Who will they support?

[salt]

Michael - Himself

Mary - ABMCD

Liz - ABMCD

Tom P - ABMCD

Fiona O malley - Michael

Tim O Malley - Michael

Mae Sexton - ???

Noel Grealish - Michael


Sen Minihan - ABMCD

Sen Morrissey - Michael

Sen Walsh - ??

Sen Brennan - Michael

Sen Dardis ????


Michael has the edge in the PP.

[Westie24]

McDowell is a certainty. My fear is he is an autocrat and has a huge ego which often is more important to him that the actual people he represents.
He clearly likes the public profile and could make hasty decisions with his temper. But there's no one really to rival him in the PDs. Liz is a nice lady but not abrasive enough to make a great leader.

[KeithM]

McDowell is a certainty. My fear is he is an autocrat and has a huge ego which often is more important to him that the actual people he represents.
He clearly likes the public profile and could make hasty decisions with his temper. But there's no one really to rival him in the PDs. Liz is a nice lady but not abrasive enough to make a great leader.

If McDowell becomes leader the PDS will be gone in 18 months. They will hold 2-4 seats, which will relegate them to opposition where they can merge with FG and be a more effective opposition to the FF/Labour government.

[jady88]

McDowell is a certainty. My fear is he is an autocrat and has a huge ego which often is more important to him that the actual people he represents.
He clearly likes the public profile and could make hasty decisions with his temper. But there's no one really to rival him in the PDs. Liz is a nice lady but not abrasive enough to make a great leader.

Quite thee oppositie McDowell will not taqke the party leadership. Liz has the energy and power to revive the party and leave Mcdowell in the past.

[KeithM]

McDowell is a certainty. My fear is he is an autocrat and has a huge ego which often is more important to him that the actual people he represents.
He clearly likes the public profile and could make hasty decisions with his temper. But there's no one really to rival him in the PDs. Liz is a nice lady but not abrasive enough to make a great leader.

Quite thee oppositie McDowell will not taqke the party leadership. Liz has the energy and power to revive the party and leave Mcdowell in the past.

Another interesting consideration is how FF and other parties would deal with McDowell or O'Donnell. I reckon Bertie's warning shot from yesterday combined with the awful poll ratings was a non too guarded warning not to step out of line.

However after the next election and Bertie and Enda are trying to make up the numbers, surely the PDs led by O'Donnel would be a far more attractive option than he PDs led by McDowell?

[hiding behind a poster]

However after the next election and Bertie and Enda are trying to make up the numbers, surely the PDs led by O'Donnel would be a far more attractive option than he PDs led by McDowell?

I think that's why Labour yesterday endorsed O'Donnell - they obviously reckon they could sell a FG/LAB/PD deal to their members more easily if she was leader.

[kerrynorth]

I am most certainly not a PD person or anything but does anyone really believe that Liz is the kind of person for the GE stump around the country. From what I know she does not engage in constituency work to any great extent do you really believe that she is the type of leader for a 3 week national election campaign. She is just not of the metal for a GE campaign.

[KeithM]

I am most certainly not a PD person or anything but does anyone really believe that Liz is the kind of person for the GE stump around the country. From what I know she does not engage in constituency work to any great extent do you really believe that she is the type of leader for a 3 week national election campaign. She is just not of the metal for a GE campaign.

I take your point but you should remember a couple of things. Firstly the PDs will probably be contesting 15-20 constituencies so its not the long haul that Bertie and Enda have to do. Secondly a lot of PD candidates are sufficiently high profile that they need any support from the leader. Harney, McDowell and Parlon are good examples.

Instead she should concentrate on her strengths; television and mass media. She'd certainly be well up for a debate with Rabbitte and I think we'sd know where the public sympathy would go on that.

[Maximus]

I see Kate Walsh has come out publicly backing McDowell. That brings his tally to 7, with O’Donnell yet to have a single public supporter. It’s looking very one sided. Does anyone have a breakdown of the voting weighting in National Executive / Councillors Group?

[Jonathan_Rainey_FG]

McDowell would be the best choice for Labour and FG. O'Donnell would be the biggest threat to FG votes as she could add a new compassion into PD politics and offer a fresh face and new approach. Parlon is certainly the favourite among any PD friends I was talking to yesterday and last night. He has huge support in the grass roots of the party.

McDowell would have the right wing neo-conservatives support naturally so does not need to campaign all that hard to get them. He needs to concentrate on the softer PD, the liberal, the ones who joined because of Des O'Malley or Mary Harney.

McDowell would be a great result of FG & Labour. He would represent a major shift in political philosophy nationally and would damage any FG, Labour, Green or avan FF transfers going to the PDs. He is brash, hot headed, massive ego, and would have a small group of people round him to worship the ground he walks on. He could make no mistakes in their eyes, and will be totally insulated as to what is happening in the real world.