There is no party line afaik.
One has to ask why do the parties involved - all of them - put forward the candidates they do given that, the assumption seems to be, each party there has prospective candidates who in other constituencies would likely fare better.
I’ve met Tommy Gould a few times and imho he is a very decent hard working guy who even before he got into politics worked very hard in and for his local unfashionable GAA Club Vincent’s. He was their chairman for a number of years ever before his election as TD.
And while his diction might grate with some here I think it may be one of the things that endears him to so many CNC voters. They see him as “one of their own”, “local guy done well”. His voice and diction chimes with many in CNC where they also elect a dub of all people.
But why do CNC voters elect a dub? Well nobody can trust the Labour Party, especially given some of the leadership they’ve had in that party, including the current one.
There’s a bigger proportion of left wing votes in CNC than in CSC probably because for as long as one can remember CNC has been treated less favourably than CSC. Maybe the actual geography hinders infrastructure north of the river compared to the south, but even with charismatic TDs and a REAL Taoiseach CNC seemed to get less. Maybe it’s only a perception but it’s a perception that’s out there.
And this comes back to why I think CNC elect the TDs that they do. For a start they can only elect from who’s on the ballot paper. This in turn is down to who the parties put forward. So why do the parties put these candidates forward rather than others.
Mick Barry is going to run and SF have a candidate who competes in that space and seems to not want to get outflanked by MB.
The other parties put people forward who can give a nod to that space and want to appeal to people whose electoral politics is less nuanced than those south of the river where life tends to be more comfortable.
Laugh at MB as many do - what is the viable alternative for people from CNC to vote for? Don’t think SF have a hope with their second candidate and the FF and FG candidates aren’t exactly vote getters themselves - merely party candidates there to try hoover up the party’s dwindling core vote and hope to get in on transfers so if/when elected the can only ever aspire to being junior junior minister - in very stark contrast to their fellows in CSC.
Barring something dramatic I can’t see much change
All just my opinion of course
