If you've ever voted for the Greens previously. (1 Viewer)

[Unicron]

Inspired in part by Pete's copypasta from the IT letters page in the thread about the green vote last weekend.

If you've previously voted for the greens after the last two years in government would you be minded to do so again?

I've previously given the guy who they've put up in my constituency (a no chance of winning dude from, by the looks of things, the "muesli eating sandal wearer" wing of the party as Mickey Mac might say) a second or third preference based more on their more progressive social policies than any particular affinity for their environmental agenda (not that I'm unsympathetic to it it's just not a top priority for me). Following their performance over the course of the last 2 years I'm not sure if I'd do that again.

I know that they have had some success on issues of enviromental policy (which is obviously their big thing) and if that's the reason that you'd previously voted for them is it enough for you to keep voting for them?

Maybe someone who can could make this into a poll please.

 

[mark]

i voted for them last time around (in finglas, i think the candidate got something like 600 1st pref votes) but i'd be wary about voting for them again.

in the current climate the whole "we're better in govt then out of it" argument is redundant. all they are doing is propping a a FF led govt that KNOWS it fucked up royally (and whose current leader is one of the main architects of the fuck up). Had they pulled out of the govt last week the *might* have stood a chance in the next election of becoming one of the coalition partners, but they unwisely chose to continue propping FF up and will therefore find their vote collapsing the next time around.

what really confuses me is that they know all this, and still they chose to stay in govt. the greens in other countries have shown themselves to be a lot more principled then this lot. bizarre.

 

[Froog]

the greens are much better sat at the back opposing shit and highlighting green issues. totally unsuitable for government.

 

[pete]

i'm no statistician, but i think there's a trend emerging

 

[broken arm]

i'm pretty disappointed in them but the fact of the matter is that being in government is shit and complicated and if anything it will mature the party.

being in opposition is a mugs game - in reality.

 

[magicbastarder]

Had they pulled out of the govt last week the *might* have stood a chance in the next election of becoming one of the coalition partners

not a chance, they'll be lucky to return one candidate in the next election.

i'm still ambivalent about them. in terms of their environmental agenda, they've certainly not disgraced themselves.

 

[nlgbbbblth]

the people who complain loudest about them would never vote for them anyway

 

[billygannon]

They're a profoundly disorganised and disjointed party.

 

[rettucs]

I voted for them before. Not again though. And for one reason - John Gormley. Hes FF's bitch now. And he put up little or no discernable resistence that I can tell to prevent that happening.

 

[ann post]

cant remember if i voted on this poll or not. however...

the wording of the questions in the poll trouble me so. i call myself a 'floating voter' - i dont ahve party allegiance and try to weigh the issues out in the approach to each voting issue. to say i would never vote green again isnt something i cant say. its very much of the present that people's opinions are getting very polarised, and polarised based on a 12 month period of a country thats been around since the pyramids, rather then a depth of political knowledge. everyone hates the greens now because they got in bed with fianna fail, and ended up taking it in the ass in a highly polarised election. thats pretty much what fianna fail did to the country aswell, so where is the poll to say 'i'll NEVER vote fianna fail again'?? people who hated dole scum like me (i'm not on the dole but appear to be to the naked eye) are now facing the dole themselves, have plenty of time to think about politics and who they should vote for, instead of voting for the pocket lining promises that swayed the last decade. i'd say when your broke, you might as well vote green, cant take knickers off a bare arse.

this is a naive thread, i think is my point.

 

[Milker]

it just seems theres so much that needs reforming in politics and they, seen once as likely to upset the applecart, have just stood really close to the applecart...so close in fact that they appear to be steadying the applecart w their left hand but it now appears they are actually using their right hand.

 

[quackster]

voted for them last time. i had an idea that they might end up in just this kind of situation, where they could pull the plug on a FF govt and they could have salvaged some cred by pulling out a week or two ago, or at least not being bought out by the promise of free fucking third level education (personally i think it's a fine idea when we have the money, but now that we're strapped it's one of the first things i would have abolished). feel strongly that everyone that helps nama go through is going to have a lot to answer for down the road.

 

[shitepipe]

i think the greens have made positive contributions while in government- in the areas that affect me most (built environment) they have definitely had an impact. no matter who they went in with, the possibilities for influence would have been marginal at best and i think they have come out of it pretty well (if we set aside the extra-ordinary circumstances of the 'economic downturn').

ironically enough, the current situation has lead to them having a disproportionate amount of power and influence in government in order to prop up FF. Its just very unfortunate that they are also involved in one of the most unpopular and controversial policies in the history of the state..

 

[ann post]

well, sure, but step out of emergency ireland for a second. to be logical, not voting for the greens for all eternity (as never would imply) and simultaneously never voting for fianna fail (to be fair to the point of the thread, this would be a pre-requisite) would leave us witha choice of fine geal or the shinners, and effectivly a one party system. if the greens are a malleable substance, then it makes more sense to vote fine geal 1, green 2, then it does to give the shinners a share with fine geal??

no wom sayin??

 

[ann post]

or the short version of my point-

knee jerk voting mightnt be the best way forward.

 

[pete]

well, sure, but step out of emergency ireland for a second. to be logical, not voting for the greens for all eternity (as never would imply) and simultaneously never voting for fianna fail (to be fair to the point of the thread, this would be a pre-requisite) would leave us witha choice of fine geal or the shinners, and effectivly a one party system. if the greens are a malleable substance, then it makes more sense to vote fine geal 1, green 2, then it does to give the shinners a share with fine geal??

no wom sayin??

i think you've left someone out there

 

[Unicron]

well, sure, but step out of emergency ireland for a second. to be logical, not voting for the greens for all eternity (as never would imply) and simultaneously never voting for fianna fail (to be fair to the point of the thread, this would be a pre-requisite) would leave us witha choice of fine geal or the shinners, and effectivly a one party system. if the greens are a malleable substance, then it makes more sense to vote fine geal 1, green 2, then it does to give the shinners a share with fine geal??

no wom sayin??

Forgetting labour there dude.

 

[pete]

And the Socialist Party.

And the Immigration Control Platform.

 

[ann post]

some rural constituencies dont have a candidate for every party. i've been asked twice to run for green in my hometown. they must be hard pushed.

 

[IFF]

some rural constituencies dont have a candidate for every party. i've been asked twice to run for green in my hometown. they must be hard pushed.

in connaguht, labour struggled to get local election candidates. it's the same with the greens. most constituencies are divided there between fine gael and fianna fail. in dail elections in connaught, labour and the greens are luck if they can get back their deposits.

in the dail elections in 2007, greens struggled to get a candidate until the last minute in Meath East and other constituencies