Greens decimated.

[Langer Dan]

From the intial outlook at least, how they failed to learn any lessons from the PDs is beyond me.

[corkoniense]

From the intial outlook at least, how they failed to learn any lessons from the PDs is beyond me.

that's what you get for supping with the devil. expect the greens to pull out and a general election in the autumn

[hungry]

great

[Closer80]

Good. Thanks to the retards that voted them in in the first place! Cheers for reelecting FF!

[CoDublin]

Good. Thanks to the retards that voted them in in the first place! Cheers for reelecting FF!

At least there will be a good few less of those prick FF boyos to deal with as for the Greens they deserve all the losses they face.

If they'd the balls they should have jumped out of govt 4 days ago and forced a GE and they would have romped home with plenty of seats now if it went to election they'll be totally fucked and well deserved.

[Mr Jefferson]

When I read the thread title I thought about Greens resturaunt and perhaps a fire. Time to go to bed methinks!

[CoDublin]

When I read the thread title I thought about Greens resturaunt and perhaps a fire. Time to go to be methinks!

You mean the one in Leopardstown?

[Mr Jefferson]

You mean the one in Leopardstown?

No. I mean the one in Cork.

[CoDublin]

No. I mean the one in Cork.

I like the one in Leopardstown too.

[CoDublin]

Have a look at the last paragraph here (http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/0506/greens.html) Eamon must be eating his own words right about now:lol:

[jd26]

This is not good news.

There's no way they'll be bringing down the government now.

[Actin The Sham]

This is not good news.

There's no way they'll be bringing down the government now.

Agreed.


It would be like turkeys voting for Christmas.

If they pulled out of government now, I couldn't see any of them except for Trevor Sargent retaining their seats.

[Rebelred]

Agreed.


It would be like turkeys voting for Christmas.

If they pulled out of government now, I couldn't see any of them except for Trevor Sargent retaining their seats.

and he'd be doing well at that. They'll sit tight and try to build up their support again. They are in absolutely no position to pull out now.

[Lamps]

This is not good news.

There's no way they'll be bringing down the government now.

They have to, its their only road to redemption. They need to man up and admit that they made a balls of things. This is what former Green voters like myself have been telling them. But they keep spinning the Fianna Fail bullshit, "hard decisions for the good of the country" and so on. Its not that at all. Its cos they supped with the devil and refuse to accept that they were in the wrong to do so.

If they don't do the decent thing and bring the govt down they are finished. The locals showed this. They are teetering on the brink now, their next move is crucial. This is what you get for giving your full backing the most inept Taoiseach in the history of the state

[Saucyjack]

This is not good news.

There's no way they'll be bringing down the government now.

Collapse this unpopular useless administration and get a shred or kudos and respect or would you stay on the "Titanic" knowing that its going to hit an iceberg ?

They are contaminated by Fianna Fail and will suffer the same fate as the P.D's.

Guilty by association.

Rejected and between a rock and a hard place.

[Lamps]

Collapse this unpopular useless administration and get a shred or kudos and respect or would you stay on the "Titanic" knowing that its going to hit an iceberg ?

Correct Eddie.

If they see this govt out, they'll do well to get a TD elected in the next 10 or 15 years. It takes a bit of balls to put your hands and say you got something wrong. People will respect that, and they might minimize some of the damage.

[Actin The Sham]

Collapse this unpopular useless administration and get a shred or kudos and respect or would you stay on the "Titanic" knowing that its going to hit an iceberg ?

They are contaminated by Fianna Fail and will suffer the same fate as the P.D's.

Guilty by association.

Rejected and between a rock and a hard place.

I'd say they will stay in, on the basis that there will be a carbon tax introduced in the next budget, and that they are getting their policies implemented. They will also batten down the hatches on the basis that in 2012, the economy may have improved.

I would like to see FG and Labour come up with a joint policy document if possible before the next general election so that people would know what they are voting for. Last time people voted for one thing and then discovered that they got something totally different.


We should know what our choices are before the next election.

[jd26]

Collapse this unpopular useless administration and get a shred or kudos and respect or would you stay on the "Titanic" knowing that its going to hit an iceberg ?

They are contaminated by Fianna Fail and will suffer the same fate as the P.D's.

Guilty by association.

Rejected and between a rock and a hard place.

They'll stay on board in the hope the economy picks up and the government gains a bit of popularity. By 2011, things should be improving economically.

