the politicians are the chief salespeople again then the Yes side have a big problem. Even if they manage to get the message right, the messengers (particularly FF) currently have little or no credibility in the eyes of the electorate.

I reckon the Yes side have a number of strategies to choose from:

1) Stoke up fear about the economy/wag finger incessently/hope for the best.
2) Taoiseach lays his job on the line which should mobolise FF grassroots/gags Dick Roche and empowers Martin
3) Government takes a step back and empowers grassroots organisations who benefit from EU money to go and sell the treaty to members thus ensuring a critical mass of credible messengers with made-to-order message.

My bet is on number one.

[Big Bobo]

If the politicians are the chief salespeople again then the Yes side have a big problem. Even if they manage to get the message right, the messengers (particularly FF) currently have little or no credibility in the eyes of the electorate.

I reckon the Yes side have a number of strategies to choose from:

1) Stoke up fear about the economy/wag finger incessently/hope for the best.
2) Taoiseach lays his job on the line which should mobolise FF grassroots/gags Dick Roche and empowers Martin
3) Government takes a step back and empowers grassroots organisations who benefit from EU money to go and sell the treaty to members thus ensuring a critical mass of credible messengers with made-to-order message.

My bet is on number one.

It won't be just the government campaigning vigorously this time. IBEC will have instructed FG to do everything to get this treaty passed. The Irish capitalist class were deeply angered by FG's half assed approach last time out.