A vote for an Independent is a vote for parish pump politics

A vote for an Independent is a vote for parish pump politics and is emblematic of what is wrong with Irish politics. If you vote for an independent you have no place criticising cronyism and clientism.

100% wrong - A vote for even a defeated independent is good because it’s a vote the winning main political parties need to win.

Under Proportional Representation, if you can predict the order of candidates being eliminated your vote is strongest and used more prudently.

Vote 1, 2, 3, 4 for any one political party is the worst way to vote and says more about you than even the Healy-Rae’s.
 
A vote for an Independent is a vote for parish pump politics and is emblematic of what is wrong with Irish politics. If you vote for an independent you have no place criticising cronyism and clientism.
I think it really depends on the Independent. I want to vote for a party that is centre right economically but there are none in Ireland. However, there might be an Independent that fits that bill. If so I will vote for them.
 
I'm not sure there are many who do vote Independent and criticise such things :)

In general Independent TDs are parish pump types.

There are some exceptions eg Finian McGrath was an advocate for disability issues.
He advocated not just for services in his constituency but for the country.

Also at MEP level, things are a little different also.
 
If an independent is vital to prop up a Govt then their agenda for their specific area will get out-of-proportion attention (ie money) from the Govt.

Remember the Gregory deal ?
 
Well I wasn't going to vote for an independent but now I might just do that, I mean nobody likes to be told what they can and cannot do right? ;)
 
Well I wasn't going to vote for an independent but now I might just do that, I mean nobody likes to be told what they can and cannot do right? ;)
In fairness, he said you couldn't 'criticise cronyism and clientism.' There was no order not to vote independent so doing so isn't the bristling response you might think :D
 
Well I wasn't going to vote for an independent but now I might just do that, I mean nobody likes to be told what they can and cannot do right? ;)
Careful now, your decision is therefore dependent on the input of others, and not formed independently. A true independent thinker would not allow themselves to swayed like that.
Indeed, Purple could be deploying reverse psychology, and is planning to vote for a local parish pump Independent.
 
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