Are Fianna Fail finished ?

[Corcaigh32]

Fianna Fáil are not finished and you all know it yourselves

They are.

 

[rebelicecreamman]

They may be finished as the dominant party, but as long as the banner is raised, a certain core breed will still flock to it- somewhere between 10 and 20 percent. Imho.

 

[Cork]

The Republican party in the US were said to be finished 4 years ago.

Can't see people seeing the political wing of the IRA as the opposition.

But at 10% - things are looking bad for Labour.

 

[pat d shaker]

No FF will be around for a few years yet it will be all young fellas next election though with the odd gombeen still attached though

 

[johnmcork]

Sinn Fein are due to be seriously exposed.

People are copping on to the contradictions and the negative mantra.

1. Revenue; They oppose the property tax but want to introduce a wealth tax on assets. i.e. we won't tax your house but we'll tax your cash registers and milking parlours instead. They're clueless on revenue raising - probably because most of their political experience is attached to the 6 counties which is one of the most subsidised states in the world.

2. Negativity; Look at Enda Kenny; eight years of condemning the govt. in opposition depressed everyone to tears and made the country hate him -he's a new man now. If i hear adams/mary lou lecture me about the 'ordinary people suffering' one more time I'm going to through the TV out the window. Shinners will poll well, flatter to deceive and fall at the last fence.

3. Pie in the sky/say what you want; This is my most serious concern about sinn fein. I think they think that govt. is an unrealistic aspiration for the next decade or so, so its a case of say what you want. Not being serious about governing is failing the people politically and belies zero credibility.

 

[Stacky]

Sinn Fein are due to be seriously exposed.

People are copping on to the contradictions and the negative mantra.

1. Revenue; They oppose the property tax but want to introduce a wealth tax on assets. i.e. we won't tax your house but we'll tax your cash registers and milking parlours instead. They're clueless on revenue raising - probably because most of their political experience is attached to the 6 counties which is one of the most subsidised states in the world.

2. Negativity; Look at Enda Kenny; eight years of condemning the govt. in opposition depressed everyone to tears and made the country hate him -he's a new man now. If i hear adams/mary lou lecture me about the 'ordinary people suffering' one more time I'm going to through the TV out the window. Shinners will poll well, flatter to deceive and fall at the last fence.

3. Pie in the sky/say what you want; This is my most serious concern about sinn fein. I think they think that govt. is an unrealistic aspiration for the next decade or so, so its a case of say what you want. Not being serious about governing is failing the people politically and belies zero credibility.

Their asset / wealth tax is barmy as many people are asset rich but cash poor.
Do they expect a farmer with 120 acres try to sell off a fe wacres or a tractor to pay this bill ? Pro cuts up in Norn Iron and against cuts down south.
No idea about how to cut the deficit from 10% to 3%.

Agitator protests against everything and zero substance or policies whatsoever

 

[strict66]

The barstoolers are frothing at the mouth with joy at what they see as the unstoppable rise of SF in this country. But to even the casual observer it's plain to see that this has nothing to do with the political prowess of the said but rather the shortcomings of their opponents.

An article yesterday claimed soon they will be the biggest party in opposition , I agree with that but that's exactly what their political destiny will be - in opposition. Sinn Fein have put forward their two biggest Ace Cards for the highest offices in land twice now and twice there has been a resounding 'no thanks' from the vast majority of the electorate.
If SF are to become the next or other party then I'd say FG will be in power for quite some time to come. SF will be like British labour in the 80's , fodder for satire and soundbites for the news , and pretty much nothing else .

 

[sergeyevitch]

In the absence of fundamental social and economic change - by which I mean socialism - in this country and internationally, it is inevitable that there will be a continuation of FF/FG/LP/GP politics. it is what the ruling class want, and they hold the whip hand.

SF do not offer an alternative; they articulate no vision of a different society. SO if they get into power here they will behave as they have in the north.

 

[Fusty]

The biggest problem for Sinn Féin is that their headline policy of a united Ireland is not desired, not just in the Republic, but in Northern Ireland among the nationalist population. That's very hard for them to take.

Surveys repeatedly show that Catholics would prefer the status quo and peace to the instability of a sovereignty change.

Ask 99% of Irish 18-35 year olds in the Republic where a United Ireland is on their list of priorities. It wouldn't feature in the top 30 I'd say.

For this reason Sinn Féin can really only offer a left wing alternative to Labour. They'll find a niche there alright as Labour are almost right wing now but SF lose the 'RA heads in the party they'll always be as credible as Fianna Fáil are on the economy.

 

[Langeroo]

Seems most of the Fianna Fail bashers in this thread don't realize that the FG/Labour government are continuing with the same policies. Closing the same hospitals and schools, paying the same bondholders, propping up the same banks.

If you want to subscribe to the woolly drivvel that SF are shovelling, off you go, but put them in power and they'll do the same uturns as FG & Labour.

And just as FG & Labour knew in the general election that they would be doing the very things they were damning the outgoing FF government for doing, SF know there's only one way out of this mess, and it's not the policy of FF, FG or Labour, it's not even the policy of the troika, it's very simply the only show in town. Problem is there's no votes in saying that.

We're broke, we don't have any choice, hard as it is we have to swallow this medicine.

And FF were driving the bus when it crashed, but before you lynch them for that, remember everyone, that's E-V-E-R-Y-O-N-E, in Irish politics outside of the FF government was screaming "Faster, Faster, Faster".

Yes, George Lee and David MacWilliams were ringing the warning bells, but they did not stand for election (before the crash). And how many votes do you think they'd have gotten if they stood in 2002 or 2007 on the platform of tax hikes and spending cuts that would have been required to avoid this mess?