It's mistaken thinking though. Labour in 1997 comes to mind.

Their best plot is to have their back bench TDs turning into virtual opposition - criticising everything the government does, but not collapsing it.

I'd say Sargent will hold. The redraw of Dublin North's boundary has been kind to him, with it losing areas that he never polled well in, but which used to give a big vote to Claire Daly and Labour.

Gogarty can hold if he goes on the internal opposition track.

White and Cuffe are gone whatever they do.

Not sure about the other two. I'd have said Ryan was OK untill George Lee turned up in his constituency. Now FG 3 FF 1 Lab 1 is a perfectly plausible result in Dublin South.

God knows what will happen in Dublin SE. Four seats there. FF are unlikely to take any. The PDs are gone, so McDowell's off the scene. Gormley might just hang on simply because I can't see Labour taking two or Sinn Fein taking one. If Mannix Flynn runs as an Indpendent there, that could be his undoing.

[Saucyjack]

They'll stay on board in the hope the economy picks up and the government gains a bit of popularity. By 2011, things should be improving economically.

It's mistaken thinking though. Labour in 1997 comes to mind.

Their best plot is to have their back bench TDs turning into virtual opposition - criticising everything the government does, but not collapsing it.

I'd say Sargent will hold. The redraw of Dublin North's boundary has been kind to him, with it losing areas that he never polled well in, but which used to give a big vote to Claire Daly and Labour.

Gogarty can hold if he goes on the internal opposition track.

White and Cuffe are gone whatever they do.

Not sure about the other two. I'd have said Ryan was OK untill George Lee turned up in his constituency. Now FG 3 FF 1 Lab 1 is a perfectly plausible result in Dublin South.

God knows what will happen in Dublin SE. Four seats there. FF are unlikely to take any. The PDs are gone, so McDowell's off the scene. Gormley might just hang on simply because I can't see Labour taking two or Sinn Fein taking one. If Mannix Flynn runs as an Indpendent there, that could be his undoing.


The economy will be improving by 2011 - 2012 but the Greens will now have to force their partners Fianna Fail on their agenda.

i.e.Carbon Tax - Make the price of fossil fuels so expensive as to reduce their use.How stupid is that ?

Thats one of their next banana skins.

[Jim Comic]

Agreed.


It would be like turkeys voting for Christmas.

If they pulled out of government now, I couldn't see any of them except for Trevor Sargent retaining their seats.

gormley's a goner, but i'd say eamon ryan might get re-elected, he's generally been impressive i.m.o.

[Saucyjack]

Gormless just has to have the smarts to reverse his carbon neutral seaweed fuel extract car out of this mess of a coalition.

Ask Biffo for some concession that you know that he will not accept.

No you have a valid reason for pulling the plug.

You will be in our eternal gratitude as you pass this mess onto someone else.

[jd26]

gormley's a goner, but i'd say eamon ryan might get re-elected, he's generally been impressive i.m.o.

Dublin SE is a very strange constituency

FF only took 28% last time out and their support in Dublin is through the floor at the moment. It's very doubtful they'd take a seat there.

FG are likely to gain one, but you'd reckon on FF being more likely to lose. Especially since they like to boast that they elect ministers, not TDs. John Gormley is a minister. Who exactly is Chris Andrews?

And then Labour look too far off gaining a 2nd and Sinn Fein only got 1,500 votes last time out and again are in decline in Dublin.

The only way I can see two seats changing is if. Mannix Flynn runs as an Indo.

[Sound]

They have to, its their only road to redemption. They need to man up and admit that they made a balls of things. This is what former Green voters like myself have been telling them. But they keep spinning the Fianna Fail bullshit, "hard decisions for the good of the country" and so on. Its not that at all. Its cos they supped with the devil and refuse to accept that they were in the wrong to do so.

If they don't do the decent thing and bring the govt down they are finished. The locals showed this. They are teetering on the brink now, their next move is crucial. This is what you get for giving your full backing the most inept Taoiseach in the history of the state

Absolutely. Bring back Sargent as a Mea Culpa gestrue and throw themselves at the electorate's mercy. They are just drawing it out otherwise.

[Actin The Sham]

I like the idea of what Leo Varadkar and Richard Bruton (and George Lee), say about public sector reform.

This would make me inclined to vote for Fine Gael. But what about the Labour Party? Will they veto any changes to public sector pay and conditions if they get into power with Fine Gael?

Is there any chance that Fine Gael could get an overall majority?

