General Election 24th May (1 Viewer)

[Goff]

He's only getting my vote so I can use his definite-no-chance-of-getting-in to make sure my PR is used correctly to keep others out.

I'll tell you why. I got the same leaflet today (strange that!).

He surrounds himself with stupid people. There were about ten of them delivering the things. The road isn't particularly big. But, instead of breaking up and walking around in smaller groups making sure the road was canvassed quickly and efficiently, they all walked around as one big lump of fucking thicks, like kids playing football, thereby wasting time and effort and not being very impressive.

Work it out guys. it's not a fucking afternoon stroll. You have a lot of ground to cover. Polling Day is Thursday.

Does that mean everyone gets their hole?

 

[Diddles]

They were only putting up his posters today on Tolka Valley. Not exactly quick off the mark. I'll give him my third preference for his tardiness and inefficiency in canvassing.

 

[ann post]

Letterkenny, fianna fail, 2007. betie was down cuddlin him a week or two ago.

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

 

[pete]

Wonder who the boys at the Sunday Business Post will be voting for...

Trouble at Mill 1: Shannon

Trouble at Mill 2: Hunting

Trouble at Mill 3: ESB

Trouble at Mill 4: Fine Gael nabbing Labour seats

and finally

Pat Rabbitte: Sexist Pig

 

[plug]

apparently, I have two votes! I got my voting card for limerick wesht about a week ago, and my voting card for cork south central just arrived the other day. interesting...

 

[Diddles]

We haven't got any polling cards. Can we still vote without them?

 

[pete]

We haven't got any polling cards. Can we still vote without them?

none here either. think you're ok with your passport / drivers licence as long as you're on the register

 

[IFF]

i think you need them

although if you don't have any, ring your local council on tuesday or wednesday

tell me diddles, are green party in cfontention in your constituency. maybe the pds has fixed it to exclude probably green voting areas

 

[MDR]

The polling cards are for information only; so long as you're registered and have ID you're fine.

 

[pete]

The polling cards are for information only; so long as you're registered and have ID you're fine.

what he said

you can check the register at http://www.checktheregister.ie coincidentally enough.

 

[Diddles]

Cool, we're on it.

Jesus, this estate is like the land that time forgot.

 

[Polo]

AFAIK that's a conglomeration of Socialists such as the SWP, the Socialist Party, and the Worker's Party. However, in Cork North-Central the Socialist Party are running a candidate against the Worker's Party, I can't do that math.

Nah, you've got a bit mixed up there. The People Before Profit Alliance is the SWP plus a few individuals. They are standing five candidates, all SWP members bar one woman in Wicklow who is ex-Labour Party. The Socialist Party and the Workers Party are not part of the People Before Profit Alliance.

As for different groups on the left standing against each other, the Workers Party stand whereever they still have someone willing to do it. This means that they regularly stand candidates against other people on the left. This time around they are standing against the Socialist Party in Cork North Central, against the Irish Socialist Network in Dublin North West, against the SWP/People Before Profit in Dublin MidWest and against both the SWP/PBP and an independent socialist in Dublin South Central.

Other groups on the left don't normally stand against each other. I don't know why the Workers Party does it. It's probably a hang over from the days when they were a big party with 7 TDs and could basically ignore the rest of the left. Nowadays it's basically senseless behaviour.

How the fuck they managed to rupture into three parties saying near identical things is beyond me. Anyone have the scoop on that?

They've never really been one party, so they didn't exactly rupture so much as coexist for a long time.

Basically the Workers Party used to be a largeish organisation, about the size Sinn Fein are now in the South. They were a force, but they also had a lot of odd features - uncritical support of the Stalinist regimes around the world was a pretty notable one, as was support for social partnership. Nowadays they are more a reenactment society than a political party.

The Socialist Party and the SWP both come from the anti-Stalinist side of the socialist movement but they are actually further from each other than say Fianna Fail is from Fine Gael (or Labour or the PDs). They disagree on a whole range of political and theoretical questions, which I can have a stab at explaining if you like. In practice the main difference you'll see between them is that the SWP are the overexcited ones with the megaphones and the range of front organisations, while the Socialist Party are the ones you're likely to see grafting away in working class estates.

 

[jane]

The Socialist Party and the SWP both come from the anti-Stalinist side of the socialist movement but they are actually further from each other than say Fianna Fail is from Fine Gael (or Labour or the PDs). They disagree on a whole range of political and theoretical questions, which I can have a stab at explaining if you like. In practice the main difference you'll see between them is that the SWP are the overexcited ones with the megaphones and the range of front organisations, while the Socialist Party are the ones you're likely to see grafting away in working class estates.

That's sort of the sense I got about the difference between the Socialist Party and the SWP, but if you've got the time to explain a few differences, I'd be interested.

In the meantime, on a different matter, I'm wondering about election canvasser etiquette. The Shinners are currently on patrol on my road, but my balaclava is in the wash, so I've nothing to wear to greet them. The only tricolour I've got handy is that leaflet from Noel Ivory. Would it be appropriate for me to sellotape it to my mushy white belly? Or is it better with a couple of eyeholes cut out, worn like I'm at some kind of Provo Masquerade Ball?

