A vote for an Independent is a vote for parish pump politics
- Thread starter Purple
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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.
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.
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.
Ceist Beag
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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 thinkWell 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?
Ceist Beag
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I'll vote independent and I will criticise cronyism and clientism, so I will!
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.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?
Indeed, Purple could be deploying reverse psychology, and is planning to vote for a local parish pump Independent.
All politics is local to some degree or other. In addition, for those of us who live in constituencies where the bulk of the votes are in another county altogether, voting local (and not necessarily an independent) is often the only way to ensure a local voice is heard.
I think there's the intention of parish pump politics, but outside of the Healy Raes and a tiny number of get-things-done types a vote for an Independent is a vote to get NOTHING done. In effect, its a vote for No Change.
Many of the ones I've heard are trying very hard to veil their racism/anti-immigration agenda.
True, got a whole mountain of election literature in the post yesterday and flicking through it, the indo's were all racists of one degree or another with the exception of one ultra conservative Christian candidate (who, in fairness, didn't have an issue with immigration). Combined, they will do well to get 5% of the vote where I am, if even that.
JoeRoberts
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Would you be happy to call it a policy rather than agenda ?
Isn't that up to them? In political terms, candidates are usually quite open about, and often publish their policies, but can be far more opaque about their agenda.
JoeRoberts
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A number of the leaflets I've seen spoke about "putting Irish first" and "supporting the tourist industry by banning hotels becoming aslyum hostel"
The fact that the hotels only took up this business because they couldn't make a go at it in the tourist industry is beside the point.
I find asking them about the "undocumented Irish" in the US really confuses them
Yeah, that gets me too. The small towns that seem to think the taxpayer should subsidise a hotel they hardly ever use is bizarre. There's one such establishment close to me and when you ask the locals if they go there they tell you the food is crap and the boozer across the street is better for a drink.