McDowell's Departure

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ang1170

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Anyone else feel that Michael McDowell’s departure was oh-so typical of the man?

His precipitous quitting had all the hallmarks of a spoiled child throwing his toys out the pram when told he couldn’t play anymore. Add to that the arrogance of not bothering to consult his colleagues beforehand and not being interested if he couldn’t be the boss anymore, and you have the measure of the man.

Can’t see Mary Harney lacking the balls to continue when the going gets tough if she were in his position.

Retiring from public life? Er, I think you were just sacked by the people, Michael!

 
Leader of a political party not getting voted back in = automatic retirement...at least in my mind anyway.

You can dislike McDowell if you like...but I think you're making too much of an issue of what was a very obvious choice for him.
 
Think you are at least half right Ang1170

McDowell has been prone to plenty of ill-considered outbursts in the past.
Certainly not consulting with his own party prior to his rejection/retirement was unprofessional.

Bertie wouldn't be above a bit of a smirk over all this...
 
Under the PD's rules the party leader must come from the parliamentary party, so McDowell could not have remained on as party leader anyway. That didn't mean though that he had to leave politics - like many an ex-TD before him he could have, for example, sought election to the Senate. In fact, in this scenario, he could have been reappointed to the Cabinet - Senate members are eligible for this and there is also a precedent. In 1981 Taoiseach Garret Fitzgerald nominated Prof. James Dooge to the Senate and subsequently appointed him Minister for Foreign Affairs without Prof. Dooge ever having stood for election.

That said, it is clear from news reports that McDowell did not consult any of his party colleagues before making his announcement and many of them, such as John Minihan, were very put out by that. I'd have to sympathize with them - the manner of the announcement lacked any class.
 
Gabriel said:
Leader of a political party not getting voted back in = automatic retirement...at least in my mind anyway.
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Automatic resignation from leadership, certainly, but hardly from politics

Gabriel said:
You can dislike McDowell if you like...but I think you're making too much of an issue of what was a very obvious choice for him.
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It may be an obvious choice, but it was the manner of his departure I was commenting on. Big difference between running away from a train wreck and staying on for a while to help salvage something from it and wave it on its way...
 
did McDowell do some kind of 'I did the state some service' speech to the media outside the RDS ? I wanted to hear it but RTE cut it off .
 
ang1170 said:
Automatic resignation from leadership, certainly, but hardly from politics
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Surely the resignation from politics is/was his own personal choice and that of his family? Hardly anyone elses business is it?

Sounds like he was ony guilty of not discussing it with his party...which was a bit unprofessional alright.

ang1170 said:
It may be an obvious choice, but it was the manner of his departure I was commenting on. Big difference between running away from a train wreck and staying on for a while to help salvage something from it and wave it on its way...
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Fair enough...but hasn't he been involved in the talks in Leinster House with the PD's today? So it would look like he's not running away...

From...
http://www.rte.ie/news/2007/0530/election.html

"Members of the outgoing parliamentary party of the PDs, including the six defeated TDs, are taking part in this meeting, which will look at the outcome of the election and its implications.

Michael McDowell and Mary Harney are among those attending."
 
ClubMan said:
Wasn't that the "I love my country" one that they did broadcast?
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Im not sure if he made 1 or 2 speeches but I tuned in at some point to see which TD got elected in my area and it went over to McDowells speech as he was outside the RDS maybe next to a LIMO/Merc then it cut him off in mid flow. The speech IMO seemed pretty well done at the time from the about 20 seconds I saw of it . Seemed to add some extra drama to the whole situation to see him on his way out this way as hes normally so full of himself.
 
I always liked McDowell.

He is intelligent and forthright, qualities which are sometimes lacking in the Dail. He had the strength and courage of his convictions.

To me, he would seem to be a far better parlimentarian than many TDs.

I can't understand why people don't like him.

His policies on justice and immigration were sensible, though maybe not always populist.
 
I don’t buy the "he’s intelligent, so he must be good" argument. He’s certainly an effective public speaker and as a parliamentarian he’s head and shoulders above the vast majority of TDs (not exactly a high standard, though).

Does that make him an effective politician? Don’t think so! Look at the record: didn’t even deliver on something simple like Garda numbers (and displayed an inability to count in the process), no real Garda/prison reform, a last-minute, rushed Criminal Justice Bill that no doubt will come back to haunt us, and (the icing on the cake), a few millions wasted on overpaying for land for a new prison.

I’d certainly give him credit for forcing the criminality/Sinn Fein issue on the North’s settlement and various other minor achievements, but does that make him the great politician that he clearly thinks he is? I’d say he’s about average in terms of what he’s actually done: not the worst, certainly, but he’s not exactly the towering colossus his supporters tend to claim.
 
ang1170 said:
I don’t buy the "he’s intelligent, so he must be good" argument. He’s certainly an effective public speaker and as a parliamentarian he’s head and shoulders above the vast majority of TDs (not exactly a high standard, though).
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I would disagree with most of that. I never saw any real evidence to suggest that he was particularly intelligent, never mind more so than most other citizens or members of the Oireachtas (in general) as some might claim, and I never considered him to be much of a public speaker.
 

ang1170, I find your post mean spirited and small minded. The man lost his job, it must be a terrible blow for any TD and I would not gloat the way you are about any of them loosing their seats, no matter what the party.
McDowell did himself no favours but I think that the campaign waged against him by the Irish Times, and to a lesser extent RTE, over the last few years was a major factor in his defeat.
 
To paraphrase Ruairi Quinn, I liked his politics but had reservations about the man.

His impulsive behaviour since he became leader of the PDs, and especially during the election, was directly responsible for the loss of a couple of PD seats, namely those of Tom Parlon and Tim O'Malley.
 

Tend to agree there...it's also been said that he was 'witty' ?!

When??

A few obvious schoolboyish putdowns and ill tempered retorts do not a witty person make
 
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