[jd26]

No chance of an overall majority. The highest they can get to is probably around 75-76 seats.

That could possibly be high enough that they can start considering other coalition partners. Although with the likely fall in Green TDs, that only really means Sinn Fein. I think it's probably one election too soon for FG and Sinn Fein to consider a coalition (from both sides). However, a choice of partners would give FG more bargaining power in negotiations with Labour.

[jd26]

Hmmm, doing a best case scenario in each constituency for them I get 79

Then you could add Lowry who is virtually FG.

If they only needed 3 votes maybe the Greens could hang on in 3 of Dublin S, Dublin SE, Dublin MW and Dublin N to put them in together.

Carlow Kilkenny - 2
Cavan Monaghan - 2
Clare - 3
Cork East - 2
Cork North Central - 2
Cork North West - 2
Cork South Central - 3
Cork South West - 2
Donegal North East - 1
Donegal South West - 1
Dublin Central - 1
Dublin Mid West - 1
Dublin North - 2
Dublin North Central - 2
Dublin North East - 1
Dublin North West - 1
Dublin South - 3
Dublin South Central - 2
Dublin South East - 2
Dublin South West - 2
Dublin West - 1
Dun Laoghaire - 2
Galway East - 3
Galway West - 2
Kerry North - 1
Kerry South - 1
Kildare North - 2
Kildare South - 1
Laoighis Offaly - 2
Limerick East - 2
Limerick West - 2
Longford Westmeath - 2
Louth - 2
Mayo - 3
Meath East - 1
Meath West - 2
Roscommon Leitrim South - 2
Sligo Leitrim North - 2
Tipperary North - 1
Tipperary South - 1
Waterford - 2
Wexford - 3
Wicklow - 2

[Actin The Sham]

I think they should go for it now. They have the wind behind them, and if they were to campaign on the basis of looking for an overall majority they might just do it.

FF's whole campaign would be based around the differing economic policies of FG and Labour particularly in regard to the banks and the public sector.

I think the majority of the people would be happy to see a strong FG mandate get in and tackle the problems once and for all without their policies being diluted by a public sector driven Labour party.

[Langer Dan]

Na the time for them to jump ship and save their standing has come and gone. If they'd pulled the plug around the time of the medical card fiasco they would have returned most of their sittting tds but the local elections have shown that they're now just viewed as the government's lapdogs.

Gormless is into 'we;ve survived it' territory.
I look forward to their imminent demise.

[longbigandjuicy]

There fooocccked

http://www.defstrat.com/ArticleImages/6.jpg

[hungry]

All the greens can talk about is tax, carbon tax, water tax, tax on houses. They will tax us to death they will stay in power to get their pensions. I used to support them Chris o Leary did the right thing in going his own way.

[Lamps]

Gormley made his views pretty clear last night on Q&A.

They are in this for the long haul with FF.

Thats them finished

[Langer Dan]

Gormley made his views pretty clear last night on Q&A.

They are in this for the long haul with FF.

Thats them finished

As I've said Gormless has all the political vision of an energy efficient lightbulb.
They won't return a single TD in the next general election.

[Hang_Sandwich]

I think they should go for it now. They have the wind behind them, and if they were to campaign on the basis of looking for an overall majority they might just do it.

FF's whole campaign would be based around the differing economic policies of FG and Labour particularly in regard to the banks and the public sector.

I think the majority of the people would be happy to see a strong FG mandate get in and tackle the problems once and for all without their policies being diluted by a public sector driven Labour party.

i think this is funny - remember all your guff before the last election about how you would vote - and then in the end you vote FF....

FF are dead if only the 18-30's would actually vote then FG might be able to swing a majority

[markinmanc]

I'm (not) amazed the vote against the no confidence motion, but they surely signed their own death warrant by doing so.

[Langer Dan]

I'm (not) amazed the vote against the no confidence motion, but they surely signed their own death warrant by doing so.

One would imagine so.
The most unpopular Fianna Fail government in living memory is not a weight you want to tie around your neck but to do so in light of what happened to the last minority party in government with FF is staggering.

As I'v said Gormless appears to have shit for brains.
They've alienated their vote completely and I predict a complete collapse in the next general election.

[quincytwo]

Given that there is a very slim chance of the Greens being re-elected and having the opportunity to regain Ministerial positions, then it is only logical to want to continue in office.
How many people would voluntarily take redundancy 2 years before it is necessary ?