 

[classic seanc]

I got my card thingee so I'm grand.

Along with it came a letter from Ruairi Quinn with my name on it. Except they left out the fada so no votes him.

 

[plug]

That's sort of the sense I got about the difference between the Socialist Party and the SWP, but if you've got the time to explain a few differences, I'd be interested.

In the meantime, on a different matter, I'm wondering about election canvasser etiquette. The Shinners are currently on patrol on my road, but my balaclava is in the wash, so I've nothing to wear to greet them. The only tricolour I've got handy is that leaflet from Noel Ivory. Would it be appropriate for me to sellotape it to my mushy white belly? Or is it better with a couple of eyeholes cut out, worn like I'm at some kind of Provo Masquerade Ball?

eyeholes, definitely.

I always wondered what kind of reaction you'd get if you wore a balaclava around town. even legwarmers had a second shot at fasionability; why not balaclavas? I mean they're not illegal... but I'd imagine people would be pretty suspicious. what would a cop do? would he hassle your ass? I'd imagine they're lovely and cosy... mmmm....

 

[jane]

eyeholes, definitely.

I always wondered what kind of reaction you'd get if you wore a balaclava around town. even legwarmers had a second shot at fasionability; why not balaclavas? I mean they're not illegal... but I'd imagine people would be pretty suspicious. what would a cop do? would he hassle your ass? I'd imagine they're lovely and cosy... mmmm....

Class. Actually, a great trick would be to get cardboard cutout masks of all the politicians running in your area and greet each at the door wearing one of that candidate's rivals. Then you can be all like, "Listen, McDowell, whatever you've got to say, you can say to my face."

I also just realised that in the last few weeks, I've acquired a vocabulary as gaeilge that, while not sufficient to hold a conversation, is plenty good enough to describe the election so far:

búiríl
drannadh
srannadh (mostly Enda, except for the hair)
geonaíl
cneadanna eagla
screadíl craiceáilte
gnúsachtaí
gol
osna
cneadanna troda
gaiseá

That about sums it all up, like. Thanks to Scooby Doo and Sponge Bob.

 

[carbide]

I got my card thingee so I'm grand.

Along with it came a letter from Ruairi Quinn with my name on it. Except they left out the fada so no votes him.

does that mean he called you old?

 

[Unicron]

I got my card thingee so I'm grand.

Along with it came a letter from Ruairi Quinn with my name on it. Except they left out the fada so no votes him.

You don't need a polling card to vote.

Jane, I need a translation on those words.

 

[jane]

You don't need a polling card to vote.

Jane, I need a translation on those words.

Most of them are noises, so I'm better at doing them out loud, but here goes:

búiríl=roaring
drannadh=snarling
srannadh=snoring
geonaíl=whining
cneadanna eagla=frightened noises
screadíl craiceáilte=insane screaming
gnúsachtaí=grunts
gol=cry(ing?)
osna=sigh
cneadanna troda=fighting noises
gaiseá=panting

and that's about all the Irish I know. That and place names.

 

[maims bond]

Nah, you've got a bit mixed up there. The People Before Profit Alliance is the SWP plus a few individuals. They are standing five candidates, all SWP members bar one woman in Wicklow who is ex-Labour Party. The Socialist Party and the Workers Party are not part of the People Before Profit Alliance.

As for different groups on the left standing against each other, the Workers Party stand whereever they still have someone willing to do it. This means that they regularly stand candidates against other people on the left. This time around they are standing against the Socialist Party in Cork North Central, against the Irish Socialist Network in Dublin North West, against the SWP/People Before Profit in Dublin MidWest and against both the SWP/PBP and an independent socialist in Dublin South Central.

Other groups on the left don't normally stand against each other. I don't know why the Workers Party does it. It's probably a hang over from the days when they were a big party with 7 TDs and could basically ignore the rest of the left. Nowadays it's basically senseless behaviour.



They've never really been one party, so they didn't exactly rupture so much as coexist for a long time.

Basically the Workers Party used to be a largeish organisation, about the size Sinn Fein are now in the South. They were a force, but they also had a lot of odd features - uncritical support of the Stalinist regimes around the world was a pretty notable one, as was support for social partnership. Nowadays they are more a reenactment society than a political party.

The Socialist Party and the SWP both come from the anti-Stalinist side of the socialist movement but they are actually further from each other than say Fianna Fail is from Fine Gael (or Labour or the PDs). They disagree on a whole range of political and theoretical questions, which I can have a stab at explaining if you like. In practice the main difference you'll see between them is that the SWP are the overexcited ones with the megaphones and the range of front organisations, while the Socialist Party are the ones you're likely to see grafting away in working class estates.

Thanks, that's cleared a few things up. I always knew there was never a single homogenous left party, but was just curious as to how there could be so many now that are basically saying the same thing. I suppose the fragmentation persists from debates on the USSR. I'm in Cork North Central and I was pretty surprised to see a workers party man go up against Mick Barry (Socialist Party) who is already a councillor and may have a chance.