# Will anyone here vote Fianna Fail?



## The_Banker (7 Nov 2010)

Despite Fianna Fail being hated the length and breath of the country they are still somewhere between 18% - 20% in the opinion poles. This would suggest that 1 in 5 people will vote Fianna Fail.
So despite everyone pronouncing their abject hatred for the soldiers of destiny there must be some on here who will vote FF when the election comes. 

So will anyone here vote Fianna Fail? Either 2nd 3rd or 4th preference?

Anyone brave enough to admit it and give a reason why? 

I don't want to turn this thread into a "leaving off steam" area, merely trying to gauge if those on here represent a cross section of the community.

I for one was a FF voter in the past but now I'll never vote for them again.


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## Sunny (7 Nov 2010)

I don't know who I will vote for but people voting FF wouldn't shock me. Remember politics in Ireland is mainly local. I know in my area, the best TD is probably from FF. Can't see myself voting for him though. Although my FG alternative is a loud month member of the front bench who loves the sound of his own voice but is useless. Labour are weak and I refuse to vote for them unless they publish detailed costed budget ideas. Greens got my vote last time but not again. Would rather burn my ballot paper than vote for SF. So am in a right little pickle!


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## Odea (7 Nov 2010)

I will vote for the canditate who is seen working throughout the term and not just making noise coming up to elections.  If everyone votes this way then we at least get people who are willing to work.


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## thedaras (7 Nov 2010)

Apparently FG are making a statement today about how they deal with things when in government.

It is supposed to be a new vision,with reform of all sorts.
Now if this is true and they have finally made up their minds what they will do and if it looks like they tackle issues that are difficult, and make radical changes.
If they do this they will get my vote.

As for voting for FF,I dont understand why 18% who would vote for them..

This is from the RTE website;



> > FG launches 'Reinventing Government' plan
> > Updated: 09:16, Sunday, 7 November 2010
> >
> > Fine Gael will today publish details of its plan to get the economy back on track and improve public services if in Government.
> > ...


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## Sue Ellen (7 Nov 2010)

Odea said:


> I will vote for the canditate who is seen working throughout the term and not just making noise coming up to elections.  If everyone votes this way then we at least get people who are willing to work.



Totally agree.


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## micmclo (7 Nov 2010)

I vote for the candidate not the party. 
Our two backbenchers do nothing

However our other TD is always in the news, works very hard for the area and tops the poll every time.

I vote for someone like that and not somebody who drops a letter through my door every four or five years and then I never hear about them again.

Politics is local, if your best rep in the area is FF then that's how they get votes. And their cummann structure is probably the best of any party.


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## Sunny (7 Nov 2010)

The problem is that is how we end up with a bunch of idiots who put local interests ahead of the national good. I don't blame them but the system is seriously flawed. Look at the pictures of the dail in session and see all the empty seats. I realise that work gets done outside the chamber but most TDs can't even be bothered to turn up for leaders questions or debates on important legislation. They will simply turn up and vote as per the whips instructions. The system needs complete overhaul.


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## micmclo (7 Nov 2010)

So true Sunny

For example I think the HSE should save money, just don't dare close or downgrade my county hospital 
I'd like a university too, the county next door has one so I demand one too!

But do we want to follow the UK, I don't.
Where you can parachute anyone into some areas and if you are in the right party you are assured a seat. The greatest fool can beat the ablest politician depending on the colour of your badge, blue, red or yellow.
These MP's have zero connection with their voters and probably don't even live there.
But at the same time they are free to concentrate on legislation and the national good

An overhaul is needed, I don't know the solution though.


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## Purple (7 Nov 2010)

The TD that I see on the ground sorting out local issues and dealing with local people is the person who will not get my vote. I vote for the party that I think has the best economic policies. That's it, nothing else. Socially they are almost the same and none of them tackle any difficult moral issues (they leave that to the courts). If I want a local issue addressed I will contact a local councillor. Then again, our stupid system makes sure that we have glorified county councillors in a glorified county council running the country.


