Why Fianna Fáil dominate Irish politics (1 Viewer)

[egg_]

One word: culshies.

My da is a member of Fianna Fáil, always has been I think. He's involved in the campaign to elect Lisa McDonald (in Wexford) ... so he's arranged a truck, sorted out someone to build a big frame on the back of it in someone else's yard, covered it with posters, and sorted out someone else to drive it fulltime. All for FREE, cos all these people are also Fianna Fáilers and old friends, and doing this shit it like, I dunno, helping out their local hurling team or something

How can other parties possibly compete with this kind of grassroots network?

 

[Denny Oubidoux]

One word: culshies.

My da is a member of Fianna Fáil, always has been I think. He's involved in the campaign to elect Lisa McDonald (in Wexford) ... so he's arranged a truck, sorted out someone to build a big frame on the back of it in someone else's yard, covered it with posters, and sorted out someone else to drive it fulltime. All for FREE, cos all these people are also Fianna Fáilers and old friends, and doing this shit it like, I dunno, helping out their local hurling team or something

How can other parties possibly compete with this kind of grassroots network?

i doubt people will continue for much longer to be impressed by a truck tarted up with a few posters and a gobshite talking through a loud hailer - its like the st patricks day parade: young people now arent impressed any longer with a display of cars and tractors from the local motor dealer. they want style and pzazzz - rock star politicians basically.

 

[RSJ]

Ah i'd have to disagree with you egg, i think once you get outside the cities, people actually have a connection with the people that are running in their constituency. I knew every one of our local representatives on a first name basis before i could even vote. Never gave a fuck about politics but i always voted for Michael Creed (FG) because he was nicest to me and would always stop for a pint with me when i was out on the tear. My girlfriend hates FF but she's voting for her local FF woman because when she was having trouble getting on disability, the FF woman drove her into the offices and sorted it out on the spot.

I'm not voting this election (first time ever) partly because i won't vote for any party who couldn't even get bertie out during the bribe scandal, but mostly because i have absolutely no connection to anyone running in galway (not from here so i don't know anyone). No amount of style, pazazz or placard covered hiaces could change that.

 

[magicbastarder]

there was a story in the IT a year or two back about how the FF cumanns down the country were seeing a massive falloff in young registrations; in a few decades, when all the current members have died off or are spending their brown envelopes on nursing home fees, there will be no-one left to carry the torch.

 

[ratmonkey]

I'm not voting this election (first time ever) partly because i won't vote for any party who couldn't even get bertie out during the bribe scandal, but mostly because i have absolutely no connection to anyone running in galway (not from here so i don't know anyone). No amount of style, pazazz or placard covered hiaces could change that.

Not so you can say "Well, I didn't vote for them", no matter which shower of feckless reprobates end up in power?

 

[egg_]

Ah i'd have to disagree with you egg, i think once you get outside the cities, people actually have a connection with the people that are running in their constituency.

Well, that's true, but I think that's to a certain extent made possible by the party faithful doing shit like postering and driving and fundraising and organising shit so the politicians can spend their time canvassing and getting to know their constituents

 

[egg_]

rock star politicians

If I had a load of money I'd start a political party and hire tall, good-looking actors to run as candidates plus a team of writers to decide what they're going to say. I'd send the actors on intensive media training and work out everything with the writers in advance of any media appearance.

I'd have the cities in the palm of my hand almost immediately ... might take a while longer in the countryside

 

[magicbastarder]

Never gave a fuck about politics but i always voted for Michael Creed (FG) because he was nicest to me and would always stop for a pint with me when i was out on the tear.

things like this make me cry.

 

[egg_]

things like this make me cry.

You need to accept what you cannot change, o magicbastarder

Anyway, it's not so bad. It's people being nice to one another that holds civilisation together

 

[magicbastarder]

and leaves us with parish pump politics determining who gets into government.

 

[Lefty Frizzell]

I'm not voting this election (first time ever)

Theres no excuse for that.

 

[RSJ]

and leaves us with parish pump politics determining who gets into government.

 

[Lefty Frizzell]

If you don't vote you officially give up your right to complain. And wheres the fun in that?

 

[RSJ]

That's fine with me, i'm not one to complain about which party is in government. They're all the same anyways.

 

[magicbastarder]

lazy argument.
read chaos at the crossroads by frank mcdonald and james nix, the rainbow coalition come out looking like saints compared to FF.

 

[egg_]

and leaves us with parish pump politics determining who gets into government.

What's the alternative? Seriously. As far as I can see the government's behaviour and policies reflect those of Irish society at large pretty closely. That's democracy for you

The only thing you can do is try and convince anyone you meet that the world would be a better place if they voted more wisely. Why not start with RSJ?

 

[ernesto]

fuck fianna fáil

 

[Squiggle]

RSJ isn't the only person who won't be voting this year. I'd love to see a situation where the Irish people demonstrated their feelings about how well the politicians on offer represented them by a less than 1% turnout. It might shame them into doing something to clean up their act.

 

[magicbastarder]

What's the alternative? Seriously. As far as I can see the government's behaviour and policies reflect those of Irish society at large pretty closely. That's democracy for you

i would differ on that - that would imply that any racism, crime, etc. in society should be reflected in government in a democracy.

as regards trying to convince RSJ, i've already made a suggestion.

 

[broken arm]

percentage of a percentage is not a mandate