Sometimes you have to defend a TD (even when you don't ordinarily agree with them) and I just think the way Lucinda has been portrayed by the media and subsequently by her colleagues highlights just how bad politics and political commentary is here.
She's recently made a response to the media regarding her MacGill speech. Reading the speech I think her points are very valid. The media criticises "political fluff" and often tries to score points in a Paxman like way when politicians don't give absolute statements. But when they do speak absolutely and clearly, the media's all over it picking out two sentences out of a whole speech and indicating "another move against Enda Kenny". No wonder TDs don't give clear answers, they can't win.
I think Lucinda's speech is great, the bit about the donations makes perfect sense in the context of the whole thing, but she's absolutely right in her views on "the Party Line". But not a mention of that in the media.
Then her colleagues come out to defend FG, but they miss the point. She never said it was illegal, she never said it was corruption, she just said FG have to be careful in how it looks to be criticising FF for the Galway Tent politics and them inviting the same group of people to a day out at the K Club looking for money. What's wrong with saying that?
I'm more sick of the fluff coming out of the opposition and government, I want some clear, straight talk. Even if I don't agree with it, it's refreshing to hear and see. Her colleagues are knocking her for something she never actually said, they're essentially reacting to a media silly season storm rather than just saying, "you've taken her comments out of context" they defend the party and isolate her.
The more this goes on I really think the original notions of Aristotle and the Aristocracy is right. This whole having to toe a party line, hooring yourself out for votes, it's part of the ruination of all democracies. We can't be trusted to vote in the right people and they can't be trusted to do the right thing because they're scared that we won't vote them back in.
Time for a revolution, but against democracy and in favour of a tyrant.
She's recently made a response to the media regarding her MacGill speech. Reading the speech I think her points are very valid. The media criticises "political fluff" and often tries to score points in a Paxman like way when politicians don't give absolute statements. But when they do speak absolutely and clearly, the media's all over it picking out two sentences out of a whole speech and indicating "another move against Enda Kenny". No wonder TDs don't give clear answers, they can't win.
I think Lucinda's speech is great, the bit about the donations makes perfect sense in the context of the whole thing, but she's absolutely right in her views on "the Party Line". But not a mention of that in the media.
Then her colleagues come out to defend FG, but they miss the point. She never said it was illegal, she never said it was corruption, she just said FG have to be careful in how it looks to be criticising FF for the Galway Tent politics and them inviting the same group of people to a day out at the K Club looking for money. What's wrong with saying that?
I'm more sick of the fluff coming out of the opposition and government, I want some clear, straight talk. Even if I don't agree with it, it's refreshing to hear and see. Her colleagues are knocking her for something she never actually said, they're essentially reacting to a media silly season storm rather than just saying, "you've taken her comments out of context" they defend the party and isolate her.
The more this goes on I really think the original notions of Aristotle and the Aristocracy is right. This whole having to toe a party line, hooring yourself out for votes, it's part of the ruination of all democracies. We can't be trusted to vote in the right people and they can't be trusted to do the right thing because they're scared that we won't vote them back in.
Time for a revolution, but against democracy and in favour of a tyrant.