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## z107 (7 Nov 2010)

Looks like I'll be spoiling my vote as usual.
It's the only logical thing to do. I'm certainly not voting for the 'best of the worst'.


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## RMCF (7 Nov 2010)

As someone who is not a native of the State who now lives in it, I think the way your politics is, people will vote FF anyway if thats the way they always voted. 

Cant see FF voters suddenly becoming 'FG', or 'Labour'. Maybe I am wrong?

Bit like NI, you stick with who you always voted for, although NI politics is slightly weird to use as an example.


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## Purple (7 Nov 2010)

micmclo said:


> An overhaul is needed, I don't know the solution though.



FG came up with what looks like a good system in a proposal a few months back.


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## michaelm (8 Nov 2010)

The_Banker said:


> So will anyone here vote Fianna Fail? Either 2nd 3rd or 4th preference?


I always voted FF up to 2007 when I switched to FG & Greens(never again).  I usually vote through the card starting with the Party I dislike the most(Labour) and working backwards to No# 1.  FF will therefore probably get some low preference from me but FG will get my 1, 2 (and 3 if they have a third candidate).


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## DerKaiser (8 Nov 2010)

umop3p!sdn said:


> Looks like I'll be spoiling my vote as usual.
> It's the only logical thing to do. I'm certainly not voting for the 'best of the worst'.


 
Spoiling your vote or not voting is akin to voting for something worse than the 'best of the worst'!!!


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## DerKaiser (8 Nov 2010)

The_Banker said:


> So will anyone here vote Fianna Fail? Either 2nd 3rd or 4th preference?
> 
> Anyone brave enough to admit it and give a reason why?
> 
> I don't want to turn this thread into a "leaving off steam" area, merely trying to gauge if those on here represent a cross section of the community.


 
This thread was done last year. I'll vote for FF if I think they will be better for the country over the next 5 years at the time of the election.


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## z107 (8 Nov 2010)

> Spoiling your vote or not voting is akin to voting for something worse than the 'best of the worst'!!!


Please could you explain how spoiling a vote is same as not voting, and how both of these are "akin to voting for something worse than the 'best of the worst'"?


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## bren1916 (8 Nov 2010)

Yes, I will be voting FF as the candidate who will receive my #1 is the hardest working (regardless of party) of all parties in the constituency.
I will not be voting FG as I neither like nor trust their 'high profile' candidate in my area.
Labour - no clear policy = no vote.
Green = as with all other candidates apart from #1 above, is only seen every 5 years..'nough said there..


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## TarfHead (8 Nov 2010)

I've never voted Fianna Fail. Not out of any party loyalty or ideology . I grew up in Dublin North Central where Charlie Haughey ruled the roost, so a preference for not voting for him developed.

I'm now in Dublin North East where the current FF TD is Michael Woods. The reason to vote for him, aside from party loyalty, eludes me . Ditto a previous (to 2007) TD, Martin Brady.

I assume Woods won't run again in the next election and that Brady will, so my indifference to FF candidates will probably continue.



DerKaiser said:


> Spoiling your vote or not voting is akin to voting for something worse than the 'best of the worst'!!!


 
I disagree. IMHO turning up to actively spoil your vote is a 'better' way to express something. I spoiled my vote at the last Presidential elections cos I thought all of the candidates did not deserve my vote.


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## z107 (8 Nov 2010)

> Yes, I will be voting FF as the candidate who will receive my #1 is the hardest working (regardless of party) of all parties in the constituency.


Interesting that you admit to this. I suppose the 18% has to be someone.

In what way is the candidate 'hard working'? Is it stuff they do locally?


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## michaelm (8 Nov 2010)

bren1916 said:


> Yes, I will be voting FF as the candidate who will receive my #1 is the hardest working (regardless of party) of all parties in the constituency.


Given the nature of our party-political system and the state of the country, I wonder if it is an indulgence to vote in this manner?  After all it's FF TDs (hard-working and not) who are the life-support apparatus for the double-act who brought us the worst decision in the history of the State.


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## bren1916 (8 Nov 2010)

Without getting an argument over FF - if voting for a particular candidate is 'admitting' something well then yes - guilty as charged 

'Indulgence' what a comment....

I personally, do not give a fiddlers who anyone else votes for as it is their constitutional right, or am I to be told who to vote and who not to vote for in modern day Ireland?


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## Latrade (8 Nov 2010)

The best TD in our area is one of the FF TDs. Which means a dilemma. He may be subject to protest votes, but out of all the others representing the area he works the hardest and is the most pragmatic. I would sympathise if he was to lose his seat in any protest.

I'm not ruling any party or individual out at this stage. Voting to me balances the overall party agenda as a collection of TDs with the individual local agenda. The two aren't inseperable and reasonable people can weigh the two together to come up with their voting preference. 

I'm not ruling out a vote for FF, but I'm not ruling it in either. It may take something approaching a miracle to fully rule it in, but balancing that against the party information from the opposition and their candidates, I find myself like many people where I actually dread a general election on the basis of I'll be damned if I do (based on right now) and damned if I don't and then stuck with the results. 

The immediate agenda may well the be economy, but our problems run much deeper than that and no party is looking beyond the duct tape fix rather than the mechanical fix.


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## michaelm (8 Nov 2010)

bren1916 said:


> I personally, do not give a fiddlers who anyone else votes for as it is their constitutional right . . or am I to be told who to vote and who not to vote for in modern day Ireland?


Of course . . and hardly.  I'm just saying that IMO given our closed-shop, self-financing, party-political (lot of hyphens there) system one is voting for more than just a candidate.


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## DB74 (8 Nov 2010)

bren1916 said:


> Yes, I will be voting FF as the candidate who will receive my #1 is the hardest working (regardless of party) of all parties in the constituency.
> I will not be voting FG as I neither like nor trust their 'high profile' candidate in my area.
> Labour - no clear policy = no vote.
> Green = as with all other candidates apart from #1 above, is only seen every 5 years..'nough said there..


 
Just curious here

Why would you rule out one party on policy grounds (Labour) while voting #1 for another candidate on "hardest working" grounds?


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## bren1916 (8 Nov 2010)

DB74 said:


> Just curious here
> 
> Why would you rule out one party on policy grounds (Labour) while voting #1 for another candidate on "hardest working" grounds?


 
Fair Question;

Because I neither see the candidate working hard either in the locality or the constituency added to the fact that Labour have yet to come out with how they're going to make the necessary cuts.


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## z107 (8 Nov 2010)

> Because I neither see the candidate working hard either in the locality or the constituency added to the fact that Labour have yet to come out with how they're going to make the necessary cuts.


How depressing.

I wonder is there any chance we could be directly ruled from Germany?


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## bren1916 (8 Nov 2010)

umop3p!sdn said:


> Looks like I'll be spoiling my vote as usual.
> It's the only logical thing to do. I'm certainly not voting for the 'best of the worst'.


 




umop3p!sdn said:


> How depressing.
> 
> I wonder is there any chance we could be directly ruled from Germany?


 
Well perhaps the entire country should 'spoil their vote' that'd sort out the mess and cheer us up...


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## z107 (8 Nov 2010)

> Well perhaps the entire country should 'spoil their vote' that'd sort out the mess and cheer us up.


I'd be delighted if they did.

It would show what a sham Irish politics really is and that people want something better. I'm fed up with parish pump politics, corruption and incompetence.


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## michaelm (8 Nov 2010)

umop3p!sdn said:


> It would show what a sham Irish politics really is and that people want something better.


I suspect that a 'None of the above' box on the end ballot paper would attract a lot of votes.


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## DerKaiser (8 Nov 2010)

umop3p!sdn said:


> Please could you explain how spoiling a vote is same as not voting, and how both of these are "akin to voting for something worse than the 'best of the worst'"?


 
Because the outcome is decided by the people who actually vote correctly for candidates.


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